Lost and Found in Venice

Venice and romance seem to go hand in hand. How can it not?? The city is bombarded with beautiful sparkling water canals, picturesque bridges which seem to pop up around every corner, NO TRAFFIC except for the sight of the boats and gondolas gliding across the water and some of the most beautiful and breathtaking sights in all of Italy. No wonder at times one can easily get confused between reality and fantasy. Although one can easily get lost (even with a good map) amongst the maze of narrow alleys, streets, and dead ends which take you to the water’s edge with nowhere to go, it is a city where getting lost can be advantageous as finding your way again can reveal some of the hidden treasures of Venice. You just never know what or whom you might find around the next corner….

We left bright and early from Milan on the 6am train, which would take us to our last stop in Italy, Venice!!!! It took us a little over 3 hours to reach our destination, one of our shorter train rides and we were hoping to find accommodation rather quickly so we could enjoy all Venice had to offer in our short three days here.

We had read in the Lonely Planet that the rooms in Venice are one of the most expensive in all of Italy (which is what they had also said about Milan as well) but this time we were a little more concerned about cost and finding a room. We had done some of our own research online prior to arriving and had received email responses from one and two star Venice hotels, offering room rates of 85 Euros and above for a double with shared bathroom. We figured we’d try our luck when we arrived and could only hope for the best.

As Chris headed to the hotel accommodation booking office in the train station, I snuck into the tourist office to inquire about budget accommodation. As I came out and started to scan the handy booklet they offered, the ‘typical’ long brown haired Italian ‘Fabio’ approached me stating he owned a hotel 8 minutes from the train station and could offer us a double room at 50 Euros a night with shared bathroom. I was unsure as to whether or not to trust Fabio (no matter how charming and suave he was), as my initial gut instincts did not seem to kick into gear as they usually do when I am scoping out these kinds of ‘salesmen’. After Chris came back and advised me that the booking office could only find us a hotel on the island of Lido (part of Venice but a bit of a ways away from the centre) for over 100 Euros, we quickly changed our minds and figured we’d check out Fabio’s lair and take it from there. Lucky for us, the place was clean, quaint and had a very old traditional feel to it with its wooden floors and late 15th century furniture in the rooms. We happily checked in and were eager to explore the streets and canals of Venice and explore we did….

Welcome to Venice and the Grand Canal – the main “traffic” artery of Venice although this is 100 times quieter than it normally is in the summer months.

What one sees as soon as they get out of the train station, yup, pretty breathtaking. This bridge called the Scalzi is one of only three bridges that cross the Grand Canal.

Venice is interestingly built on 117 islands with 150 odd canals and over 400 bridges, of which, yes, only 3 cross the Grand Canal. Go Canucks Go!!

Oh and how can I forget the “pimped” out gondolas!! These can be found everywhere in Venice and they ain’t cheap. A 35 minute ride can easily cost you $80 Euros.

A definite image of Venice – these Carnevale masks can be found everywhere

Some more elaborate than others

The famous Rialto Bridge – the only bridge that used to cross the Grand Canal at one time, today it is home to many photo clicking tourists and vendors selling jewelry, masks and glass products

Piazza San Marco and its basilica dominate this large square which is almost always flooded with tourists, pigeons and sometimes even water itself as it is the lowest point in Venice and the first place to flood when tides rise.

I figured I’d give ONE or TWO pigeons some bread, I wasn’t expecting a whole FLOCK of them to attack me. The pic here is tame but when they started to land on all parts of my body and two were vying for my head, I started to wonder if this was a good idea after all. At least Chris was having a grand old time laughing his head off. Definitely a fun square to just sit and people watch.

A close up of San Marco Basilica which was built in the 10th century to house the body of St. Mark the Evangelist. The imposing interior was breathtaking with its wealth of sculptures and paintings. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed inside.

The façade features five portals, all of which are richly decorated with splendid marble and mosaics such as this one.

One of many signs that can be found in Venice in hopes to help tourists find their way but as you can see, they can sometimes be very confusing. But like I said before, getting lost sometimes can be the best thing.

San Giorgio Maggiore Church along with the white Fondazione Giorgio Cini (home of cultural institutions and temporary exhibitions) can be found on San Giorgio Maggiore Island across the waters from San Marco square. Unfortunately we didn’t get any time to cross the waters to see them up close.

A lone gondola waiting for lovers

The Castello area…this is an area adjacent to the Grand Canal which leads to San Marco and the bell tower which can be seen in the far distance. A wonderful place to take a stroll and stop along one of the many cafes for a cup of java.

One of many beautiful images of Venice

Despite the cool temperatures, the sun was out the entire time we were in Venice.

The city is definitely magical as we were lucky enough to “find” Chris’ uncle Sam and cousin Lisa from Vancouver. We were sitting down enjoying a cappuccino in one of the many cafes that line the canals when Chris spotted his uncle and cousin walking by. Talk about small world. We spent a couple of hours chit chatting and getting to know them better.

Another image of Venice

The third bridge that crosses the Grand Canal – not much to this one but the view on the other side of it is what’s worth crossing it. In the distance, you can see the famous Santa Maria della Salute Church

A small sample of the many beautiful rococo Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance palaces that line the Grand Canal. A great way to see this all is by taking vaporetto No. 1 (their version of a metro in a city) which goes all the way from the train station to St. Marco Square. A much more expensive way to get a taste of all of this is of course the gondola option.

Another means of transport. This is the traghetto which is basically a public gondola but much much cheaper and where everyone has to stand. These gondolas are used to cross the Grand Canal in between the bridges as the 3 bridges which do cross the Grand Canal are quite a ways apart.

A close up of the Palazzo Ducale – what was the official residence of the royal family and Palace of Justice. The exterior is of Venetian Gothic style with refined decorations with symbols and allegoric motifs, capitals and sculptures. This sits along the Grand Canal in the same square of San Marco.

This is the Ponte dei Sospiri – the Bridge of Sighs which connects the palace (to the left) to the old dungeons (to the right) and evokes romantic images, possibly through its association with Casanova, a Venetian native who languished in the cells.

A perfect shot with the reflection of the bridge and buildings in the calm clear waters. Along the sides of the banks, you can see the Venetians’ form of transport, not automobiles but boatmobiles.

The Church of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in the San Polo quarter of Venice is one of the most sacred buildings in Venice for the wealth of artworks that it houses such as Titian’s Altarpeice of the Assumption and Bellini’s Triptych of the Virgin and Saints. There are more than 125 churches in Venice which makes bumping into one in your travels inevitable.

There is unfortunately not much greenery in Venice at all. Trees are sparse but when we found this one, it reminded us of the rich colors of Autumn.

My huney on one of the bridges with a view of the Grand Canal and Santa Maria della Salute Church in the background

One of many colorful window shops selling home made Venetian glass – the most popular being Murano glass. In addition to the masks and glass products - marbled paper, luscious velvet fabrics and hand bound books are Venice’s other specialties.

So romantic and so many….should we or shouldn’t we???

Yup, we did!! We splurged on ourselves and did do the touristy gondola ride. I was able to bargain the price down a bit and the $70 Euros we paid was well worth the splurge.

An image on our gondola ride as we turned the corner of a small canal

The gondola ride was quiet, serene and very peaceful as we went on a Sunday when the waterways are much more quieter as most of the locals are at home with their families and many companies are closed. Views like this and a bottle of white wine we drank in 35 minutes are bound to make your head spin (more so for Rav than pro Chunger)!

Happy customers at the end of the ride!!

You get them in every city…street entertainers of course. Normally, I like to stop and watch them as I find them entertaining but these ones I kinda found creepy and scary. The masks are not as “nice” when they’re on someone who is all dressed up and pointing their finger at you to come their way.

Another great shot of the Grand Canal and the beautiful buildings that line it.

How can one not fall in love when in Venice

The sun setting behind one of the churches lining the Grand Canal.

Bumping into the family once again before they were off on their train to Paris. Twice in one day…again, what are the chances.

Good night Venice

Despite the time of season and the cold weather, we figured we’d have Venice all to ourselves but boy, were we wrong. We are quickly learning that there are tourists everywhere, at all times of the year and Venice was no exception. The streets and major sites were packed with visitors day and night, which only made us wonder what it must be like to travel through this country during the busy summer months.

In spite of having to share Venice with more tourists than I was hoping for, Venice was exactly what I pictured and imagined it to be - a gateway to romance and love – I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to a majestic time in Italy.

This post is dedicated to my amour – the man who puts a smile on my face every day and fills my heart with love.

I love you C!!

Ravy the Roamer