A Water Wonderland - September 23, Venice

We left Florence early the next day, officially en-route to our final Italian destination: Venice. 

We sat next to a nice younger couple from Chicago on the train, and we tired to pump each other up as we were all a little nervous about finding our hotels in the waterlogged maze of Venice.

As the train began crossing larger and larger lakes and lagoons, I still didn't know what to expect. I remembered that my grandmother said "Venice is like nowhere else" but also that my coworker said people's reactions to Venice rival the opera, as in you either hate or love it. 

As we exited the train and expertly made our way to the vaperetto (water taxi) stand, we gained our first glances of the city. I knew I'd be the latter.

We crowded onto a large flat ferry boat, or one of the vaparettos that serve as a Venetian "bus." 

But does the view from your bus look like this? 

The Grand Canal.

After exiting at the Rialto stop (yes, THAT Rialto Bridge), we walked about five minutes to find our hotel. We were happy that this hotel was modernly designed. After more than a week of "elegant Italian"-style accommodations, it was nice to have a place that felt a little more contemporary.

The bathtub had a sign that said it would fill in 90 seconds. We couldn't resist testing this...

About half full in 90 seconds, but not overflowing. Myth: BUSTED! 

We dropped the bags at the Palace Bonvecchiati and started to explore. I was amazed at how quiet Venice was, despite the mounds of tourists. No automobiles, just the gentle hum of the city's main form of transportation: boats. 

And more boats. 

I was instantly in love with Venice's charm. Brendan was starting to equate it to Disneyland, with its hoards of tourists and crowded streets, but I was able to find magic in its narrow alleys, canals and bridges that seemed to whisper "Step off the main path. I'm still here. Look at my centuries-old buildings and ancient waterways. There is no one else like me. Come discover me." 

It was true: if you step a few blocks from the main paths or just turn in the opposite direction of the helpful points-of-interest signs, you can easily still stumble into empty squares boasting colorful laundry hung from locals' windows. 

Or, more likely, the laundry belonged to some rich ex-patriot's vacation home. But let's not ruin the fantasy. 

Our first stop was the Gallerie dell'Accademia. We explored the large museum with its huge works, even though Brendan's highly sought after "Vetruvian Man" by da Vinci was too fragile to be displayed. After a light lunch at a quiet cafe (yes! we found one!), we returned to the hotel to freshen up. 

 

Gondola rides are expensive. 

They're overrated. 

People will try to rip you off. 

We've all heard the warnings, but I convinced Brendan that we needed to experience this once-in-a-lifetime tradition. So we shelled out the 80E after a non-successful negotiation attempt, and hopped into a boat near the city's famed Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal. 

Expensive, yes. A little ridiculous, yes. 

Regrets? Not in the least. 

Come sail away, my little Gondolier.

The famed Rialto Bridge from the gondola.

It felt like we were in a movie! This is us UNDER the Rialto Bridge.

Gondola crossing!

 Venice is sinking, her buildings crumbling, and her decay is tragic and beautiful. Sorry. Venice brings out the romantic in me.

After exploring the shops along and near the Rialto Bridge, we walked the short distance to the Piazza San Marco, described by Napoleon as "Europe's Drawing Room." We were looking forward to winding down our trip in a city with more exploring potential than sightseeing attractions.

In St. Mark's Square, the Campanile is behind us in the top photo. 

Saying hi to a Venetian dog! Several of the shop owners' brought their pets to work. We purchased Murano glass from a kind young woman who showed us how to make sure the glass was authentic.

Venice is connected by many small bridges like this. Oh, to live in a city of canals.

Shops decorate the main tourist walkways-- and really, most any walkway-- in Venice. Famous for their masks and glass.

Lookit! I found a quiet street!

Venice's beauty is almost painful. Look at those old, decaying buildings rising up from the lagoon.

I'm glad we decided to stay on the lagoon as dinnertime arrived and more and more day-trippers headed home. Venice's shops and restaurants stay open quite late, and we explored on our way to dinner.

Which ended up being our most expensive and most disappointing meal of the trip. Avoid Do Forni at all costs! The tables were squeezed like sardines, the waiters rushed and borderline rude, and not even the complimentary champagne and liver patte could make up for the  forced atmosphere. And this for something billed as "Venice's Restaurant". We ended up having fun only because we turned the experience into a drinking game. 

Like: 

1. Every time a waiter takes a fish from the fish freezer (yup, cause we could see that) take a drink. 

2. Every time a waiter bumps our table, take a drink. 

Tourist. Trap.  The waiter even grabbed the bill while Brendan was still sitting at the table!

So after becoming slightly drunk on Venetian wine, we stumbled a few meters back into San Marco Square and found a much more enjoyable atmosphere. 

The square really comes alive at night, with "battling" musicians playing music at San Marco's outdoor ristorantes. Listening to a string quartet with the square and basilica alit in the nighttime lights more than made up for the obnoxious Do Forni.

String quartet in Piazza San Marco.

We may have been ripped off by dinner, but seeing Venice at night helped ease the pain.