We spent the day in Venice on Saturday, and when all was
said and done, it lived up to its expectations, the good and the bad.
Is it crowded? Yes. On a day in the supposed “off-season” it
was canal-to-canal tourists. Curls and I noted that it was much like a day at
Disney World…you’re constantly surrounded by crowds of people from all
different countries, and nearly all of them are carrying a camera.
The hardest part we found while spending the day in Venice
wasn’t seeing everything we wanted to see, it was getting past the stress of getting
there and getting around. For long periods of time, especially on the walk from
the Santa Lucia train station to Saint Mark’s Square (which is a good 30-40
minute walk), you find yourself squeezing by tourists and in between narrow
walk ways so much that you forget that you’re actually in Venice. Several times, I had to stop and remind myself
that we had made it…we were walking the streets of Venice.
Incidentally, getting there can be a little stressful as
well. We opted for the cheaper route, driving to the Venice-Mestre Train
Station (not the Mestre Ospedale Station…we made that mistake). Parking across
the street is 12 Euro/Day. Taking the train in is 1.25 Euro one-way. As you
spill out onto the island from the train station, it’s a bit of a mess as
well. If you like wide-open spaces, you
won’t find any in Venice.
We decided in our 6 hours touring around that the most
important thing to do is to simply relax and take it all in. Drown out the
constant noise of crowds and annoying tour groups and just enjoy the
surroundings. Here were some of the sights that made us say, “Ahhhh, Venice”:
The Campanille
The Harbor
The Bridges (including the Bridge of Sighs)
Another great thing to do is to get away from the hustle of
the crowd and enjoy some of the non-touristy areas. You’ll know you’ve found
them when you find yourself among people without cameras around their necks. We
found our slice of the real Venice by the Naval History museum. We even found a
second hand store (a small corridor attached to a church where nice older
Italian women are happy to give you a deal). Your money goes to the children the
church supports...though I didn't get pictures of it, it's just down from the Naval History Museum in this area:
by this Church
Overall, Venice is beautiful and chaotic, and definitely
worth another visit!
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