I was excited to visit Venice and to experience is famous canals and architecture. Although I only had a few hours to spare, I drank in as much of the Italian port city as I possibly could during the short time I was there.
Situated in the northeast of Italy between the Piave and Po rivers, Venice comprises 118 islands which are joined together by a series of canals and bridges. Founded in the 5th century, the city has enjoyed a storied history, growing from a Roman and Byzantine fishing outpost to an important trading center and maritime power. Its unique architecture and artistic pedigree have led to its listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Getting from my cruise ship to the heart of the city was as easy as hopping on a water bus. These speedy, motorised passenger boats are as ubiquitous as city buses and are a fun way to get around. Although the local citizenry may see them as a boring means of public transportation, riding in one was a novel experience for a land-lubber like me. If you have the time, you can even take the water bus to and from Marco Polo International Airport.
The route along the Venice Lagoon also gave me a chance to marvel at the centuries-old buildings which seemed to float impossibly on the water. Later, I read up on this amazing feat of engineering and learned that the buildings are supported by limestone plates sitting on closely-spaced piles made from alder wood (thanks, Wikipedia!). Since the wood is submerged under water, it doesn’t rot as quickly as it would on land. Nevertheless, Venice has lowered over time, leading to seasonal periods of high water, or Acqua alta, in parts of the city.
Fortunately, the city was mainly dry when I was there, apart from the area surrounding St. Mark’s Basilica. Here, tourists shuffled in single file along raised, wooden planks in order to access and tour the church.
Rather than join them, though, I wanted to tour the Grand Canal in a gondola. A word to the wise: a two-hour gondola ride costs 80€ for up to ten passengers, so try to arrange a ride with a group if you want to reduce costs. As a lone traveller, I was willing to split the cost with two other tourists who approached me with the same idea, but they quickly abandoned the plan when we were unable to amass a group of more than five.
Although I didn’t get my gondola tour, I happily fell into another tourist trap. Numerous street vendors line the waterfront, selling everything from paintings, to carnival masks and all manner of tourism paraphernalia. Having haggled with one vendor for a handful of porcelain masks, the closet calligrapher in me just had to spring for a quill pen with a set of nibs and a pot of ink. Of course, having bought writing implements, I needed to buy some postcards to try them out!
My shopping done, and with my cruise ship due to embark, I returned reluctantly to the water bus for the trip back to the pier. Although I hadn’t accomplished everything I would have liked during my brief stay in Venice, I’ve had a taste and will be back for more. As bucket list items go, revisiting Venice is one that I hope to check off again and again.