I took the train from Bologna to Venice. It was only about an hour & a half. I was a little angry that an attendant never came and looked at my ticket. Not once. So, technically, I could have taken that trip for free. Not that I would ever try something like that, but still… I buy a ticket, I expect it to be checked… anyway… enough of that, haha…
My first view of Venice
As soon as I walked out the front of the train station in Venice, I was in love. It was already everything I was hoping for. I could just see and feel the history. It was very easy to find the water (not bus) stop. In telling people that I was coming to Venice, they all told me that it stunk and to be prepared for the smell. I didn’t smell anything at all. It was wonderful! The boat took us to the Rialto Stop. It was literally 20 feet away from the front door to my hotel. Fantastic! In booking my hotel, I had no idea what location I was getting into, but apparently, I chose correctly. It is right next to the historic and famous Rialto Bridge (Hence the name of my hotel… Hotel Rialto). They had a butler help me to my room in this 550 year old building. My room is tiny. It’s cute. It’s right beside the construction that is currently going on in the hotel. That is quite frustrating. It begins at 7:30 in the morning. Unpleasant. But, the location is unbelievable! It’s perfect. It’s a 10 minute walk to St. Mark’s Square. There are tons and tons of little shops all along the path and up and down the streets. It’s so lively and active! I seriously fell immediately in love with this city. Immediately.
Hotel Rialto from the Rialto Bridge
The Basilica in St. Mark's Square
The Rialto Bridge right outside my hotel
The gondoliers are everywhere. They wear the striped shirt and the hat. It’s very typical of what your imagination thinks they should look like. I have heard a couple of them sing as they wander through the Grand Canal outside my hotel. The canals are everywhere throughout the city. The canals and the walkways throughout the city are what they call ‘streets’ in Venice. I didn’t see a single car while I was there. It was nice. J Instead of delivery trucks, it’s delivery boats. Instead of actual buses, it’s water buses. There are so many small canals that lead into the Grand Canal and the sea, etc. It is impossible not to get lost at some point. But around every corner, there is something new. It’s beautiful.
Some gondoliers
Delivery boats on the canal
I wasn’t aware that Venetian glass is among the best in the world. I didn’t realize they were known for it. Nearly every shop was a glass shop or had glass figurines for sale. This stuff was unbelievable to see. It was absolutely gorgeous. The attention to detail was amazing. My personal Venetian souvenir is something I am quite proud of. It was a bit expensive, but the authenticity and value it will have over the years is something I can’t put a price on. I bought a decanter with matching 6 glasses. It’s a beautiful shade of purple that looks blue in some lighting. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo before I had it shipped home to the states. I figured it’d be safer in their hands and with their packaging than risking taking it on too many flights with me. So, I paid a bit extra to have it shipped safely home. I am so excited about my purchase! Anyway, the things they do with glass is beyond words. It’s made on the Venetian island of Murano. Here's the Wikipedia description of the Murano glass if you want more information.
I did the touristy thing one day. I took a guided walking tour through the city. I wanted to know more about what made this city tick. It was short and sweet, but it was nice. We toured the neighborhood that Marco Polo grew up in. We visited the Basilica in the middle of St. Mark’s Square. This church was unbelievable! The gold plated mosaic ceiling was immaculate. I wasn’t supposed to take pictures, but I snuck a couple. I went to the top of the bell tower and got a great view of the city. It was quite rainy/cloudy for most of my stay, so some of the photos are a bit hazy, but none-the-less amazing. St. Mark’s Square is a pretty amazing site on its own. The two pillars on the waterfront that was once considered the entry to the city, the palace, the cathedral, etc. It was gorgeous. I could have just sat there and stared at it in awe for a very long time, haha. On the same day as my walking tour, I took a gondola ride that afternoon. They say it’s a big tourist trap and that it can get up to 90 euros for an hour ride. I wasn’t willing to spend that much, so I honestly didn’t anticipate getting to ride a gondola. However, there was a little pamphlet at my hotel with tour options. One was a 30-45 minute gondola ride for 29 euros. That, I could swing. It was so peaceful! The canals were so quiet and the water was just so soothing. It was impossible to catch everything that passed by, but I did my best to soak up every detail of the buildings we passed, the water line on the bottom of the homes, the bars on the windows, and all the detailing in the architecture. It was seriously indescribable. I will share pictures, but it’s impossible to get it across to you how amazing I thought this place was. So, I can now check ‘Ride a gondola through the canals of Venice’ off my bucket list.
Look closely... :) It's a picture of me riding a gondola! :)
Traveling alone? It has its ups and downs. I like having and making my own schedule. I like eating where I want, when I want. And if I don’t want to do something, I don’t have to. But, it definitely would have been nice to share something like Venice with someone. A big test for me, personally, was eating out by myself. I wasn’t going to let my fear stand in the way of eating some authentic Italian cuisine. It was also inconvenient to be alone when I wanted to take pictures with me in it. I was able to have people take a few shots, but I would have liked to be in more. A few people asked if I was alone and when I replied that I was, it was always, “How do you do it?” J Truthfully, I’m not sure. I knew I was a strong person, but this helped me see how strong of a person I really am. It was a huge test that I feel like I passed with an above average score.
A funny little side story for you: I was walking through the square one afternoon. There are little vendors across the square selling all sorts of touristy things. There are also those people trying to hock the fake handbags and trying to give you ‘the special price.’ As I was walking through the square, one of these people was trying to reel in a lady in her late 50s. At the point that I walked by the scene, the woman was trying to give the bag back to the guy. She didn’t want it. But, he was trying to make the sale and was saying, “25! Special price for you!” You could tell she clearly didn’t have any practice with these types of vendors. She was saying, “No, no, I don’t want it.” He kept pressing her, so she literally, threw the bag onto the ground and said, “No!! Gracias!” And took off running (literally) in the other direction. I just stood there and laughed for a bit watching the scene pan out. HaHa, it still makes me laugh a little bit. Might be one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I thought it was funny. J
The food was unbelievable! I am not typically a fan of tiramisu, but I had to try it since I was in Italy and all. It was delicious. I had plenty of gelato (ice cream) in all types of flavors. The pasta dishes were fantastic! You definitely haven’t had great Italian food until you’ve had it in Italy. Melt in your mouth delicious! To save money, I just scored some meals through vendors and stores along my walks. Many shops sold pizza by the slice through a street window. I also had a pizza wrap that was yummy! And once, I had a pizza dog. I didn’t encounter a single thing that I did not like. J SO GOOD!! It’s probably a good thing that I don’t have all this food at my disposal on a regular basis. I don’t need any help in that department! J
So anyway, I caught a water bus to the airport on Friday afternoon. It was an hour long boat ride that was quite nice. The breeze and the scenery was amazing. It’s so weird to catch a boat to the airport rather than a bus, taxi or train. I love it!
I think it’s pretty obvious that I loved Venice. I absolutely loved it. A small piece of my heart will remain in that city forever and I don’t think that will be the last time I visit. The amount of history that lies in cities such as these is beyond my ability to really grasp. The tour guide said that, back in the day when a prisoner was going to be punished by being decapitated in the middle of the square, they’d walk them in between the two pillars and have them look at the clock clear across the way. It is said that this was because the prisoner was going to know the time that he died. As a little anecdote, she added that some of the elders of Venice will threaten to “show you what time it is” to their kids or grandkids if they misbehave. J I never really had a big interest in history prior to making some of these trips. My dad has always been a big history buff and some of these places would impress him. So, if you see my dad, tell him that he needs to come over and see me so that I can show him some of these places! J Sorry, Dad… can’t blame me for trying. J
So, that’s my story on Venice. It was above and beyond my expectations! I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance. As I write the end of this entry, I am back in Spain. I’m back at work for the next two months. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed that I am only 2 months away from being done. Two months from the arrival of Clint Massey!! I will write more soon, I’m sure. J I hope that this finds you all well. If you have any questions about Venice that I may not have covered in my entry, please feel free to ask! I’ll do my best to answer! J
I also have a ton of other photos, but you'll have to check them out on Facebook. :) Too many to upload right now. :) Hope you are all well!!
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