The layout of Venice is crazy. If you ever go, make sure you make your plans loose with plenty of time between activities because I got lost more than once. The entire island is covered in buildings crammed together with only alleyways in between them. Most, very small. None of them are straight lines and are broken up and then continued if you go down a different street for a bit. Not all alleys have their names visible and the maps only mark about a quarter of the names. Plus, I think it would be very beneficial to name the canals, which they don't do. My first day, I walked a distance of what would have only been 10 or 15 minutes casually walking... if I had any idea where I was going. I ended up walking in circles for an hour and a half. It was frustrating but not time wasted. Venice is a city best experienced in the streets rather than just going from museum to museum.
For the things they lack helping you get around on foot, they make up for in the convenience of the Vaparettos (water buses). The have stops all around the island and up the grand canal. Plus, you can even take it out to the smaller islands. I've come at a great time of the year. There are enough tourists for everything to be open and running, but still in low season so it isn't overcrowded. The tourists don't overwhelm the locals so I still think I have gotten the authentic Venetian feel.
The feel is relaxed. People at Ohio State walk pretty fast (except for those annoying groups of people who hog the sidewalk at a glacial pace) and Londoners walk even faster. When I got off the train at Heathrow, I was nearly trampled. There was no way to stop and look at signs so I just let myself be rushed along. Advice for London: if you need to look at a map or stop to take a picture, PLEASE don't just stop where you are, find a spot to the side out of the flow of traffic.
In Venice, be prepared to be surrounded by a city of amblers.
So you know the phrase, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it," well I think that's what makes Venice so unique. The buildings are peeling and dilapidated but obviously original old Venetian structures. It makes it feel real. It makes the history feel almost tangible.
So far the Italian food experience has been just... delicious. I've been trying to get something new every time. I think that's a good strategy but one that will be difficult to follow (there are a lot of foreign fish dishes that I'm nervous about trying but when in Rome! (Well I guess not yet). Plus, the price difference. Some places you can get a decent size pizza or pasta dish for under €9 ($12), but add fish or something like that and you are looking at upwards of €15 ($20).
One of my favorite things I did was take the vaparetto out to the smaller islands of Murano and Burano. Both were very picturesque. Murano is known for its glass blowing and glass creations. Burano is known for making lace. There were a lot of beautiful things to buy, if only I had the money and the space in my backpack.
On a real note, Venice is very expensive and I'm blowing through my money like nobody's business. Luckily, Cinque Terre is my next stop and my main planned activities include hikes and wandering. No expensive tourist traps or expensive museums!
That is quite a shock after London, the price of museums. Most museums in London are completely free! And the ones that aren't have a serious student discount. Not here. You drop €16 here and €12 there and next thing you know you're out of money! It's also easier to feel your money going down because most places (including hostels) only take cash. My new trick is to just keep walking until you find a place that doesn't make me cry from the prices.
One of the most underrated places I went (and affordable) was the Frari Church. It's very old and was the church of the renaissance artist Titian. He was considered the most famous artist of his time (even more than Michaelangelo!). It was cool because it had painted artwork and sculptures in the church. And, they were designed for that church specifically so it all melds together rather than in a museum where art looks displaced from their natural habitat.
My other favorite thing I saw was the San Marco Bascilica, what many would consider the main attraction of Venice. It was magnificent. It was a combination of influences of the east and west. I've seen a lot of western architecture lately (living in London and all) and the main aspect is the seriousness. Most churches/abbeys/bascilicas are solemn and dark (but not all). There is a heaviness to the air that empties you out. This may sound like a bad thing but it totally isn't. It makes the experience feel weighty and profound. I'm sure that is the desired affect and I like that kind of experience. Eastern art uses a lot more color and light. I saw plenty of that in Jerusalem. Arab art uses a lot of gold and colored tiles. Mosaics are very intricate. This gives you the feeling of being filled up.
So that's why San Marco was so cool. It had the gold tiles and color of eastern art while maintaining the heavy profoundness of western churches.
Cool, right?
Overall, Venice felt like visiting a place I always knew I'd visit one someday. I'm so glad I opted for the third night because an in an out stop just won't do it justice. I think I'm leaving with an experience I'll always be happy to have had.
Next stop, Cinque Terre (chink-way tay-ray)
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