I remember once visiting the city of Venice with some friends on a trip around Europe. We didn’t stay long, I seem to remember we were just transiting through to Verona, so I have no real memories of it other than it being a bit smelly.
In fairness certain parts of the city are indeed slightly whiffy, due to the fact that the city’s effluent is delivered straight into the canal system. This has been addressed somewhat in recent years with the installation of many septic tanks alleviating the modern strain on the ancient sewage system, and it certainly seems better even in the quarter of a century since my last visit.
As I said, I didn’t see much of the city last time I was here, and I’ve got to say that I think 19 year old me really missed out – this is an absolutely stunning place, and a mind-bending feat of engineering to boot. I mean, how on earth do you build a floating city in the middle of a lagoon? Venice as a city was supposedly born on Friday the 25th of March 421, at high tide! Inhabitants had escaped the marauding barbarian hordes on the mainland in favour of hiding in the marshy reed beds in the middle of the lagoon. But as more and more people arrived they had to work out how to strengthen and enlarge their new home. They came up with the ingenious plan of driving thousands of wooden piles through the mud and into the more solid clay beneath to create a solid base on which to build. As the wooden poles were under water they didn’t rot, and unbelievably there are parts of the city today that are still standing on millennia old wooden piles. As the city expanded, the foundations were pushed down compacting the sub layers and creating an even firmer base, however the city does slowly sink over time and needs constant remedial work. Indeed it is estimated that the city has sunk 9 inches into the water over the last 100 years alone.
Venice is comprised of 118 islands, bissected by 150 canals and connected by over 400 bridges. Navigation of the city is achieved either by wandering its labyrinthine alleyways on foot, or by using the waterways. We choose to make our way from the bus station to the famous St. Marks Square by meandering in a general eastwards direction, as this is apparently the best way to discover the real Venice.
Hunter and Bam have been super excited to try authentic Italian food since arriving in Italy, so we very quickly pick a small Trattoria and have our first Italian meal of Pizza and Pasta. They are suitably impressed and wolf down their margarita with gusto.
After lunch, we continue our amble with full bellies. Soon enough we come across a shop which grabs our attention. It’s frontage is flanked by terrifying masked figures, but the window is filled with incredible hand made Venetian masks. Atelier La Bauta has been making these traditional papier-mâché masks by hand in its shop in Campo San Toma for several decades, and the creations we find inside are indeed quality products, as opposed to the mass produced plastic items you will find in the gift shops. We can’t resist and decide we need to have one (well actually, three) of these most Venetian of souvenirs.
We use the gondola ferry to cross the Grand Canal, and soon enough find ourselves confronted by the enormous St. Marks Square, or La Piazza San Marco in the local lingo. After wandering the tiny, winding alleyways of this city, it’s pretty amazing when you step out into this enormous town square. It is lined on 3 sides with rows of Venetian gothic arched buildings housing important government buildings. Then at the far end you catch sight of the Basilica di San Marco, attached to the equally incredible Doge’s Palace to the side.
This cathedral building is quite a sight from the outside. The present building was probably started in 1063 to replace the previous iteration, and it consists of various architectural styles added through the centuries including middle-Byzantine, Romanesque, Islamic and Gothic. As you step through the doors, the fabled golden interior smacks you in the face, and it’s difficult to take it all in. This is a show of wealth the likes of which I have never seen before, it is literally dripping in bling. The five huge domes and all the internal walls are covered in rare marbles, precious gems and glittering real gold mosaics comprised of hundreds of years of artistic input. The golden mosaics apparently cover an area of around 8000 square metres. Many of the irreplaceable treasures you can find in this cathedral came here during the crusades, specifically the fourth crusade and the conquest of Constantinople.
Just outside the Basilica stands the Campanile, or bell tower. This 323 foot tall tower dominates the Venice skyline, and for just a few euros you can ride the elevator to the top for an amazing aerial view of the terracotta roof tops stretching into the distance. This current tower is actually a reconstruction built after the original tower collapsed in 1902.
Next on our list is a quick pit stop for coffee and something sweet. The coffee culture here is very apparent, Italians LOVE their caffeine fixes. It seems like nobody likes to wait or stop too long, in fact most people just hover at the counter to quaff their espressos whilst perusing the patisserie nibbles on offer. Apparently it’s almost impossible to get a bad coffee in Italy. Every bar, cafe, restaurant or food vendor has a top notch espresso machine, and they all know how to use them! And there is an abundance of cakes and cannolis on offer too, happy days!
I know it seems a bit cheesy, but I don’t think you can visit Venice and not take a ride on one of the iconic gondolas. It’s not a cheap activity at 80 euros for half an hour, but the rates are set by the city of Venice so at least you know what you’re in for, and you don’t get that typical touristy feeling of having just been ripped off! We allow Bam to pick the gondola she likes the look of, which in hindsight was probably a mistake. Bam’s decision making process consisted mainly of how pink and fluffy the interior was, and not so much based on the quality of the man at the helm. I’m not saying he was a bad gondolier, but let’s just say he wasn’t the most enthusiastic. As the gondolas with younger, slightly fitter gondoliers cruised past us with graceful ease, we noticed that they were also providing their customers with a running commentary on which buildings they were passing. I think we had a grand total of three points of interest pointed out to us, all with minimal information attached, my favourite being “Oi Mister, that was Casanovas house” as he pointed at a building we had already slowly cruised past!
That aside, it is an invaluable experience to see the tiny back streets (canals) of Venice from the water, and I would highly recommend it, I just suggest you pick your man more carefully than a six year old might.
When we alight back at our starting point, we make our way over the oldest (and most instagrammable) bridge to span the Grand Canal, the 400 year old Rialto Bridge, and begin to wind our way back through those wonderful alleyways to catch our bus back to the campsite.
On a side note, I don’t know if it was the specific time we visited, but the Mosquitos here are absolutely brutal! They really went to town on us at our campsite, and I feel we were underprepared for their attack. A mistake we were keen not to repeat, and we have since amassed a considerable anti-mosquito arsenal to prevent future sleepless itchy nights, and I would recommend coming prepared..!