Venice

Venice is such a feast for the eyes, you could get lost in it’s beauty. I did, twice. I thought I was a pretty good map reader, but if I didn’t have google maps tracking me I would still be trying to find my way home.

Gondola’s on the Grand Canal are one of the first sights you’ll see when you come out of the train station. According to my map I should have had a 10 minute walk to my hotel. Problem was it wasn’t a hotel, it was a condo. There was no sign out front and after walking around the block a few times I started reading mailbox names and found it. My confirmation did not mention that I would need to let them know when I would be arriving so they could meet me. Fortunately, Saint Marta was living on the 3rd floor and called them and then let me wait in the lobby out of the heat. It only took them about an hour to get there.

For 3 days all I did was wander around.

Each new turn brought another photo opportunity.

I was staying on the North end of the island. The Ponte di Rialto or Rialto bridge is about half way down the island. Like the Ponte Vecchio in Florence it is full of shops and tourists.

This is coming down the steps of the Rialto. I think know that I got lost on purpose, trying to avoid the crowds. Much better to get an early start to avoid some of them.

St. Mark’s Cathedral is at the South end of the island and worth the walk!

The Doges’s palace is right next to St. Marks.

When you get tired of walking around, buy an all day ticket for the vaporetto or water bus. You can get off and on all day and the views from the water are amazing too.

No idea what this building is but it sure caught my eye!

This church shall remain nameless too, should have taken pen and paper with me.

The vaporetto goes all around Venice and out to the outer islands of Murano, Burano and Lido. I went out to Murano as I heard it was pretty and it is well known for it’s glass blowers.

This is the church on Murano, smaller than St. Marks but it has it’s own beauty.

Murano only has 2 canals running through it, giving everyone a little more breathing room.

Your are also exposed to the ocean, so temperature is a bit cooler, only in the 80’s. However, humidity was 257%.

Found a little place I liked, unfortunately it wasn’t for sale. Course I would need a boat to get over there too.

This wasn’t for sale either.

This was in my neighborhood after it rained all night and most of a day. High tide meant you got your feet wet. If you are planning a trip to Venice a few years out, you may want to pack your snorkel.

Another shot of the Grand Canal. The bridge in the distance is always full of people, which makes sitting at a cafe or bar nearby great for people watching. I hung out for a couple of hours doing that my last night here. Time well spent.