Venice
Oh, Venezia! I knew Venice had so much to offer, but my memories from previous trips there mostly focused on the flooding that erased the line between canal and cobblestone. Fortunately, on my third trip to Venice, I was able to experience the romantic city of bridges without rain and embrace the beauty that remained etched in my memory.
On this trip, we stayed in an Airbnb in Mestre, a city on the mainland opposite the islands of Venice. It was a short walk to the train station, and only a ten-minute ride to the Santa Lucia Station, which leaves you right in the city proper. I would consider staying on the mainland as a good alternative to staying in Venice, as it can be less expensive and gives you a taste of local life in Italy, away from the crowds of tourists. Venice is quiet after dark, and the trains run late, so you won’t be missing anything.
Crossing the “street”
Venice is a city of layers, and each time I visit I uncover more. On this trip, we took a walk from the Stazione Santa Lucia to the Campo Ghetto Nuovo, exploring the Jewish Ghetto. It happened to be Rosh Hashanah, so only some art galleries were open, but we were still able to appreciate the centuries-old stone signs in Hebrew that are cemented into the façade of the buildings. It was rather empty of tourists because of the holiday, so to experience Venice quietly, almost by ourselves, was quite enchanting.
From Campo Ghetto Nuovo we made our way to Piazza San Marco, one of the most grand squares I’ve ever stood in. Depending on the weather it will either be full of pigeons and people or high water. I’ve seen both. I’ve also walked through the Basilica di San Marco, the interior gloriously covered in golden mosaics, on wooden stilts, as the inside falls victim to the flooding.That is the sublimity of Venice: its beauty is heightened by our awareness of its fragility. Be aware if you take this route: the last entrance to the Basilica is at 16:45. There is a chapel open to pray until 19:30, but its worth it to go early to visit the whole church if you can.
The sights in Piazza San Marco
In the past I have also visited the Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge’s Palace as its known in English. Next to San Marco, it also has an early last entry. Be sure to walk along the exterior that borders the Lagoon to see the Bridge of Sighs; from this bridge prisoners had one last look of beautiful Venice, a place romantic in its melancholy and longing.
We made our way back to the station through the San Paolo and Santa Croce sestieri, or districts. For cost’s sake, walk away from Piazza San Marco and head to the Ponte di Rialto; along the way you will find plenty of shops selling the beautiful glass Venice is known for. I have several treasured souvenirs from here, from small statues to jewelry in colorful designs. Cross the bridge over the Grand Canal and keep walking until the crowds thin out. We drank Aperol Spritz like water at Al Pesador, where you can have cicchieri (aperitivo-like snacks). This area, which is quieter and less populated by tourists, has several bars and restaurants with seating along the canal.
View of the Grand Canal from the Ponte di Rialto
One thing I love about Venice is window shopping. The creations in glass are wonderful and fantastic. Everything from exquisite drinking glass to lamps give me the desire to buy a house just so I can decorate it. But these creations are delicate, and fragile, so if you are investing in a big purchase or traveling on after Venice, but have to have something, ask the shop if they can ship it to you. Luckily, the little treasures I picked up on my early trips there made it safely home with me (including a Venetian mask, which I have no clue how it survived trans-Atlantic travel). If you are concerned something will break, you can’t go wrong with the beautiful jewelry made with colorful glass beads.
While it is good to have a general idea of the direction you are walking in, give yourself time to get lost. You will lose cell service anyway so following a map is quite useless. We got just as turned around this trip as I did six years ago when I didn’t have a cell phone. This is the charm of Venice; you can’t wander too far as you are surrounded by water, and to try to stick to a schedule and follow a path will only frustrate and stress you out. If you get lost, and begin to feel overwhelmed, my advice is to stop into the first bar or gelateria you find and have an espresso, gelato, or cocktail of your choice. Enjoy watching the people go by, take a breath, and pick a direction. Venice will take care of the rest.
Note: The header image is of the Basilica di San Marco.
