The car-free urban wonderland born in a lagoon 1500 years ago as a refuge from barbarians and became a trading empire in the Middle Ages. By smuggling in the bones of St. Mark (San Marco) in A.D. 828, Venice gained religious importance, as well. The city parties on wealth accumulated through trading power. Today the city is a kaleidoscope of people, bridges, and {surprisingly} odorless canals.
To introduce ourselves to Venice, we took a joyride by boat down the Grand Canal. Venice’s “Main Street” is more than two miles long, nearly 150 feet wide, and approximately 15 feet deep. As romantic as the gondolas looked, we found them overpriced and skipped the experience. Instead, we nabbed a couple of front row seats on the city’s public transportation system – not a train, not a bus – a boat.
Venice was built on the sediments of the formal delta, sitting on wood pilings driven into the clay. This may have sounded like an ingenious idea at the time, I’m sure, but centuries later the city is slowly sinking. Prone to flooding, due to man-made and natural reasons, the city has sunk about nine inches in the past century. The world’s richest, most lavish palaces form a grand architectural vision along the Grand Canal. Strict laws prohibit changes to the buildings so many of the moss-covered ground floors below the chandeliered elegance sit empty, slowly rotting, and often flooded.
There is so much to be said about our Grand Canal voyage, but for the sake of this post, I’ll summarize my observations in a general sense. It seemed to me (and I think it’s obvious in my pictures) that Venice is a city of masks. Built by merchants and businessmen, buildings along the Grand Canal display elaborate decorations probably with intentions to show them off, in a way that make them visually appealing and appreciated. Some with rich marble facades that mask the simple, no-nonsense brick building behind it.
As I said before, most of Venice is a sight to behold, but there are a few significant sights along the canal deserving of mention. A major landmark of Venice is the Rialto bridge, lined with shops and tourists. Constructed in 1588, it is quite the engineering feat for its day. It is the third bridge built on this spot and was the only bridge crossing the Grand Canal until the 1850s.
Supposedly, the acoustics underneath are impressive and gondoliers take full advantage as they pass under the fat arch…“volare, oh, oh…” (Think Frank Sinatra…)
Up the river and around the bend sits the La Salute Church. Like Venice itself, it was built upon pilings of more than a million trees reaching deep beneath the mud into the solid clay. Rick Steves’ comment to the architecture is quotable, “The huge La Salute Church towers overhead as if squirted from a can of Catholic Reddi-wip.” He must be a hopeless romantic.
The Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) was our first port of call off the boat. In the square is St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, the Bridge of Sighs, as well as the Clock Tower. I have very few pictures of the Piazza for one single reason.
It was so crowded. I get claustrophobic in masses of people tourists like this and it stressed me out. {Getting on my soap container.} People don’t look where they are going. I was smacked into I don’t know how many times. As we toured the basilica, one guy just walked right into me as I stood (out of the way, mind you, and it wasn’t that crowded in there) admiring the beautiful Pentecost mosaic in the dome of the dove of the Holy Spirit and the 12 apostles. He walked SMACK into me. I about fell over. He blinked at me with a bewildered look as if to say, “why didn’t you get out of my way?” Ahem, I deal with none of that behavior. We didn’t even bother touring the Doge’s Palace for that very reason. {Stepping down from my soap container.}
So, in the picture above you see the massive crowd of oblivious tourists in their natural habitat, with the “old offices” (16th century Renaissance) of the republic in the background. Behind me and my camera, was St. Mark’s Basilica, of which I don’t have a decent photo of. In front of the church was the Doge’s Palace, the seat of the Venetian government and home of its ruling duke, or doge. I thoroughly enjoyed viewing this half-acre of powerful building.
Our tactic to dining well and avoiding the touristy restaurants on our trips is to walk away from the restaurants with multi-language menus. We traveled all the way to Italy to enjoy differences — to become temporary locals. There are no longer any eye-openers at the lack of the “God-given” things we were used to in the states…free water with dinner, warm showers, or ice in your Coke. We are admittedly amused by the impatient American tourists drumming their fingers on the table, tapping their foot, waiting for the server to bring them their check at dinner all the while taking notes for the nasty TripAdvisor review they will be sure to write about the “poor service.” The Europeans are masters of the art of fine living. That means eating…long and well. For us, the meal is an end in itself and a harsh review would only be prompted when a rude waiter rushes us. I know when we get back to the states, it will be a huge (and rude) shock when the check automatically appears at our table along with our food.
Our Venetian dining experience was bar-none…I’ve never consumed more wine, spaghetti alla bolognese, and tiramisu in my entire life. And I don’t regret one bite of it. 🙂
Our weekend ended with a train ride back “home.”
CIAO!
Tamera says
Okay, I have suffered in silence as you've made post after post of your incredible adventures in Europe these last few months. But I can't hold my tongue any more! You've seen Venice and I have not! Argh! I think I officially hate you now, Emily! ;^)