Venezia è una città bellissima. I just wrote Venice is a beautiful city in Italian. Don’t be impressed, I still had to look it up. I did pick up some Italian while visiting, but let’s just say I’m still not qualified to be an interpreter at the United Nations. And so it goes.
Ah, Venice. Finally, the opportunity to see the floating city finally arrived. While I was planning our Italian tour, I was determined to visit Venice. I’ve seen Venice in movies and, of course, documentaries, but like most things, even a high-definition television doesn’t do it justice. Seeing it in person is a must. We took a train from Rome to Venice which took about five hours with stops in Florence and a couple of small Italian cities along the way.
As you can see in the photo above, which I did take by the way, this view is everywhere. As you walk through the streets and over the bridges of Venice there are gondolas everywhere. Merchants and cafes at almost every corner, the city bustling with tourists, and the pickpockets looking for their next victim. It was a very bright and sunny day. Temperatures in the 90s, with just the right amount of humidity, make you want to take a dip in the canal.
The only way to get around Venice is by foot which may seem daunting at first, but even though it was hot, it’s easy to ignore it because there’s so much to see. I booked us a tour to visit St. Mark’s Basilica. I know I’m repeating myself but when you see video or pictures of the buildings in Italy, it does not do it justice. I cannot even begin to describe the architecture of these buildings. When you marvel at these buildings, you can’t help but wonder, how did they do it? Think of the tools they had to use back then. How did they get up there and paint those murals? St. Mark’s Basilica is no different. As you’ll see in the photos below, the entrance to this place is stunning. I was overwhelmed.
As you walk through the church, you’re walking through a piece of biblical history. The remains of. St. Mark is located here. Again, the architecture of this building is magnificent. I don’t know how many times I fell behind our tour group looking up to enjoy the walls and ceiling.
Of course, there’s more to Venice than just St. Mark’s Basilica. There are other churches to visit and plenty of shopping and dining as well. It is very crowded during the summer months so if you’re not a fan of being around too many people, I’m told October is the best month to travel there. If I weren’t a teacher, I’d be all over that.
I’m no historian, so I can’t give too much background on Venice, but I did learn from our tour guide that the city is built on a marsh, which is why it’s slowly sinking. You don’t think about that when you’re on vacation. When you don’t live there, why worry about it right?
Lastly, go see the movie “A Haunting in Venice.” The story is set in the early 1900s but Venice hasn’t changed all that much since then as you’ll see in the movie. No, I was not paid to advertise this movie.
Thanks for following me on this European journey. I’m going to talk about our visit to Vatican City next. Although I’m not Catholic, I’ve always been fascinated by the customs and traditions of this faith. I’m looking forward to sharing about this part of our trip in my next post. Enjoy the photos.
Great pictures, Daniel! It is on the bucket list of places to go (all of Italy).