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23/4/12
We arrived in Venice right on schedule at 9:40pm. Upon leaving the train station we discovered a water bus station that cost only €6 one way. I saved a map of the location of our hotel on the iPad (thanks again Andrew!) and studied the reviews online, which gave clues of how to find it. Otherwise, it would have been a very long struggle through a laberynth canals and walkways on our way to the opposite side if Venice. The water bus route was easy to navigate, and finding our hotel was surprisingly simple. The buses cruise through the Grand Canal and have stops about every 100 yards. They're much more affordable than the water taxis and gondolas. Cruising through Venice at night was both haunting and captivating. It was the first destination we've been to that was exactly as it seemed. We went for a short walk before retiring to our pleasant hotel after a long day of travel. 24/5/12 We had a hard time getting up this morning because it's the first time we've had a somewhat comfortable bed. Our sister hotel across the street had a complimentary breakfast that included: bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, cereal
, juice, cappuccino, and all kinds of cakes and pastries. It was a very warm welcome to the day. After breakfast we set out in heavy rain, which was actually a pretty cool experience, for the famous Piazza San Marco, hoping to get lost along the way. That's part of the experience in Venice, you get turned around and end up going in circles no matter what bridge you cross. There's plenty of squares, shops and restaurants along the way to keep you entertained. It's such a charming city, that has the allure of not showing a sign of the times. London and Paris are just like any other city in the world when you're not by their famous landmarks (aside from the amazing architecture). Venice is so surreal, when you're by the canals you feel like you're walking through a movie set. You can sneak away down dark, deserted allies without feeling threatened. Window shopping is a popular pastime as there are countless shops selling Murano glass and designer labels. Venice is notably touristy compared to the other cities we've been. You can almost assume that everyone who's not working is visiting. After finding the S.Marco plaza and Basilica,
we walked past the long line to get into the basilica and headed for the Riva degli Schiavoni, a long, wide walkway along the ocean that encompassed more restaurants, gelatorias, souvenir shops and a flood of tourists. It was extremely windy and the water was very choppy. We made our way further away from the city's center towards as the sun began to break out. The combination of this and the wind quickly dried the streets and buildings and Venice's colors began to finally reveal itself through the grey. We made it to something we did not expect to see which was a whole area covered in trees starting with a beautiful park, then schools and neighborhoods. On the way back, the wind mellowed out and the air warmed so it was time to experience some authentic Italian gelato! Cones in hand, mint chip and chocolate chip, we found our way back to San Marcos where we saw another phenomenon that was also news to us; it was completely flooded and there was a meager shallow trail for hundreds of people cross that was only wide enough for two people! So, we found out the hard way not to order
food off a menu with pictures. And probably stick to restaurants with locals. We went to an Asian operated "Italian" cafe, ordered cannelloni, then noticed a freezer behind us with deserts...then a box with the same picture of our cannelloni! We were in denial about the possibility of this degree of tackiness until we heard their microwave beep. Lunch is served! They tried to hide their shame by putting it on a nice plate sprinkled in Parmesan, oregano, and arugula but we knew their dirty secret. Thankfully it was good and did not taste like a microwaved frozen dinner. Night falls and a new scenery and charm is revealed. Truly a beautiful sight with all of the buildings, shops, and landmarks lit up. We only made it to midnight but it was hard to tell it was even late with people walking everywhere and all of the shops, cafes, and bars still open. One of the coolest things was that there were no cars and the streets belonged entirely to the people on foot. It was so hard to put my finger on the scene but, it was kinda like a touristy, elegant, romantic, amusement park with no rides.
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Lisa
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Venice Travel Guide
Did you use a travel guide since Venice for Rookies is a new one for foodies and doing what locals do in Venice.