Venice, Italy

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May 26, 27, 2008

Venice, Italy

Venice is for sure a very interesting place. We visited here about 10 years ago and said we would never come back. We found it dirty, smelly ( because of the standing water ), very expensive and not a very friendly place. ( too touristy ). Well here we are again and on first impressions it is a little different now. It is definitely cleaner and not so smelly. They have done a good job in that regard. There are a lot of renovations and restorations underway all over town. It is still relatively expensive but so is the rest of Europe. ( maybe we are getting “acclimatized” to the prices ). The locals seem to be more accommodating to tourists. ( maybe it's just us ).

This is really a beautiful and interesting place and the entire town is "car free" so walking is a must. You have to park your car in a parkade ( 24. Euros a day ) and take a local public or private water taxi to wherever you are going. Our hotel was very nice, in a great location close to St Marks Square, with our room over looking one of the canals that the gondolas use.

Some of the architecture is worth the visit and just wandering around town through the hundreds of narrow streets and squares is a good way to pass some time on a nice spring day. St. Mark's Square is the centre of the business and tourist area and has a lot to see including the Basilica that is worth a visit. There are a lot of museums as well.

Venice is full of great shops and a wonderful selection of “Venetian Glass” work of every kind you can imagine. It is amazing what they can build from glass. There is a lot of “somewhat tacky” 1960's “Art Deco” style work. Some of the chandeliers have to be seen to be believed. There are some very nice ( and some very expensive) glass art pieces. We bought a very nice vase on our last visit. There are some “glass factory” tourist traps that have some good deals but negotiating is tough.

Some things are still too pricy !! A gondola ride we were told is 120. Euros, next guy we asked said 80. Euros. ( asking price, we think you could negotiate a little bit ). Most restaurants are a little high. I guess you charge what the market will bear and the market is bearing it as it is very busy.

A visit to Venice for sure is a must to do if you are visiting Italy but a couple of days here is lots.

From Venice we have decided to visit Croatia for a couple of days and we will drive through Trieste to a resort area on the Adriatic.

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