What follows is a little of what I've seen and learned over the past week about what undoubtedly has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world: Venezia! Getting there from Milano was relatively easy if you know how to navigate Italian train stations: 1) Find a helpful ticket agent 2) Buy your ticket 3) Find your train 4) Punch your ticket before you get on the train and then 5) Sit back and enjoy the scenery as it flies by.
Presto! Before you know it, you've arrived in Paradiso. Walking out the drafty train station I was somewhat shocked by the scene: canals, copper-domed cathedrals, floating buses (called Vaporetti) skittering here and there and gobs of people everywhere! It's kind of like an Italian version of Disneyworld on steroids!
Since the weather had turned sunny, everyone seemed in a grand, good mood as they all queued up at the bus 'stands'. I decided that after three hours on the train, I needed a little exercise. So in my wisdom, I hefted my pack onto my back and proceeded to hoof it to my hotel...after I'd purchased a much-needed map, of course. As it turns out, finding your way through the warren of alleys, dead-ends and bridges-to-nowhere is harder than one might think. Not to worry though, sooner or later you'll see a sign pointing to either 'San Marco' or 'Rialto'. Since my hotel was near San Marco (and I had to get there over the Rialto Bridge) I had less problems. Besides I soon discovered that all you really had to do was follow the crowd; they always seem to be going somewhere you'd like to go.
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| The Grand Canal |
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| Rialto Bridge |
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| Saint Mark's Basilica |
While the 'sights' seemed nice, the crowds made them less so for me. After Cindy's arrival the next day, we made it our business to stay away from the tourist centers and explore the little known back alleys and campos as much as possible.
This is where the 'real' Italy lives. Well, as much as it possibly can in this city that's been a major tourist trap for over four hundred years.
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