22 September '05, Thursday.
If we've said it once, we said a thousand times to each other..."we just can't do it all, now matter how much time we have..."..and this time it is seeing Venice. Today was our first full day in Venice, and I do mean a full day. Now, getting everything in line, we didn't leave the campground until just after 10am, but then we didn't get back until after 9pm either. The ferry ride into town is about 45 minutes long, and then when you jump off, you have but a small idea of where you are. Our ferry docks at the San Marco landing, which I took to mean we were right in front of the Piazza San Marco...Nooo, not quite. It turned out to be about 2 bridges away. Something we have learned, is just about everything is measured in "how many bridges" you may be away from your destination. Let me also say, there is a very large American identity in tourists here. Just as we stepped off the ferry, we ran into a couple that have been in Italy for 3 weeks and this is going to be there last stop before heading home. Anyway, in talking with them we just happened to take a couple of turns we hadn't expected to take, so we ended up in front of a church in a small piazza, and we also found a hotel that really caught our attention...Hotel Paganelli... Of course a couple of pictures, asking for a brochure and price list and we were off again. This time on our own, and back looking for the Piazza San Marco. Before we found the Piazza San Marco, we found a little bakery that sold soft drinks and sandwiches. Rick Steves said in his book, that "picknicing just isn't done in Venice, so if you should want to picnic, do it on the sly". Remembering this, we went looking for a dark alley. Well we didn't find a dark alley, but we did find a small piazza with about 7 or 8 benches in it and all were taken with "picnicers"... We quit looking over our shoulders for the "Picnic Cop"... Finally, just around a couple more corners and a bridge of two and we were right in the middle of Piazza San Marco. Boy, we weren't the only tourists there, there were hundreds of us and thousands of hungry pigions looking for their handout. Now's the time to settle down, so we went into one of the museums. The Correr Museum houses mostly Venetian history and art. It gave us a great over-view of both, and was well worth the time. I have no idea why, but there was hardly anyone there. We gave a quick thought of going through the Basilica San Marco after finishing the museum, but one look at the line and we changed our minds. This morning we purchased 72 hour tickets for the boats, so we decided to put our tickets in use. We had already ridden the big ferry into town and now we were going to try out these "vaporetto's". The vaporetto is what you use to ride from one side of the "Grand Canal" to the other, or from one end to the other and one island to the other. Some stop at every stop and others are express...all are CROWDED !!! The challenge is to get a seat and the best of challenges is to get a seat in the front...highly sought after. Our first vaporetto ride took us to the end of the line, which was a stop beyond the trainstation (the only modern building in Venice). We saw all the "Palaces" that line the Grand Canal, and the other important buildings that are called out as "must see". I think we all know that over the centuries, Venice has been sinking. They tell us that all that has stopped, but the buildings that have sunk are still in and out of the water. It is amazing to see doorways with the water about 3 inches higher than the bottom of the door...it diffinately has a wet floor. Another interesting thing is the high-end hotels on the Grand Canal. To see them from the outside they leave a lot to be desired, but from what we have heard, they are incredible on the inside. Some are just as fine as they were in the "Golden Times", and much more expensive to stay a night. The Grand Canal has only 3 bridges that cross over it, and the best known is the "Rialto Bridge", and the others are Scalzi Bridge and the Accademia Gallery Bridge. After going all the way one way, and then turning right around and going back, we finally jumped off at the Rialto Bridge. The Rialto Bridge is a beautiful structure that has a series of stores all across it on both sides of the main walkway. Then on the waterside of the stores there is another walkway (for 3 different walkways on the bridge). After walking the bridge a couple of times, we wondered around lost in a maze of sidestreets and little bridges for another 2 or 3 hours, just having fun. Now I don't know who said it, but you can get real tired by just "having fun"...it was time to head home, besides, it is dark !!! Tomorrow...more Venice
If we've said it once, we said a thousand times to each other..."we just can't do it all, now matter how much time we have..."..and this time it is seeing Venice. Today was our first full day in Venice, and I do mean a full day. Now, getting everything in line, we didn't leave the campground until just after 10am, but then we didn't get back until after 9pm either. The ferry ride into town is about 45 minutes long, and then when you jump off, you have but a small idea of where you are. Our ferry docks at the San Marco landing, which I took to mean we were right in front of the Piazza San Marco...Nooo, not quite. It turned out to be about 2 bridges away. Something we have learned, is just about everything is measured in "how many bridges" you may be away from your destination. Let me also say, there is a very large American identity in tourists here. Just as we stepped off the ferry, we ran into a couple that have been in Italy for 3 weeks and this is going to be there last stop before heading home. Anyway, in talking with them we just happened to take a couple of turns we hadn't expected to take, so we ended up in front of a church in a small piazza, and we also found a hotel that really caught our attention...Hotel Paganelli... Of course a couple of pictures, asking for a brochure and price list and we were off again. This time on our own, and back looking for the Piazza San Marco. Before we found the Piazza San Marco, we found a little bakery that sold soft drinks and sandwiches. Rick Steves said in his book, that "picknicing just isn't done in Venice, so if you should want to picnic, do it on the sly". Remembering this, we went looking for a dark alley. Well we didn't find a dark alley, but we did find a small piazza with about 7 or 8 benches in it and all were taken with "picnicers"... We quit looking over our shoulders for the "Picnic Cop"... Finally, just around a couple more corners and a bridge of two and we were right in the middle of Piazza San Marco. Boy, we weren't the only tourists there, there were hundreds of us and thousands of hungry pigions looking for their handout. Now's the time to settle down, so we went into one of the museums. The Correr Museum houses mostly Venetian history and art. It gave us a great over-view of both, and was well worth the time. I have no idea why, but there was hardly anyone there. We gave a quick thought of going through the Basilica San Marco after finishing the museum, but one look at the line and we changed our minds. This morning we purchased 72 hour tickets for the boats, so we decided to put our tickets in use. We had already ridden the big ferry into town and now we were going to try out these "vaporetto's". The vaporetto is what you use to ride from one side of the "Grand Canal" to the other, or from one end to the other and one island to the other. Some stop at every stop and others are express...all are CROWDED !!! The challenge is to get a seat and the best of challenges is to get a seat in the front...highly sought after. Our first vaporetto ride took us to the end of the line, which was a stop beyond the trainstation (the only modern building in Venice). We saw all the "Palaces" that line the Grand Canal, and the other important buildings that are called out as "must see". I think we all know that over the centuries, Venice has been sinking. They tell us that all that has stopped, but the buildings that have sunk are still in and out of the water. It is amazing to see doorways with the water about 3 inches higher than the bottom of the door...it diffinately has a wet floor. Another interesting thing is the high-end hotels on the Grand Canal. To see them from the outside they leave a lot to be desired, but from what we have heard, they are incredible on the inside. Some are just as fine as they were in the "Golden Times", and much more expensive to stay a night. The Grand Canal has only 3 bridges that cross over it, and the best known is the "Rialto Bridge", and the others are Scalzi Bridge and the Accademia Gallery Bridge. After going all the way one way, and then turning right around and going back, we finally jumped off at the Rialto Bridge. The Rialto Bridge is a beautiful structure that has a series of stores all across it on both sides of the main walkway. Then on the waterside of the stores there is another walkway (for 3 different walkways on the bridge). After walking the bridge a couple of times, we wondered around lost in a maze of sidestreets and little bridges for another 2 or 3 hours, just having fun. Now I don't know who said it, but you can get real tired by just "having fun"...it was time to head home, besides, it is dark !!! Tomorrow...more Venice