Venice - A Tourist Trap Worth Visiting

For the first day of my trip around Europe I got up early, got on my train to Venice, and enjoyed the view out my window for the next six hours. I watched snowy, steep Alpine landscapes transition to wide, flat plains covered with vineyards and square, terra-cotta roofed houses before my train finally crossed the bridge that leads from the mainland to the Venetian island in the middle of the lagoon. Upon exiting the Santa Lucia railway station I found myself in a city practically built for tourism: No cars, ancient buildings, and quaint sights of quiet alleyways appearing unexpectedly around each corner.

Naturally, the first thing I did was to take a boat ride along the Grand Canal, Venice's Main Street. The public transportation system in Venice consists mainly of a fleet of marine buses called vaporetti. Of course, this being a tourist city, it was expensive, but I wasn't quite expecting 6.50 € for a single ride. Oh well: It was also the most scenic public transport ride I've been on:

The view from the train station

Gondolas on the Canal

The Ponte Rialto, one of three bridges across the Canal

On the way to the island of Lido near Venice

I stayed for one night on the island of Lido, which separates the lagoon from the Adriatic Sea. It had an entirely different atmosphere from the main island, closer to that of a small town than that of a tourist attraction. I even found that it had a beach facing the Adriatic:

I'd been living in an inland city for months, so it was wonderful to see the sea again. It would have been an excellent place for a weary traveler to rest for a few hours.

However, since my trip was just starting I wasn't suffering from exhaustion or burn-out just yet. I went back to the main island, first to quickly see the main tourist attractions, then to get to know the rest of the city. I went past the Arsenal, the Venetian shipyard that was the basis of much of Venice's naval power:

After that, I headed toward the Piazza San Marco, known as the main tourist square of the city. Later in the day, though, it was populated only by street salesmen selling the latest tacky light-up novelty.

The Piazza San Marco. The tower on the right is the famous Campanile; the Basilica is to its left.

Walking around some, I found that Pisa isn't the only Italian city with a leaning bell tower:

I made my way to the Ponte Rialto to see it and the Grand Canal at night. It was almost more impressive than it was by day:

Then, to get to know the rest of the city, I took a piece of advice that I would recommend to any visitors of Venice or, for that matter, any other European city:

Get lost.

Not hopelessly, permanently lost, of course. By that I mean that I wandered through the narrow streets of the city without any particular destination, with a map in my pocket in case I didn't remember the way back. This wasn't a problem in Venice, though, since signs like this were helpfully posted on many buildings:

Of course, you had to know that "Ferrovia"meant "Railway [Station]."

The following morning, my visit in Venice was already at an end. It was a very nice place to visit: The city is full of history, there are many things to see and experience among the beautiful old buildings, and the setting of an island on a lagoon is unique and interesting. However, I couldn't imagine permanently living there. For one, the same feature that distinguishes the city for tourists -- the canals and the location on the lagoon -- make everything outside tourism incredibly impractical for everyone else. I already saw how expensive public transportation was. Also, I spent much more money than I was planning on a single dinner: 30 € for a salad and pasta dish, with water and a caffé (Don't call it espresso in Italy or you might pay double the price because you sound like a tourist). Of course, I didn't get the chance to total my bill because the waiter didn't return it after I paid -- another lesson learned the hard way.

But all this was starting to become a memory as I boarded the train headed for my next stop: Florence, on my way to Rome.

Southern Europe trip update

Well, I've had quite an amazing tour so far of Italy, Spain, and France. The number of sights I've seen, people I've met, and stories I'll be bringing back is staggering in retrospect. I've been so busy trying to see as much as possible of what each city has to offer that I really haven't had time to write good, comprehensive posts about each visit. But, as my trip draws to a close, I'll soon have more time to relate my experiences in each city with the help of photos. I'll start with Venice next Friday.

Also, I've got plenty of material for posts about European rail transport, language, and other miscellaneous topics, so expect some of those to appear in the coming weeks.