VENICE
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| A canal in Castello |
As I was sitting back on the flight to Venice, sipping a glass of a Barossa Valley Shiraz, I was reading today's New York Times. It so happened there was a great article on Venice. It was called 'Can We Save Venice Before It Is Too Late' [New York Times article]. It was indeed a shock to see so many tourists everywhere! Hopefully, this is the end of August and the crowd will have gone by September.
Anyway, I went on a rediscovery tour, with gazing eyes and my
camera in hand. This is always the best time ever to explore and take pictures. By doing so, I went through a maze of narrow streets where hardly any tourists venture. So today I explored part of Castello and San Marco. I went as far as Piazza San Marco, the Basilica San Marco, and the Doge's Palace.
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| Basilica of San Marco |
D3. 31/08. Full day in Venice.
Afternoon: Cannaregio. This is a quaint, old section of Venice. No more tourists there! And OMG, I literally fell in love with this still authentic part of town. It is there that Europe's first ghetto was created. 'Campo del Ghetto Nuovo' has kept many old synagogues, shops, and a Hebraic Museum.
Evening: San Marco as far as Academia in Dorsoduro section. My first objective was to go to the top of the Campanile (AD888, 99m) where Galileo tested his telescope.
Back to Piazza San Marco, I stopped in front of Caffè Florian, then pursued to Harry's Bar. More canals, more bridges, and more lovely piazza to cross the bridge above the Grand Canal to this other section of Venice, called Dorsoduro. But it was already late and I felt a bit weary, so I proceeded back to the hotel and having a draught beer at a bar. I had dinner nearby at a small ristorante in Castello and had spaghetti carbonara with a glass of red Italian wine. Ma Que Bellissimo tutti!
Night time: Can't believe I went out again simply to take a few pics of the city at night! There were these two young guys playing on their violins so beautifully that people were mesmerized. This was happening near the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge.
Afternoon: Dorsoduro. After walking back to Rialto, I take another boat down the Grand Canal to
visit Dorsoduro more thoroughly. This is a wealthier section of Venice, where many foreigners live. It has its own majestic charm. I walked along Canale di Fusina to the end of the island at Punta Della Dogana to get a view of the Grand Canal & San Marco. Then walking on the Grand Canal side, I stopped
at the impressive Santa Maria Della Salute. This Baroque Church (17thc) has a huge dome with exceptional acoustics. My next visit was for the nearby Peggy Guggenheim Collection. It has one of the richest modern art collection of paintings & sculptures. Besides paintings by Max Ernst (Peggy's 2nd husband), there is an outstanding display of famous artists like Pablo Picasso, Braque, Mirò, Magritte, Dali, Kandinsky, Delaunay, Klee, Mondrian, Calder. There are also a few photos by Man Ray. In the garden, there are sculptures by Brancusi & Moore. One pavilion is dedicated to modern Italian artists. I took a rest with coffee in the garden café. Then, I finished exploring Dorsoduro on the Grand Canal side and hopped onto a Vaporetto to the Lido.
The Lido is the only place in Venice, where there are cars. I wanted to go to the hotel described in Thomas Mann's novel “Death in Venice” ['Der Tod in Venedig', 1912] but was not able to get there. Instead, I went as far as the beach and looked at some of the beautiful mansions that made this resort so famous in the early 20thc.
Nice buffet breakfast at Hotel Malibran. Another bright sunny day begins.
Morning: Murano. Walked to Cannaregio to take a Vaporetto (10 euros RT) at 'Fondamente Nueve'
pier to the island of Murano. If Murano is well-known for its glass art, it is also
a great place to explore. I had a wonderful time walking along the canals, crossing bridges or venturing into narrow lanes. I stopped for an espresso and a granito lemone. And before hopping back on a Vaporetto, I sat at a café by the main canal to get a panini and an aqua minerale frizzante. This is just today's Italian lesson!
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| Glassware of Murano |
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| A canal in Murano |
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| Stroll in Cannaregio |
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| Old bookstore in the Ghetto |
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| Café Florian |
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| Rialto Bridge at night |
D4. 01/09. Grand tour of the lagoon of Venice.
Early morning tour starting on another sunny day. Bought a 24h-pass to use the boat services (20euros) back at 'Fondamente Nueve' pier in Canareggio to go to the other end of the lagoon.
Morning: Burano. It takes 40 min for the Vaporetto to reach the far away island of Burano via
Murano Faro and the garden island of Mazzorbo. But what a treat to be in Burano, a fisherman's island. Such a colorful and photogenic place to visit! Another treat for a photographer. There are still many fishing boats moored along the tiny canals but these days, the island lives on tourism and sells its lace industry in tiny shops. It takes about an hour to go around Burano. I leave the enchantment with regret and takes the boat back to Venice Cannaregio.
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| At Burano |
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| Canal in Burano fishing village |
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| Grand Canal |
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| Guggenheim Collection |
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| Sculptures by Moore |
The Lido is the only place in Venice, where there are cars. I wanted to go to the hotel described in Thomas Mann's novel “Death in Venice” ['Der Tod in Venedig', 1912] but was not able to get there. Instead, I went as far as the beach and looked at some of the beautiful mansions that made this resort so famous in the early 20thc.
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| Lido Beach |
On the way back, I took the Vaporetto all the way to the Rialto Bridge back to my hotel. Later, I went out for my last Italian dinner in Venice.
D5. 02/09. VOLOTEA flight from Venice [VCE] to Marseilles[MRS].
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| Morning light on the Grand Canal |
Early morning departure from the hotel in order to get on a Vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma. At this time of day, the ride on the Grand Canal was a real delight as the sun was starting to light up the ornate façades of the buildings along the canal.
Marco Polo Airport is quite a busy international airport. It looks better from the departure hall than from its arrival.
Volotea is a Spanish regional airline from Barcelona. It operates a flight aboard a B717 between Venice and Marseilles. It's a no-thrill airline convenient on this route. It only takes 1:05h.
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