I have never had a desire to go to Venice before. I never thought that it was worth a visit, until I was there. The first time that I looked out across the city from the top of its lone parking garage, I knew that I would never want to leave this magical Italian city. The sun shining on the warm red roofs hypnotized me and the countless towers disrupting the consistent skyline filled me with a strange sense of excitement.
I’m so thankful that we stopped in Venice on our way up to Austria from Rome, even if the only initial reason was because we had to stop somewhere for the night. My mother decided that we should spend one day in this famous city even though she, like me, lacked the desire to do so. But I can say now without a doubt, that we all fell in love with this sinking city and I hope desperately that I can go back one day to retrieve the part of my heart that I left behind.
We only spent one full day in Venice, which may have some part to play in my enchantment with the city, I feel like there is so much charm that I haven’t experienced, especially because our day was clouded by a cold rainstorm.
Wether or not it is raining, if you only have one day in Venice you have to spend the whole day seeing as much of the city as possible. Every other tourist of course knows this too, so you need not only slosh through tiny cobblestone alleys in the rain but you can do it while fighting a hundred other umbrellas. Any tight alley way (which is the entire city basically) becomes an arena for the game we fondly refer to as the dueling umbrellas. I was legitimately concerned that someone was going to lose an eye.
Because the city is made up of tiny alley ways intersecting with canals, it is a difficult city to navigate. We kept pulling out our map which eventually became so wet that it was shredded. Getting lost in Venice isn’t the worst thing in the world, every turn offers a beautiful new sight and secret little road lined with exciting shops.
We got lost several times and asked for directions many times but the language barrier made it so that the directions weren’t always completely helpful. After zigging and zagging down side streets ( every street in Venice feels like a side street) we came into the plaza by St. Mark’s Basilica. There were men in tuxedos playing on fantastic grand pianos, huddled under canopies and the entirety of the crowds now bottlenecked under the meager awnings.
From the awnings by the basilica you could see the bay which opens up like a tight rolled map that is all of a sudden laid out before you. Anna was awe struck by the view of the bay and the magnificent buildings clinging to its shores.
We didn’t feel particularly inclined to get lost in the maze of streets to return to our apartment so we caught the water bus in the bay which took us to the port near where we were staying, one of the great advantages of staying on the canals.
We were packed so tightly on the boat that we felt like sardines. At one point I leaned forward to get a better view of something and was then unable to lean back again because another passenger had occupied that newly vacant space.
The water bus actually turned out being an extremely advantageous means of transportation. The spray of the canals and the rain misted us as we stood on the deck but the sights of the city along the grand canal kept us completely distracted. You didn’t want to get too distracted though. The boat drivers would call out the name of each new port as we bumped up against the dock. They would leave the gate open for a few minutes as those hoping to exit would push and squeeze their way through the crowd. The entering passengers would only wait a moment for you to get off before shoving their way on. Anna and I were concerned that it would be all too easy for us to miss our stop especially with our parents sitting inside the boat and unable to hear the names of the upcoming stops. But fear not, we made it home.
Our family members were all too soggy and tired to go out for dinner so Anna and I went out just the two of us to find food and bring it back for our family. The truth is that while we did want to help our family out we mostly just wanted to get out of our lovely apartment and experience Venice one last time.
I think the things that made Venice so unique is the fact that it feels like its own little world. Being an island with no cars, and boats everywhere makes it feel like a game, movie or an island resort that isn’t very resort-ish. All the buildings hug the edges of the canals and stone steps lead down into the watery unknown constantly reminding you of the presence of water and the fact that the city is sinking. I always thought that Venice was just a tourist city but this city has a rich history and just happens to be filled with tourists.
Interesting facts about Venice
-Venice is literally sinking. Every year, 3-4 millimeters of the city sink below the surface. The original Venetians built the city on mud and sand, stabilized by ONCE water proof logs. ONCE waterproof meaning that the logs are now sinking as well.
-Venice was at one time the richest city in Europe reaching it’s peak anywhere from the 14th-15th century. This island city was very powerful in the trading industry.
-It is said that the sewers in Venice pour into the canals, and that the canals stink due to that fact. I thought the canals smelt bad, but just like dirty city water.
-Venice is famous for it’s prominence in mask making and Venetian glass.
Our time in Venice was all too short but the mountains were calling so you know what that means.
*For those of you who did not catch this reference, the saying is ” the mountains are calling and I must go”.
The Traveling Twins 