Ah, Venice, Sweet Venice. What can I say about such an eclectic marvel that hasn’t already been said by so many?

I guess one thing is that for a place that brings 30 million tourists to her borders, you think there would be more public restrooms. Not only are they very difficult to find, but they actually cost money, the same amount as a bus ticket in fact. No wonder public “elimination” is a problem.

All joking aside, we were ecstatic to visit The Floating City. It is built on unstable mud-banks. The many canals and the great wealth of the city allowed for unique building styles. Few cities can claim such a priceless art and history heritage as Venice. This unique city with its magical, spectacular scenery is not just beautiful; it is a real miracle of creative genius: a city built on mud, sand and the slime of a difficult, inhospitable landscape.

Before the fun, Jake and I need to reset. After climbing the Dolomites, the constant travel, wacky schedules and very little sleep, we hit a wall. Our friends felt the same, and it was difficult for all of us to get moving this morning. Anthony and Hélène have to go back to France while Jake and I will stay in Venice for the next five days. I found a great deal on an apartment outside of the city. Though its still way early for check in, we figured it would be easier for our friends to drop us off than to figure out public transportation. My brain wasn’t working enough to have to plan and scheme anything just yet.

Our hostel was smack in the middle of the bustling city (mainland) and it was a good 15 minute drive until we turned onto a one-way country road. Anthony pulled over, I guess this is it? We said our farewells and hopped out of the car. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as they left us standing in the middle of the deserted road, surrounded by farms, in the middle of mainland Venice. Now THIS is a perfect “typical” Jake and Jill travel scenario!

We weren’t sure exactly which of these homes is our next abode, and its still too early to check in. We did ask if we could drop our luggage off, to which she said we could, but not until 9AM. Its only 830, so we walked around taking in the surroundings and trying to find the place. I double checked the address but there was no house number.

We didn’t go very far when a black car drove by, rolled down the windows and the lady inside asked if we were Jake and Jill. Woah crazy! This is Sylvia, who is renting the apartment. She figured it was us and offered to give us a lift. It was only a block away, we were definitely looking the wrong spot and secretly grateful that she found us.

I only managed to peak inside but Sylvia said she would need time to clean, but she did give us a map and let us dump our bags. She also handed us keys and told us where we could go get breakfast and food and bus tickets. The fresh air was nice and the only sounds were cows mooing in the distance, the breeze blowing through the trees and our feet on the pavement. It was a lovely sunny morning and a nice easy walk down the country road.

At the corner we noticed the bus stop and wrote down the schedule (which was very confusing). Then we headed in the opposite direction, stopping off at a patisserie for some much needed espresso and the most tasty croissants with fruit filling that we’ve had in ages.

It was so nice to chill out and we were still reeling at how bizarre it is that we are in Venice, well the mainland anyway. There was a convenience store and a market nearby, to which we got bus tickets (only €1,50/pp) and the little food market. It did not have loads of things, but enough to get us through the day; fresh tortellini noodles, wraps, yogurt, prosciutto, potatoes, stuffed chicken with pork, sausages, frozen veggies.

Sylvia was just barely finished when we meandered back around 11AM. She gave us a tour, explaining each level and how all the keys and doors work. Its a beautiful 3-story townhouse. The top level is locked, but the main has the kitchen, sitting room, 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. The basement is mostly empty, though it does have a laundry room and attached is the garage with heaps of bicycles that we can choose from. This place is buttoned down like Fort Knox, every set of windows has extra thick shutters and there is fencing around the entire place. But its very modern, cozy and peaceful.

The rest of our day consisted of very little; naps, showers, laundry (since most of the clothes we packed were dirty from the climb), a bike ride, eating and lounging. We enjoyed watching the strange television programs in Italian and eventually landed on an old-time movie channel (in English), a perfect pairing with our evening of relaxation.

Venezia

It would be very easy to spend a fortune on all the swank, luxurious attractions in Venice. This is not our style, we try to do things as cheap as possible, without sacrificing the experience. The challenge is that there are literally endless activities one could partake in while exploring Venice. How do you pick?

One thing we know is that Venice draws so many people that we planned to visit on Day 1 during the “off hours”, which doesn’t really exist, but as close as we can get; early morning and late at night.

545AM.

Its still dark outside. I was relishing in the delicious Italian espresso to wake my sleepy bones. The early bus comes at 715AM, so we wanted to give ourselves enough time to change, pack and get out the door. We loaded up on snacks and drinks to carry as well as extra bags for groceries. We also couldn’t leave behind the camera, money belt and walking shoes!

The sun was barely coming out as we made the chilly ride down to the bus stop. It was a gorgeous sunrise and the bikes are proving to be a god-sent. It took less than 10 minutes to make the ride and we found a little gate where we locked them up, just around the corner from the bus stop. There were two older ladies waiting at the curb, and our bus rolled up just on time. It was already surprisingly crowded for so early in the morning. It dawned on us that most of these people are going to work, and many younger kids were going to school. We followed the lead of the two women, who scanned their bus tickets in the machine. There were only a few seats left, and ours was positioned to go backwards.

The automated voice said something in Italian, which I am somewhat familiar with, though it has been many years since I studied the language. I understood “next stop” and then the name of each station. Ours is something like Orlando Piaveggi which I committed to memory.

By the time the bus reached the main road—bridge toward the island, it was brimming with people. The city vanished and we were surrounded by the blue-green lagoon water. I could spot the cruise ships out in the distance, but not much else. It was only 15 minutes and our final stop landed us smack in the middle of the action. The bus terminal sits in a very busy square packed with people, vendors, shops and the first of many canal bridges to enter this floating world.

Jake and I didn’t think about where we wanted to go and simply took one of the bridges over the first canal. It was cloudy this morning with a bit of rain, but it didn’t stay long nor keep me from snapping loads of photos. We were already lost in the beautiful and colorful world.

Surprisingly, it didn’t take very long to lose all the people and we found ourselves alone down one of the infinite alleys that make up the “streets” of Venice. Most shops still have their shutters pulled down and doors barred. There were some interesting graffiti works painted on walls and store fronts. Throughout our time in Venice, Jake and I were so inspired by these that we have decided to undertake a gallery titled “It’s So Urban“…Here’s a little preview:

As we continued on, I glanced at our map occasionally to see if we could make heads or tails of our location. Once in awhile we would find a sign with the name of a street or a very obvious visual landmark, such as the very ornate Rialto bridge hanging over the Grand Canal, with its waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches. Everything was so beautiful, it could be like an oil painting waiting to happen!

For the most part, we simply wandered around, heading in the general direction of St. Marks. Venice has such a rich and diverse architectural style, mostly Gothic, but also Renaissance and Baroque. The ornate marbled and frescoed palaces, bell towers, and domes reflected in the blue water is a photographer’s dream, and my camera was put to good use.

We crossed into San Marco, and found ourselves in the ultra-rich high-end shopping row; Dolce and Gabbana, Moncler, Vercace, Gucchi, Chanel, Prada, were just beginning to open their doors. Through the windows we could see some very outlandish and regal clothes they could have been costumes, some might call them works of art, though I can’t imagine normal people actually wearing this stuff. Not to mention its probably worth a fortune.

San Marco Piazza is next. Napoleon called it “the world’s most beautiful drawing room”. This is probably one of the most recognizable places that includes St. Mark’s Basilica, The Doge’s Palace, Museo Correr, the Campanile (Basilica’s bell tower) and Torre dell’ Orologio (clock tower). One interesting fact about the Piazza is that its the lowest point in Venice, and when there is Acqua Alta, it is the first place to be flooded. There are wooden boards placed for tourists to get around, but its apparently a spectacle to see when it does happen. We are a bit late in the year and glad to be on dry ground as we took in the magnificence.

The crowds were picking up. Jake and I meandered into some of the little shops around the square, one of which was a Venecian glass gallery, where we found the cutest gondola ornament for our travel tree! When we walked back out into the square, there was a big commotion. It looked like a pile of pigeons fluttering around a statue, except they were actually just people who were feeding them and trying to get selfie’s. Seems a bit odd, maybe a little icky, but definitely interesting!

Onward to St. Mark’s Basilica, the most famous of the city’s churches and dates back to the 11th century. The gold ground mosaics cover almost all the upper areas of the interior. Its nickname: Chiesa d’Oro (Church of gold) with an Oriental feeling of exoticism and elements of the Venetian style of the Renaissance Art. There is already a line wrapped around for those who are taking a tour. We kept on moving, heading toward the Doge’s Palace. This pink and white marble building is another landmark and one not to be missed.

We continued our exploration into the Jewish Ghetto (foundry), in the Cannaregio sestieri of Venice, divided into the New Ghetto and the Old Ghetto. When Jewish merchants fled the Spanish Inquisition for Venice in 1541, they were permitted to attend to Venice’s commercial interests, but at night and on Christian holidays they were locked within the gated island of the Ghetto Nuovo (New Foundry). As numbers grew, the Ghetto was extended into the Ghetto Vecchio (Old Foundry).

The streets were growing crowded but we really enjoyed this part of the city. The Venetian architectural styles are all over: repeating geometric details, high-arched windows, and exuberant marble and carved-wood baroque interiors. There is also heaps of art; sculptures and even parks dedicated to really cool and interesting pieces.

4 hours later, we were starting to experience what so many other’s likely have; serious overcrowding. We found ourselves at a crossroads, should we keep exploring or head back? Jake also had to pee, which was difficult because we could not find a bathroom anywhere. And so we struggled to make progress back to St. Mark’s Piazza, now teeming with people. It was a maze to find the bathroom, and when we did we learned that it costs €1.50 to use. Seems a bit pricey, so I opted to simply hold it until a more opportune time (plus we needed the bus fare!) 😉

It took us almost an hour to plough through the crowds back to the familiar central square and bus station. Just across the street is a large grocery; COOP. We ventured over and found the layout extremely odd. It looks like this building used to be several separate structures and was converted, but it essentially had 3 separate buildings that connected down back hallways which was strange. But we managed to find everything and more! I won’t list everything, but we loaded up…salad, risotto, pizza, baguettes, cheese, prosciutto, fresh pasta and sauce, chicken, cookies and snacks! The checkout process was also a challenge because we used the self-checkout lane, and for some reason half of our items didn’t scan. Not to mention it was in Italian, so we had to keep asking the nearby cashier to help us, who also didn’t speak English. I could tell they were put out with us by the time we got to the fresh stuff and realized we hadn’t properly labeled (you have to weigh them and put the sticker scanner on them before checking out). It took ages but we finally got everything situated, paid and left the store with 3 bags full of food.

The sun was blistering hot and I was ready for a break. We only had to wait a few minutes for the bus and then it was a very quick journey back. Orlando Piaveggi, I remembered and sure enough, that’s our stop! Yay we did it. Success. The first jaunt is out of the way, now it will be easier when we come back out.

We rode our bikes to the convenience store to get 2 more bus tickets (round-trip) for this evening, and then rode home. Its only noon, but since we were up so early, we are feeling quite exhausted again. Lunch was simple; bread, prosciutto and bree (the best cheese ever) and cookies for dessert.

A nap was definitely in order and it felt so amazing. I was shocked that we slept so long, it was after 5PM when we both woke up. Jake made us some tea and then fixed a simple dinner of risotto. It was absolutely delicious and we felt fueled up for round two, Venice at Night.

The journey back was much easier this time, knowing what to expect and where to go. It was still light, though the sun was setting quickly and I really wanted to get to the waterfront to take some “golden hour pictures”. We might have been a tiny bit late, but it was still a supremely beautiful sunset.

We took a different direction tonight, I was keen to visit Santa Maria della Salute (Saint Mary of Health), a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica located at Punta della Dogana in the Dorsoduro sestiere (district). It stands on the narrow finger of Punta della Dogana, between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal, visible when entering the Piazza San Marco from the water. The Salute is part of the parish of the Gesuati and is the most recent of the so-called plague churches.

The Basilica is absolutely massive, I think we will try to come back another day to check out its innards. This part of the city is almost empty and the way the lights were twinkling and the pink-blue sky made it look like a piece of artwork. From here we worked our way back to St. Marks lulled by the enchanting music wafting our way. It was the the quintessential Venetian night, clear sky, violins and accordions in the distance and gorgeous views.

I can’t say exactly where we went or ended up that night, but often we were the only people around and it was surprisingly serene. Now I understand why its the best time to come out because everyone is either at the cafes and restaurants or in the bustling square, but the rest of the city is very quiet. Venice at night is magical.

We didn’t get back to the bus until 10PM. Thank goodness for our nap or we’d be dead on our feet. For what seemed a very mellow night without many people, the bus was mobbed. We were lucky to get a seat and just before the doors closed, 4 pushy American tourists (I stress the word tourist here) boarded. They were seeking to know if this bus will go past their hotel, but the driver did not speak English. None of them could comprehend this and were extremely rude to the man. Jake and I obviously understood them and we hoped to mitigate the awkwardness and told them that they can just wait until we get off and then get off at the next stop (since we are almost the end of the line), and their hotel will be there. We know this because we walked by it earlier in the day. They were grateful for the help, but the entire ride home, they were incredibly loud and clearly had no self-awareness.

I was VERY glad when we escaped the heat of the bus and the loud tourists. Its quiet tonight, a bit chilly and very dark. Thank goodness Jake thought to bring headlamps. It was just enough light to get us back to the comfort of our abode. In one day we walked 13.5 miles and took over 30,000 steps (I had a pedometer keeping track). And this is only two days after climbing the longest climb of our lives. No wonder my feet hurt so much. And this was our first day. I can only imagine what the next few will be like!