None of us had ever been to Venice before. Brian and I both had some preconceived notions about what it would be like: crowded, smelly, expensive and maybe a little bit tacky. Other than smelly, it DID live up to these expectations, but it also has great value that makes it one of the worlds most visited places.
It occurred to me while we were there that Venice might be a little like how I think of Las Vegas. Unique, beautiful (in it's own way), crazy, gaudy, full of tourists, and, while it is possible to do inexpensively is usually extremely expensive. They are both places of which one can grow weary quite quickly - and many don't find a need to visit more than once in their lives...
Our trip to Venice was much like our trips to other cities, in particular because we didn't really do all the usually touristy things one "must" do. We didn't go to St. Mark's cathedral, we didn't stand on the Ponte Reale, we didn't gamble. We did a few touristy things, though. We took a gondola ride with the boys, which was (while very costly) super fun, picturesque and interesting.
What we did mostly, though was walk. We walked and walked and walked. I had read that letting yourself get lost was the best way to explore Venice - and so that's what we did. The "streets" in Venice are really so difficult to explain. Some times there is a sidewalk along a canal and some times there is not. I'm sure the map-makers have done their best, but it's an exercise in letting-go to try to follow a map in Venice. Not everything is represented on the map. Perhaps much like taking off one's watch during vacation, it's best just to think, "We'll get there eventually." There are bridges everywhere, from tiny to huge and when walking you can find sections with lots of tourist shops and then isolated sections where you wonder, "who lives here...?"
We were so lucky that the weather cooperated - the weather was in the high 80's for the time we were there. After having seen only weather in the 90's during the first 6 weeks of our trip, this was a great relief. The apartment, being on the 3rd floor didn't stay in the 80's, but after we figured out how to manage the combination of windows, fans and mosquito deterrent plug-ins, we were happy there, too. Though, maybe if we ever return to Venice we would stay in a hotel. :-)
Having been there makes me so curious. How did this strange place "happen" and why? I mean, I know a little of the story but not much. I will definitely be learning more about this unique, beautiful, odd island, even if I don't feel the need to go back.
It occurred to me while we were there that Venice might be a little like how I think of Las Vegas. Unique, beautiful (in it's own way), crazy, gaudy, full of tourists, and, while it is possible to do inexpensively is usually extremely expensive. They are both places of which one can grow weary quite quickly - and many don't find a need to visit more than once in their lives...Our trip to Venice was much like our trips to other cities, in particular because we didn't really do all the usually touristy things one "must" do. We didn't go to St. Mark's cathedral, we didn't stand on the Ponte Reale, we didn't gamble. We did a few touristy things, though. We took a gondola ride with the boys, which was (while very costly) super fun, picturesque and interesting.
What we did mostly, though was walk. We walked and walked and walked. I had read that letting yourself get lost was the best way to explore Venice - and so that's what we did. The "streets" in Venice are really so difficult to explain. Some times there is a sidewalk along a canal and some times there is not. I'm sure the map-makers have done their best, but it's an exercise in letting-go to try to follow a map in Venice. Not everything is represented on the map. Perhaps much like taking off one's watch during vacation, it's best just to think, "We'll get there eventually." There are bridges everywhere, from tiny to huge and when walking you can find sections with lots of tourist shops and then isolated sections where you wonder, "who lives here...?"
We were so lucky that the weather cooperated - the weather was in the high 80's for the time we were there. After having seen only weather in the 90's during the first 6 weeks of our trip, this was a great relief. The apartment, being on the 3rd floor didn't stay in the 80's, but after we figured out how to manage the combination of windows, fans and mosquito deterrent plug-ins, we were happy there, too. Though, maybe if we ever return to Venice we would stay in a hotel. :-)Having been there makes me so curious. How did this strange place "happen" and why? I mean, I know a little of the story but not much. I will definitely be learning more about this unique, beautiful, odd island, even if I don't feel the need to go back.
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