Tim and I decided to take the train to Venice. 4 1/2 hours, no internet. He spent a lot of time on his phone while I read. We arrived around 7:30 PM and it was dark. The scene was surreal and I couldn't get any good photos in the dark so I'll just describe it.
You come out of the train station and instead of a big road in front of the station, there is WATER. Big wide canal in front of you. You pile onto a water taxi with your bags, try and keep track of where your people are and are taken to the hotel. Lots of people everywhere and lots of water.
This is a view from out hotel window in the morning. We stayed at the Hilton which is on an island across from the busiest area of Venice.
There is nothing like an enormous cruise ship passing by your hotel window. It was so close you felt like you could reach out and touch it. There are people on board there too that you can see. The boat was being guided by boats in front and behind it too. We saw several cruise ships docked and driven by our window. Wow.
Another feature of our hotel was the Nutella Piazetta. Nutella is made in a suburb of Torino, Alba, where we stayed the first week. So Nutella is EVERYWHERE. The Piazetta featured crepes and drinks with that lovely stuff, Nutella!
So the first morning we were there, we took the hotel shuttle over to the main area of Venice.
Our hotel was on the west end of the southern island. (George Clooney got married at the eastern end at a very expensive hotel!) The big S in the middle of the main island is the Grand Canal and the square on the southeast corner of the big island is the main touristy area with all the sights, shopping etc. So we took the water taxi there.
This is the area where you get off your water taxi. It is a big sidewalk that leads to the interior of the town, canals, streets, restaurants and shopping. You can get a gondola at several places. Some just had drivers but others had singers, guitar players, even accordion players. They are cool to see but expensive and I was amazed at all the crazy Americans not even taking in the ride but sitting with their phone or Ipad in front of them recording it all. Sheesh!
Eventually, after taking the LONG way around we found La Piazza di San Marco. Apparently it is notorious for flooding. They had scaffolding that people were walking on to get around the water.
St. Mark's was being repaired, as you can see the scaffolding on the left side of the picture.
This is the piazza. The tower on the right is the Campanile. The two pillars on the left has St. Theodore on top, and the Lion of Venice - the symbol of the city.
St. Mark's is connected on the right to Doge's Palace.
We actually ran into a few people from Grand Rapids, wearing their Lake Michigan Unsalted shirts!
This was a decoration on one of the local churches. It is a mask which refers to the big Venice Carnivale which happens right before Lent.
There are masks in every shop, along with lots of Murano glass.
The Bridge of Sighs, which is significant because it was the last place the prisoners would see before going to jail. You are supposed to kiss under the bridge for eternal love. We decided to save the money and kiss NEXT to the bridge!
We bought a painting from this man on the street. His name is Walter.
As you wander the streets of Venice, every corner there is a bridge, canal or
As you wander the streets of Venice, every corner there is a bridge, canal or
another narrow little street. Very interesting and beautiful!
Knockers and door bells...
Candy in Venice for the train trip...
Around every corner....another great view....
We had lunch next to a canal. You can see a gondolier next to Tim preparing for another trip, then you can see the fish down in the water right next to us.
The view of our hotel from across the Grand Canal.
A sculpture outside the modern art museum...it's made of bicycles!
Churches everywhere...
This guy played the glasses, a beautiful tune!
The piazza flooded with people walking on wood planks to get around.
Gotta get back to Venice! My favorite....
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