Destination 9 – Venice, Italy
Where? Hotel Campiello
When? Friday 24 July – Monday 27 July
Official language? Italiano. There is also a Venetian dialect spoken by about 2 million people, in Venice and strangely in surrounding countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, Mexico and Brazil!
Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo – ‘Bovolo’ means snail or little white slug in the Venetian dialect but ‘spiral’ in Italian.
Interesting facts I’ve learnt about Venice:
- The population in Venice is shrinking. There are roughly 60,000 residents living in the historic city of Venice, a significant decrease from the 120,000 in 1980. The main reason for the population decline is the flooding that occurs during high tide, forcing many Venetians to the mainland.
- The number of tourists that visit per year is approximately 20 million- that’s about 55,000 visitors flocking to the island each day!
- The city of Venice sits on an arrangement of 118 submerged islands. On top of the clay, mud and sand layers of the islands are wooden piles that, together with a layer of limestone, hold up the buildings of Venice.
- Venice is slowly sinking so work is underway at this UNESCO World Heritage Site to help preserve the city and the surrounding lagoon area. Hollow pontoons blocking incoming water from the Adriatic Sea are currently being installed.
- While the Venetian canals are awash with Gondolas, the competition to become a Gondolier is fierce. There are only 3-4 Gondolier licenses offered each year.
- To avoid sinking the island even further, none of the buildings in Venice city are made with concrete. Buildings are reinforced with wooden planks.
A snapshot of thoughts and insights I have gained during my trip to Venice:
- Pre-booking a water taxi from Venice Marco Polo Airport to the main island is definitely the way to go, despite being a bit pricey. The freshness of the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin feels so refreshing after hours spent on a plane and in airports.
- I don’t know why exactly but Venice seems to be a magnet for really beautiful looking people with golden skin and glossy hair. Sitting at a waterfront restaurant on our first evening in Venice watching the crowds walk by, I feel almost as though I’m watching a catwalk show!
- It’s so incredibly easy to get lost here! A map is essential otherwise you may find yourself walking in circles- as Jacqui and I did on a couple of occasions! It’s quite nice to stray from the beaten tracks though. While touristy areas like the Piazza San Marco are a must-see, I fell in love with the quiet laneways. I think Venice is pretty unique in this way. One minute you can be wrestling with crowds, the next minute you can find yourself wandering down streets practically all to yourself.
- The food here has been-dare I say it-pretty disappointing. I think when you come to Italy, you expect your tastebuds to be wowed each time you eat but sadly Jacqui and I haven’t found that to be true. I’d say the reason is that it’s just too touristy here. I get the feeling that we’re being served lousy imitations instead of the real deal.
- With the island sinking, the future of Venice isn’t guaranteed. As a result, spending time here feels uniquely special. You feel as though you’re visiting a sacred place, somewhere that, in the future, others may only read about.
Hopping off our water taxi on the edge of the island, near the central square- Piazza San Marco, we drag our suitcases along the bumpy uneven streets hoping that our hotel isn’t too far away.
We find our hotel, conveniently located a mere 50 metres from the boat station where we docked. While the location couldn’t get much better, our hotel room is a shoebox! Jacqui and I are crammed in together like sardines! To make things worse, we’re both not feeling well, the dreaded traveller lergy has caught up with us!
The next morning, both feeling like death warmed up, we start the day with a hot honey and Lemsip drink. It sucks being sick when you’re traveling.
Determined not to let our sore throats get in the way of enjoying Venice, we venture out for a cruisy morning of shopping and Gelato in the Piazzo San Marco, also commonly known as St Mark’s Square.
Later in the day, we make our way to the meeting spot of a walking tour and Gondola ride that we’d booked in advance through tour provider, Viator. We’d be warned that the cost of Gondola rides packed a punch so for about $60 we felt we bagged a bargain.
Our guide for the afternoon is Venetian and proud of it! Typically Venetian, she has glowing bronze skin and a sharp sense of humour. She leads us through Venice, all following her in single file with our headsets on! After telling us something new she would say in her thick Venetian accent, “Did you know that?”, “No?”, “Well now you know!”
Following the walking tour, we rest our legs and sit back in a Gondola taking lots of happy snaps along the way. We were hoping for an Italian Stallion Gondolier but we got a bit of a pudgy pony!
The next day, still both fighting away the lergy, we hunt down a special little lace shop I’d visited before in 2013 during a Topdeck Tour. I’d loved it so much the first time that I had to make it back there again! I loved it, not so much for the lace, but for the women that worked there. For anyone that’s seen ‘Letters to Juliet’, being in this shop reminds me of the scene where the Italian ladies all get together and reply to letters from the Romeo and Juliet wall. It’s like a secret society of women. There’s a particular woman, probably in her 70s, that has such quick wit and sassyness!
The entrance to ‘Lace & Linen’
After buying some lace jewellery from Lace & Linen we find ourselves lost down the endless laneways of Venice getting caught in an afternoon shower as we try and find our way back to the hotel. Dead on our feet after hours of getting lost around Venice, we take a nanna nap before venturing out for our last dinner.
We’re up early the next morning to take a water bus to Venezia Saint Lucia railway station. Not quite as luxurious as the water taxi we had on the way over! We cram in, re-positioning ourselves and our suitcases, playing water taxi Twister at each stop so that others could manoeuvre themselves outta there!
If you haven’t been, you’ve got to get lost in Venice. After all, it might not be around forever. Plus, Mr Clooney chose to tie the knot here so it’s got to be amazing right? Just don’t get your hopes up for a spacious hotel room or an authentic Italian feast! But don’t worry, the uniqueness of exploring this island perched on mud and wood will distract you from that – the place is just one of a kind.
Next up for our Italian adventure? Cinque Terre!
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