The day was long and travel makes you tired. We grabbed a bottle of wine and walked around the streets of Venice along the main channel below San Marco's. It was nice to visit the area at night when it wasn't packed with tourists. A word to people who haven't been to Venice before: go with the understanding that tourism has been the major business there for hundreds of years and you will be surrounded by tourists from all over the world. Don't let that ruin your experience!
I had to cross the Rialto bridge every night to get back to my hotel. Life could be worse!
The next day was my main day in Venice. Natalie and her parents had scheduled some tours, so I decided to put the map in my pocked and proceed to get as lost as possible. Venice doesn't exactly have street signs or street names so trying to navigate by map is almost impossible. It is easier to identify landmarks and then wander around. Using the signs pointing you towards major parts of town makes it easier to orientate yourself.
A lot what I enjoyed about Venice was the ability to go at my own pace and walk everywhere. Those who know me, I really enjoy walking and will easily choose walking a mile over taking a cab any day. This played well into my experience in Venice. It truly is a beautiful walking city.
This was one of my favorite buildings in Venice and I wish I had taken a better picture. It was covered in ivy with a great little bridge out front.
The boats which give Venice its bustling character are finely crafted and remind me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade which I have since watched and enjoyed more since I had now been to Venice!
I stopped by the Peggy Guggenheim museum for a cool off and to check out the modern art in Venice. This brings Guggenheim count to 3 of 10 (according to ChaCha).
When Sed and Melissa were visiting they told me that this structure was being constructed on the top of the Guggenheim. They described it as "intense" as there were two grown men hanging from stalks of bamboo, weaving them together to create their art. No harnesses or anything.
I felt strong about taking this picture as I have a painting of it in my room. I can't wait to compare it.
Every turn in Venice is something new and spectacular.
Daytime picture from the Rialto.
We saw this bizarre little building while walking around. I wonder what exactly the inside of that one looks like.
We also stumbled upon this interesting piece of modern art. I like it.
Sunset in Venice. Natalie and I decided to try out the Ciccetti and Proseco so that was dinner that night. We found some awesome bars and had drinks and little snacks. The only problem with Venice is that the night life shuts down at roughly 10pm. I think they could probably extend that well into the morning hours with plenty of success, the only problem would be drunk tourists getting home in a city designed to get you lost.
We debated about which one of these buildings was the one that "sank" in Casino Royale.
A picture of the Rialto before it got dark.
Venice at night is awesome because the water is relatively calm and the lights reflecting off the water make for a pretty romantic atmosphere. Mostly, Venice made my miss the lake. With the great weather, boats, and water it was impossible to not think of the lake. The next day I caught the early bus (5am) to the Treviso airport for my flight back to Brussels. I got on the plane with shorts and a t-shirt and 23C weather and got off to 13C cloudy weather. Ohh Italy how I miss thee.
One thing that I realized on this trip was that initially I hadn't had much interest in Italy. After visiting I am sure that I will return. The people are incredibly nice, the terrain amazing, the weather awesome and there is a good reason that most cultures imitate Italian food.
Special thanks to the Gray family and the Canfields for their hospitality and companionship.
Location:Venice, Italy
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