Bella Venezia

 

"To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius."

~ Alexander Herzen

 

 You cannot turn around in Venice without a spectacular photo opportunity.

 

Even an overcast day is hauntingly beautiful...

 

The Doge's Palace

 

 The Ca D'Oro

 

 The Ca 'Sagredo Hotel on the left.

 

The Bauer Il Palazzo Hotel

 

 The Rialto Bridge advertising the Biennale. There are a only a couple of bridges that cross the Grand Canal. As they are pretty far apart from each other, crossing the Grand Canal by boat is the easiest way to get from one side to the other.

 

Biennale exhibits are scattered all over Venice. When we happened upon one, we would stop to learn more about it. With only two and a half days in Venice we didn't have time to see all of the Biennale exhibits but it was fun to be able to experience a few of them.

 

 A traghetto is one way to cross the canal...the passengers stand up on a large gondola.

Another way is to crisscross the canal on a vaporetto. We really enjoyed the special Vaporetto Dell'Arte.  We walked until we were ready to drop and then hopped on this very comfortable boat, equipped with an audio guide describing the sights along the way, and slowly coasted up and down the Grand Canal taking in the veritable feast for the eyes going on around us.

 

 

 

 

There are alleys and smaller canals everywhere (some ending in dead ends at canals)...part of the fun of visiting Venice is getting hopelessly lost in the labyrinth of the city.

 

 A couple of my many "store window" shots...why does everything look better in Italy?

As hard as it is to leave Venice, the departure is made a bit easier by sailing out of Venice on a cruise...these photos were taken from our balcony on the ship headed towards Greece:

(all of the above pictures were taken by me...with my Canon PowerShot Elph330 camera)
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Traveler's Tips for Venice:

A shared water taxi from the airport gives you the experience of arriving in the city by water, without the expense of a private launch or the hassle of public transportation.

A vaporetto pass for the length of your stay is a must - it is the by far the best way to get around Venice.  For an additional 10 euros added to your vaporetto passes, you can take the Vaporetto Dell'Arte which has no crowds, very comfortable seats and an audio guide that explained what you are seeing along the way.  It was well worth the extra money and I highly recommend it!

Consider buying a museum pass if you are staying more than a couple of days. The lines to enter the museums can be long and you will "skip the line" if you have one (there are several different ones to choose from, so figure out which places you would like to visit and select accordingly.)

To visit St. Mark's Basilica, reserve your time slot up to 10 minutes in advance for a mere 1.5 euros and avoid waiting in the long lines to get in.

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If you are planning a trip to Venice (or anywhere!) , I would love to help you with your plans. Whether you would like to stay at a charming pensione or a grand five star hotel, I can personalize your trip based on your own desires. From water taxis, vaporetto passes, private tours, museum passes, even cruises out of Venice - I can set up everything for you. Just e-mail me!

I am participating in the "Oh The Places I've Been" linking party with The Tablescaper with this post...come on over and check out where everyone else has been!