As the train pulls into the central station in Venice,... the land surrounding the platform gives way and you find yourself in the middle of a major waterway. It’s kinda like landing at San Francisco International Airport... or driving through the swampland highways into New Orleans. Looking out the window... we knew that we were arriving somewhere special.
Venice was everything we imagined it to be and more. Although extremely touristy, the city’s 117 small islands connected by bridges and canal waterways are a joy to wander around and get lost in. The city has no roads so boats are the order of the day with the "Grand Canal" being the major highway though the city. We were passengers on the public waterway "bus" system – but we also saw water taxis, traditional gondolas (they look great but are a bit too expensive on a traveler’s budget!) and our personal favorite – an ambulance boat that was speeding to help someone somewhere. (Sorry Scott, we couldn’t get a photo!)
As we found out, if you are adventurous enough... you will eventually find yourself outside of the tourist areas where locals live and hang out. We had both our best and worst meals while in Venice. The worst being in the tourist part of town... the best being in the local part of town
Of course, there is nothing wrong with the tourist areas! I loved browsing the carnival masks! Oh what an incredible assortment of different types there were! Mark loved the aligator masks, but I’m a traditionalist... and loved the ones with funny faces! Also while we were in Venice... we found "The thinker" statue in the window of a museum. This is the result:
From here we will fly back to the UK to spend the holidays with Mark’s family.
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