This article appears on my website on the travel page. I love Venice, and wanted to share its magic here too. Hope you enjoy my impressions of this incredible city.
The magic is powerful, simply strolling along the narrow
ancient streets allows your imagination to soar. No matter the adventure you
seek, the eerily lit side paths, or some not at
all,
the
glow in the canals and ancient brick
walls
, summon you forth. In the distance
a single house light shines upon a small canal and reflects in the water, and as
you cross that old bridge, you wonder who else walked along the same trail.
Was it Casanova in search of a damsel in distress to whisk
away for some fun? His face covered by a mask as he celebrated
Carnivale? Maybe it’s the shadow of
Andrea Palladio, admiring his design of
Il
Redentore, the glorious church built in the 16th Century on the waterfront
of the
Canale della Giudecca to save
Venice from an outbreak of the plague.
Such is the lure of Venice. Steeped in history
and romance, the stunning architecture, the art, and the beautiful tranquil
canals, all pull together to form this magical place.
I can’t possibly detail everything, but I can give you a
glimpse of my Venice. If I see a church I go in, the same for a museum, an
interesting side street, and in Venice there are many. As the saying goes, I
leave no stone unturned. Visit an old church, and you might find a concert
being given. Tour the Church and stay for the concert.
There is a moment in
A
Hotel in Venice where Minola comes upon a few ladies sitting on a bridge
enjoying their dinner, an opened bottle of wine resting on a stair, and they
were deep in discussion, linguistics was one of the topics-that happened to me,
and I participated in the lively conversation, and along the way learned a few
things. I was so taken with the scene that I decided to include it in my book. Those
are the moments I treasure when I travel. I’m normally a rather shy person, but
somehow find it easy to chat up strangers when on the road.
Venice often called the “Floating City” began in the 5th
Century AD. There are 118 or so small islands connected by canals and bridges. It
is amazing that Venice is built upon a wooden platform, driven by wooden
stakes. The wood has survived because it is underwater and not exposed to
oxygen, and the fact that the flowing salt water petrified the wood, and turned
into a hard as stone substance is remarkable. More amazing are all those
gorgeous buildings that seemingly are floating on water.
That in itself is stunning, and must be seen, add to that
the architecture, the incredible art, music, and history, and you have the
perfect venue for an incredible vacation, and in my case an added bonus, the
perfect setting for my third book in the hotel series. I also happen to love
the food, a definite added bonus. The black pasta made with cuttlefish ink is
incomparable, the sardines with onions another favorite, along with an
abundance of gelaterias, not to mention I love pizza, and the grilled vegetable
pizza, especially the ones that include roasted eggplant are superb.
Much of the delight centers around the Grand Canal, as it
flows majestically, alive with commerce and joie de vivre as palaces,
vaporettos, water taxis and gondolas, and various working boats seem to glide
on water, swiftly shifting to and fro to evade a collision, it is a
choreographed waltz on water, a persistent and expert dance of avoidance.
Along the way there are palaces, homes, cafes and shops that
line the Grand Canal and the sound of music and traffic echoes in the distance,
and you seem to sway to the sound of life, as the famous Rialto Bridge stands
guard. The bridge offers shopping, restaurants, but most of all, it offers a
superb view of the Grand Canal.
I stood on top for quite a while, mesmerized by the intense machinations
of the traffic below.
The Grand Canal is
essentially a grand street, comparable to Paris, New York and Chicago. It
meanders through the heart of Venice, two and a half miles long, and offers
terrific public and commercial transport,
and of course romance-just like the major avenues of the world, only
better, because it’s all on water.
I always think that the magnificent Rialto Bridge stands
guard over the Grand Canal. The outside stairs have an unmatched and
spectacular view of the Grand Canal, inside the bridge, the street is lined
with tourist shops and even a Rialto Market that has been in business for over
a thousand years; if you plan to visit the market, best to arrive early before
the crowds do.
The Rialto is the oldest bridge crossing the Grand Canal,
its origin in one shape or another dates back to 1181. The stone bridge as it
stands today was completed in 1591, and I would say every visitor to the city
visits the bridge. Pundits said the design was too risky, and predicted it
would collapse. It still stands today and is one of the most iconic
architectural delights in Venice.
Take a day and evening vaporetto ride along the Grand Canal,
travel like the locals. There is a marked difference in a morning ride and an
evening ride. Sunlight provides the hustle and bustle of people going to work,
going about their daily business, the city comes to life, deliveries are made,
restaurants open, the jostle of life begins.
Shadowy lights during the evening vaporetto ride envelopes
Venice in a mysterious glow, that mystifying allure you won’t find anywhere
else, where shadows beckon you to follow. The moonlight glows and shimmers, the
dimly lit palaces reflect in the water, and the sound of music resonates and
amplifies to create that perfect moment. The trips are remarkable and since
it’s public transport it is affordable
Venice is expensive, that is not a secret, yet reasonable
meals can be had, but if you eat in the tourist areas, you will pay handsomely
for the privilege. I always include breakfast with my hotel stay, prices tend
to be sensible when booked with room. For one, I need my coffee first thing in
the morning, for another it takes less time than looking for a spot other than
cafes. I’m a breakfast person, it is my time to relax, plan the daily
activities, and if I’m lucky chat with a few tourists.
There are things you may not want to miss, and need to
include in your budget, like a gondola ride, that will set you back about a
hundred dollars, it is far more romantic than a vaporetto ride, and it will
take you where a vaporetto won’t-the small canals and intimate side alleys. Watching
a gondolier in action is a delight in its own right, often times the ride
includes a passionate Italian love song, and the swish of the oars as they hit
the water adds to the sublime moment.
The biggest tourist draw, and there are so many to choose
from, is the Piazza San Marco, it is a piazza like no other, and again to
simply walk around it, is best to arrive early in the morning, and in the
evening-the time in between is packed with tourists, and I do mean packed. The lighting
in the evening is subdued, and if it’s a moonlit night, magical.
I now book tours to the
must
see places, the lines are horrifically long, you pay a little extra but you
get in much faster, and an added bonus are the lectures on the history of the
place you are seeing. You can linger long after the tour guide finishes, and
this way you do get a little history, a bit of background and sometimes a
little about the daily life of the Venetians.
There is of course a great deal of free information on the
many sites-it is up to you and your budget how you want to view them. Many
travel books offer all the advice you can possibly need, all the places that
should be seen, taking into consideration how much time you have, they list
hotels in all price ranges, and if budget is really tight, you can borrow the
book from your library and take it on your trip-just remember to return it when
you get back.
The treasures at the Piazza San Marco are not to be missed,
it is one of the key tourists sites. Given that the Basilica San Marco was
began in 832, the history is vast and rich, and for almost a thousand years it
served as the Doge’s private chapel, you can just imagine the political
intrigues within these walls.
The Ducal or Doge’s Palace was home to many leaders of
Venice for almost a thousand years. It is filled with art, sumptuous rooms, and
the famous Bridge of Sighs so aptly named by Lord Byron; it was a last lonely
view of Venice for those who were going from the palace to prison.
The first palace was a fortress finished in 814, change
through history included fires in 976, in 1106, 1574, and 1577. Many
masterpieces were destroyed, and restoration continued slowly until the
1880’s.
The palace survived and to this
day reflects the massive and majestic power that was once Venice.
It is evocative to be sure, it’s a place where you can get
lost in the history, go back in time, daydream, and imagine as things were, and
still come back to the present enjoy the sites, delicious coffee, black pasta
and incomparable gelato.
Visiting the Companile or Bell Tower is easy, a small elevator
will take you to the top, from where you
have a bird’s eye view of the piazza, and the rest of Venice, and sometime on a
clear day the Alps are visible. It has been written that the tower was started
in 912. Due to erosion and a shallow foundation, the
Companile collapsed in 1902. It was rebuilt
in 1912 as the Venetians wanted,
“where
it was and how it was.”
There are of course the
must
see things, but there are others that are a surprise. Walk into a small
church, and wonder at the beauty, peace and charm that is offered. Go during
the Biennale Art Festival and you just might see the church converted into an
art gallery, and not necessarily religious art.
Many of the places I found just by accident
are free. There are many little niches filled with flowers, and little gardens,
a piazza with beautiful fountains and charming cafes. Many of these places
become galleries during the festival.
You will not get lost, there are signs everywhere that will
point you to a landmark. Unless of course you’re like me, have no sense of
direction, and easily gets lost. On my first trip to Venice upon settling in
the hotel the first evening, I was determined to see Piazza San Marco. I was
given the routine hotel map, the concierge circled the hotel location, and the
location of the piazza.
I wondered for two hours, followed all the signs marked on
the walls, there were arrows pointing where to turn next. I turned and circled
places so many times I was dizzy, and I never found the piazza. By the time I
found my way back to the hotel, I was convinced the piazza was not real, and
could not possibly exist. The following morning, after a hearty breakfast and
many cups of coffee, I found it.
Returning to the hotel was an adventure in itself,
holding a map upside down and looking lost,
exhausted and downright pitiful helped in my attempt to find my way back to a
shower and bed. At that point I was so tired, any hotel would have done-jet lag
was beginning to take its toll.
If you like glass, Venice offers that too, many buildings
and hotels proudly show their Murano masterpieces in the shape of sconces,
table lamps, vases and of course chandeliers.
If you want to see for yourself how glass is blown and the
intricacies involved, visit a furnace.
Murano
is thirty minutes away by vaporetto, or fifteen minutes by water taxi, a choppy
fast ride, and since the traffic is considerable as you head to more or less
open water, the taxi basically rides the waves. It is a fun and often times
bumpy ride.
Murano does not have the charm, or majesty of Venice. It is
more or less a working island that produces world renowned, magnificent glass,
and the economy revolves around glass that is shipped all over the world, and
of course there is the tourist trade. One store after another lures you in.
There are the inexpensive shops that sell glass trinkets made in China, some
blown in Murano, you have many options, and as always know your product. There is
a logo on many of the bigger pieces that identify it as Murano glass, but be
vigilant.
There are galleries where you can spend thousands of dollars
and pick up a unique treasure, some of the chandeliers are beyond elaborate,
and I always wonder who would clean them. The selection is vast, from the modern
to period pieces, and anything in between. On my last trip, I was fortunate to have
the concierge at the hotel arrange a visit to the Schiavon Art Team furnace. I
was allowed to take pictures, and speak with the master designer. Even in a gift
shop I always ask if I can take pictures.
He was generous with his time, and I received a great deal
of information that helped with my research for
A Hotel in Venice. Their work is imaginative, creative, and simply
amazing, and on my next visit to Venice, I plan on going back. There is
something magical about seeing glass in liquid form and watch as it changes and
becomes a solid. It is hard work, but the results are sublime.
Glass is the business of Murano, and has been for centuries,
since the guild moved from Venice in 1291, because the citizens were afraid of
fires.
The first documented Venetian
glass product dates back to 982. In 1224 the Guild of Glassmakers, Arts
Fiolaria was established, and the guild protected the glassmakers under strict
guidelines, but the guild was now controlled directly by the Republic of
Venice.
The glass blowers became the elite members of society and
mingled with the aristocracy and the very wealthy, powerful marriages were
formed influencing the political climate of the time. It was a mysterious and
sometimes deadly world of secrets, the formulas for blending and glass blowing
techniques were protected sometimes with fatal results. I’ve been assured that
the secrecy prevails even today. It is an ever changing and evolving industry,
much like many others, but with a creative insight that for me is hard to
beat-sheer artistry at work. I can watch glass being blown for hours, to me it
is a mesmerizing process, and the final result be it a vase, or hat that looks
real is astonishing.
Venice is enchanting, and I’m looking forward to my return trip
to this mysterious, romantic and magical city. The ideal trip would include a
book signing in a bookstore or maybe a furnace in Murano.
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