Water all around us

Venice was an amazing city that continuously piqued the imagination. We arrived at night by bus, and immediately boarded our water taxi which left all of us disoriented and somewhat lost. The beauty of the city at night completely assuaged all discomfort of being in a boat at night having no idea where you are going or when you might get there. Our Hostel was on the island of Judeica, which was only a few minute water taxi ride away. The water taxis were a little bit expensive but absolutely necessary for navigating through Venice. One warning however, is that some of the taxi routes may appear short, but they can turn into hour long trips in one direction. So instead of riding in a boat around the city, it may be beneficial to simply walk straight through the city and enjoy the sights along the way.

The Cathedral and St. Mark’s square, are breathtaking and quite recognizable form many TV shows and movies. Unfortunately, our last night in Venice was accompanied by a thunderstorm which began to flood the square, but there was an improvised causeway to allow for foot traffic to cross the square. Behind the square are some of the most sensational shops selling clothing, jewelry, and many other items. The shops are as expensive as they are eye-catching.  There are also many restaurants in the surrounding area, but they all seemed similarly oriented directly to tourists.

As usual we decided to wander around aimlessly randomly turning corners, and we met with the same results as in all previous adventures, a great time and many unexpected events. By sticking to the back alleys and foot paths we were able to find delis and bakeries that were not exclusively geared towards tourists. These places seemed to feel much more authentic and places that were not trying to grab all of the tourist’s money.

The Doge’s Palace is beautiful, and contains some interesting information about the history of Venice and how the city came about. The governance structure of Venice in renaissance times was unique because the Doge held no real political power. The prison cells in the basement had graffiti, messages, and drawings scrawled in the stone from the prisoners. This had been preserved and almost gave a feeling of the state of mind for those unfortunate enough to be locked there. A medieval armory exhibit was also featured at the Palace that showed some remarkable weapons. The Doge’s palace is definitely worth the price of admission.