Day 8: Venice

When we were in Florence, our Japanese roommate, who travelled solo, deliberately excluded Venice in her itinerary.  When asked why, in her broken English and a bit sad tone, she simply said it is for couples.  Her countenance was a bit downcast.  Maybe she was going through some brokenheart experience.  That was why I was silent though I disagreed.  If I want to see a place, as long as I remain single, nothing other than safety issue can truly STOP me. 

Venice - is it truly a city for romance?  Some people come here for honeymoon or for the surprised proposal to their loved ones.  Either I am wired differently or I have a different set of eyes. No matter how I view Venice, I just can't perceive it as romantic.  Undeniably it is a fabulously interesting city, different from any cities in the world, except the one in China with the nickname, "Venice of the east".  In the absence of the motorized vehicles or even the bicycles, the noise pollution is at its minimal, especially when one is "inland", away from the Grand Canal filled with motorboats.   It is definitely a city of Bridges. 

Strolling in Venice is indeed very relaxing.  The rate of automobile accidence is literally ZERO.  No concerns about being run over or being honked. CAREFREE....

Another interesting fact about Venice is that the buildings of Venice are constructed on closely spaced woodpiles, (under water, in the absence of oxygen, wood does not decay) which penetrate alternating layers of clay and sand...  Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on the piles, and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings." (from Wikipedia)

We were towards the end of our trip..  We wound down to a much slower pace.  No more museums or cathedrals, except one visit to St. Mark Basilica.  We simply walked and walked and walked till we dropped!!! :=)  Or better wording, we shopped and shopped and shopped till we went broke.  Yes, Venice is a shopping heaven.  Period.  Its collection of arts is pale in comparison to that of Florence and Rome.  With that said, Ca Pesaro has a good modern art collections, particularly of my favorite Viennese artist, Gustav Klimt.  Even so, we decided no more art gallery visitation. 

Innumberable kiosks filled with everything from miniature toy gondolas to jewelries lined in the main route from Liberta Bridge all the way to Rialto Bridge and onward to St. Mark Basilica.  Branded shops are more concencrated around St. Mark Basilica area. 

The most prevalent and yet artistic items for sale are its Murano-made glassy jewelry, small decorative glassy animals, and carnival masks of all sizes, from tiny egg size to human face size decorated/painted with colors and feathers.  Those items are within our price ranges.  Leather products are a lot more expensive here than in Florence. 

Prior to our arrival at St. Mark Basilica, it really flooded for a few hours in the morning due to the high tide that pushed water onto the shore.  We missed it.  Venice is very well-prepared for its occasional flooding.  The benches will be dispatched to  places in danger of flooding, such as in St. Mark Basilica area.  As a matter of fact, we were standing on benches waiting for our admission to St. Mark Basilica.

Yes, St. Mark Basilica was impressive, and its facade is different from that of Duomos in Florence and Siena, respectively.  But our art-hangover brain could not absorb anymore. We just walked in and then walked out of the basilica.  Just so that we can say, "Yeah, we have been there."  One downside in most basilicas, except St. Peter Basilica in Rome, is the dim lighting.  While I can't speak for other, it surely limits  my appreciation.. 

While pigeons are considered a pest in most cities around the world, in Venice they provide a popular entertainment for tourists.  They are rather aggressive.  If I remember correctly, pigeons are carriers of a type of bacteria that can be fatal to human if entered into our body.  Because of that, we stayed just close enough to take pictures.

The funny thing that happened on the day was that no matter how we turned we kept coming back to St. Mark Basilica.  We circled 4 times until we truly got out of the "maze" and  back the Rialto bridge. 

For budget backpackers, the grocery store, Coop, is everywhere in Venice.  You also can get some of your food there too.