City of Love, City of Masks

Aaah Venice, a city of love, the city of masks!

It can be explored fairly well in a day, however when I next visit (and I do intend to return), I am planning for a romantic couple of nights with my lover.

There are two main modes of transport in Venezia- by foot or by ferry. A city flooded by canals means that driving is rendered pointless. Nevertheless, there are still rather varied options for taking a trip by water.

Our journey began with a vaporetto (ferry) which took us from the station all along the Grande Canal and offered us views (and photo opportunities) that would not be possible had we not.

We were fortunate that it was a hot, sunny day as it made being by the water even more pleasant. Lapping at centuries old homes slowly disintegrating over time, it sparkled like diamonds as it reflected the sun beams.

Tourists in lavishly decorated gondolas passed by, propelled by gondoliers in traditional stripey dress, as we chugged beneath the Rialto Bridge.

Look at the throne!

Gondola approaching Rialto Bridge

We passed an outdoor market with stalls of white, which, for those of you who have seen the movie, I swear is the one that Johnny Depp jumps from the balcony onto in the beginning of “The Tourist”.

Disembarking at Piazza San Marco near the end meant that we were afforded a water view of the main strip in Venice, and also witnessed how wide the canals become when they open up and meet the lagoon.

Before I move on to the activities partaken on land, I must wrap up the details on water travel.

Water taxis exist, but are certainly for the wealthy, and gondolas are considered somewhat of a tourist trap. In fact, locals don't actually get around this way, usually taking the ferry instead.

Back when gondola was the primary mode of transport for locals, it was law that all must be painted black in order to avoid the flaunting of wealth.

Keeping true to history, today the gondolas remain black, but are decorated with anything from plush red carpet and gold gilted arm chairs, to black feathers and plush cushions!

It is important to settle a price with the gondolier prior to departure and get him to draw you a map of where he is taking you in order to not be ripped off. Grabbing a group of people to come with you also lowers your cost (approx. 70-90Euro per ride).

However if you are content to avoid the bells and whistles, a traghetto (paint chipped and basic seating gondola) will take you from one side of the canal to the other for 50cents. It was fun! People stand up in them, and there was a moment where the balance was uneven and I squealed a little prematurely thinking we would topple!

Johnny jumps from the white terrace to the tents.

Back in Piazza San Marco which is the main square, you will see the Bell Tower (offering birds eye views of the city), St Mark's Cathedral, the Doge's Palace, lots of ridiculously overpriced restaurants and a delightful string quartet to set the mood.

Mum and I entered the Doge's Palace with an audio tour around our necks, and emerged some 3hrs later utterly exhausted!

The palace is huge and very clearly a mix of gothic and renaissance in it's interior. There was a map room which dropped my jaw to the floor. An adventurers delight, two huge globes stood in the centre of the floor, and all around the walls and ceiling were hand painted maps of the world as they knew it hundreds of years ago. Each new Doge (ruler) would add to it what he knew.

Photos were not allowed, but I managed to sneak a couple in before I was told off!

The art really impressed me as well. It was everywhere, and so very detailed! The messages hidden within each one, that was current to the time, brought me an added respect for the artists. Even the art on the ceiling was spectacularly detailed. My neck hurt just looking up for a few seconds- I don't know how they did it!

And the Armoury!!! I can't even begin to explain how cool it was to see all the swords, rapiers, bows, crossbows, knives, muskets, rifles, armour! Hehe, I even saw a real chastity belt! Now THAT was pretty primitive!

Perhaps the strongest memory that stays with me when I picture Venezia, is the masks. They are sold EVERYWHERE, and there is a number of stores where they are made on premise and displayed spectacularly. I was reminded of Commedia Dell'Arte, with Dottore masks appearing to be a favourite! Being here amongst the drama of the masks, the storytelling, the enigma that is Venice, I feel soooo inspired to hold or attend a masquerade ball. I mean a proper one, with period clothing, a ballroom, and truly hidden identities. What fun!

Walking around, over all the little footbridges, and winding in and out of alleyways gives you a chance to look a little deeper, past the facade of this city. There was no mistaking the height of the water to the entrance of the buildings. It's getting very close- I'm talking centimetres. How long before it is time to rebuild each particular entrance point? Scaffolding was seen constantly, surrounding tall buildings. Another level? Doors could be seen rotted, walls crumbling, and side streets smelt musty and wet. Apparently even the popular tourist area of Piazza San Marco is showing tell tale signs. In the evening when the tide rises, water can be seen bubbling up through drains in the middle of the square.

Venezia is such a fascinating city from a constructional point of view. Full of intrigue and mystery, it would be easy to drown yourself with sorrow at the knowledge that some day soon, it will all be gone. An Atlantis of the modern world. Lover come my way, we don't have long.

Note the door

Look, I really was here!