After I spent a full day wandering the streets of Verona (on Saturday), I decided to make a day trip to Venice on Sunday... just 90 minutes from Verona by train. Well! Going in the morning was pleasant enough... the train coming BACK, however, was SO packed as to be reminiscent of local trains in India! There were even crazy people making their way through the train, and no conductor coming through to check tickets or monitor the passengers... how totally bizarre! I DID, at least, meet a very lovely pair (brother and sister) on my return trip, which helped redeem the crowded conditions (as well as the horrible experience of having to worm my way through all the people standing in the isles--with their luggage!!-- in order to get to the bathroom!!!) They--Nena and Giannino--live in Milano, so I have an extended invitation whenever-- IF ever-- I make my way there some day. We shall see...
In any event, that was actually the highlight of the day. The LOW light was being accosted--repeatedly!-- by nasty Italian men, telling me I was NOT allowed to sit and eat my picnic lunch (first, on a bench in a lovely park; secondly, on a step outside of that park!) I was hot, tired, hungry...and REALLY mad about this harrassment!!! (Also because I had just paid a whopping 1.5 euros to use the public toilets... paying for toilets has ALWAYS pissed me off when I had NO choice, but SUCH highway robbery--not to be believed!!!) As I ate sitting on the step, I simply chose to ignore the harrasser (actually, I told him to go get the police, so THEY could show me what law I was breaking by sitting there! He couldn't get them, of course...because he knew as well as I that there WAS no such law!!!)
I was SO aggravated (especially because the disturbance of my lunch totally ruined my appreciation of the lovely chunk of eggplant parmigiana I had purchased from a local market) that it took quite some time to calm down and actually enjoy the sights of the city. I have never in my life (no, not even in India!!!) been in ANY city SO crowded that on certain streets it was virtually impossible to move. It was horrifically, appallingly, crowded. I DO NOT recommend coming to Venice!!! At least, NEVER in the summer. (My friend Diana told me that October through April are nowhere near as bad... ) Lesson learned.
Anyhow, I DID enjoy some moments of wandering down the quieter, non-touristic side streets, crossing numerous canals on picturesque bridges. There is no question that this city has SO much attraction because it IS truly gorgeous. AND unique... no cars whatsoever in this city! The sole transportation at its heart can only be by boat... and this is truly remarkable.
That, and of course exquisite churches, architecture... and a charming ambiance with gondolas and canals (overlooking the hordes of tourists, of course!)
Here, you have the wonderful photos to appreciate, and as usual, they don't quite do the scenery justice. You can, at least, get a sense of the beauty and WHY this has to be one of the most desired destinations in the world! (There are not a lot of descriptions for two reasons: 1) half the time, I didn't know what I was looking at, and 2) I just couldn't narrow down the photos enough in order to have the time to give many of them captions. As a result, this is mostly a non-verbal exposé I am going for here!)
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| One of many spectacular churches in Venice, as with everywhere in Italy, and, well... Europe in general! |
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| No cars, only boats for transportation everywhere! Not to mention, delivery of people and goods.... spectacular! |
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The interior of some sort of school...music? Opera? no clue...!
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The perfect perch... and place to poop!! Free of charge, no less! Hahaha!! Lucky bird!!!
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| I saw a sign somewhere that Venice consists of 118 separate little "islands", so there has to be enough bridges everywhere to connect them all. It also explained that there are 391 of them crossing 177 canals!! Unbelievable!!! |
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| The cost of a gondola ride: 80 Euros for about 35 minutes! Crazy!!! I actually tried to find other individuals to share one with--16 Euro each for 5 people--but was sadly unsuccessful. Not meant to be, evidently!! |
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Getting away from the masses of tourists on some pretty little side streets...
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Yes, God forbid, you have the audacity to SIT somewhere in this city!!! (That is, somewhere outside of a cafe, where you will be gouged beyond belief...to wit: 15 euros for a cup of coffee! Needless to say, I only drank my bottled water and ate the food I brought with me. Total cost of my day: 5 euros; 3 for using toilets (twice), and 2 for a tiny, unremarkable cannoli!)
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| Gondola traffic jam!!! ONLY in Venice, right?!?! |
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| The pretty little park and benches where I was kicked out for eating my lunch...crime of the century in Venice, as it turned out!! |
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| The other crime: Having to PAY to relieve oneself!!! The chocolate bar costs LESS than using the public toilet here!!! SHAME ON YOU, VENICE!!!! |
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| Another shame: The fithy, sludgy water along the shoreline... aspects of this city that most people would never notice... |
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| A palace at the center: 30 Euro entrance. I did not go in, needless to say... |
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St. Marc Church...famous in Venice... 7 euro entrance...I WOULD have gone in if not for the fact of having to wait at least an hour in a long line, AND in the hot sun, with no shade at all....
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At least there were other, less popular churches where I COULD venture in, AND for free! As it SHOULD be... and admire art and beauty in these wonderful places....
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| I swear that this seagull posed to be photographed!! It stood there, perfectly still, for several minutes, while multitudes of people got within inches to photograph it! This was NOT taken with any zoom...I really was that close to it! Fabulous!!! |
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