I was awake at 5am having dreamt of my venice painting. I’d almost not bought it as I’d never been, but Mark knew how much I liked it and promised to take me (he had actually forgotten this when I mentioned it this morning lol).
It was still raining but due to improve by 8am so I got up, showered and checked again… the waters were still said to be very high. Mark was adamant he would rather stay home, but I still desperately wanted to go. Our compromise was I would pop in on the bus and see how it was, that way I wouldn’t regret being so close and not visiting.
My boots were already soaked from yesterday so I put doggy poo bags on my feet to try and make them less wet and perhaps slightly waterproof (it didn’t work) and off I trotted with my jam sandwiches and flask (Venice can be crazy expensive for mediocre food – avoid drinking at Harry’s Bar and St Mark’s Square unless you have money to burn).
I spotted on the bus only the odd person wearing wellies, the rest were in normal shoes. On arriving I was instantly smiling. I’d done masses of research for things to see, but decided instead to just wander and get lost in the maze. It really is the best thing to do.
Knowing the tide would rise again by midday and it would get busier with tourists, I headed in the general direction of St Mark’s Square. Every time I glimpsed marble, a spire, bridge or something quirky I turned down an alleyway. Often if an alley looked dark or less busy I’d purposely go that way, thus largely avoiding the main alleys and their typical tourist aimed shops.
I loved how different alleys had a distinct smell, be it leather, laundry, bleach from cleaning the basements or coffee. I must confess I became a bit obsessed with taking washing line photos.
Stumbling out onto the Grand Canal was amazing. My first sight of gondalas and Rialto Bridge.
And then crossing dozens of little bridges I came out at the side of St Mark’s Basillica, which I thought was beautiful…and then you see the front and it blows you mind.
Until this point the streets had been dry but here even at 9:30am there was a little flooding, and news crews reporting. To be fair the tourists were carrying on regardless and the city was open for business, it wasn’t as bad as I’d feared. The waters added a reflective quality if nothing else. Still I know the damage is going to cost multiple millions.
I’m on a tiny budget so hadn’t booked any of the many tours on offer (for the key buildings, food tours, art tours, walking tours etc) or the archetypal gondala ride. However if you keep your eyes peeled, you can see wonderful frescoes in the many churches for a €1 donation and there are plenty of free modern art exhibitions. I visited 6, all very different, but interesting exhibitions.
One thing I had to spend money on was coffee. My first was drank the italian way…an espresso standing up in a cramped bar, a couple of sips and on my way again. The second was sat at a wonderful illustrated bookshop and bistro called Sullaluna in the Cannaregio district. There are more locals in this area and seemingly lots of great eateries. The food was all organic and freshly cooked. It looked sublime, I should have treated myself (warning service is very slow…Italians take their time over food…just enjoy the books and relax).
Refueled it was more of the same, but this time I checked my pinned map and directed myself to a few key things I’d missed, including:
- Ponte Chiodo -one of only two bridges in the city without balustrades, the other is private and not accesible
- Ponte dei Pugni – otherwise known as bridge of fists as this was where people used to settle scores with their fists. You can see the footprint where they had to place their feet.
- Squero di San Trovaso – the gondola version of a mechanics yard
- Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo – a 15th century palace with an unusual spiral staircase
- Chiesa di San Zaccaria – beautiful frescoes, alter and flooded crypts
One ‘must do’ for me was the famous Libreria Acqua Alta, which keeps its books in bath tubs and a gondala and has lots of cats who take refuge from the tides. Sadly these higher than usual floods had damaged some of their stock, so they were trying to salvage what they could, and offering soggy books free to dry homes. I rescued a few postcards so if they dry out ok you could receive a warped postcard.
Before heading home I wanted to find Banksy’s poignant venice piece, showing an immigrant child wearing a life jacket, holding a pink beacon. It is so easily missed, and was under water yesterday. Interestingly the house its been painted on has been for sale for years and is crumbling into disrepair, the artwork has likely added value but without its setting its meaning is surely reduced. Besides this, there was little graffiti but those I did see often hinted at venice’s troubled future.
Conscious I had left Mark with the pups for 6 hours I decided against visiting any of the islands, though the water taxis were running again. I’d say those warrant a day or two themselves, so perhaps if we return I will focus on:
- San Giorgio Maggiore – said to have the best view over venice from the bell tower
- San Servalo – former monestry and insane asylum
- Sant Andrea – the end of the island is nice for a picnic with great views of the lagoon
- Burano – lovely brightly coloured houses
- Torcello – impressive cathedral
To summarise, though I definitely got my feet wet, I have merely scratched the surface of Venice and absolutely loved it. It’s a wonderful place to get lost in, and trying to find the bus station I past the same lion four times so I definitely got lost lol.
Though you could easily spend a fortune and tailor your visit accordingly, you dont have to in order to have a great time. I spent €18 on my campsite, €3 on bus fare, €1 on church entry and €7 at cafes. True I haven’t been on the water, but I have been in it. I’m really glad I came, and perhaps the conditions worked in my favour
When I got back Mark was really pleased I’d enjoyed it. He had bought cake and we took the dogs out to the park to play frisbee. Really you can’t get much better ❤
SofaWolves 