Buongiorno, Venezia!
Venice is almost unfathomable. Does this place actually exist?
Emerging from the Santa Lucia train station, head turning wildly from side to side, I lose my breath a little. It's stunning, and every direction I look draws me deeper and deeper into the mystique of this trippy city. Water taxis are the rule, not cars or buses. Naturally there is water water everywhere, canals in every direction, complete with colorful buildings lined up on either side of them with a front row seat to all the action. Oh look, there's the trademark gondolas. And there are the tourists--lots and lots of them--all with similar expressions of disbelief on their faces. Believe it. Yep, Venice is real alright, and for me it's love at first sight.
Perhaps none of this is exactly surprising. After all, Venice is one of the most beloved cities in all of Europe. But this is my first visit to Italy, aka "the homeland", the mothership where my ancestors came from, my family tree's roots stretching far and wide all over the Big Boot. Fittingly, I feel right at home even though I don't speak a lick of Italiana. And what does one always do first upon entering any Italian home? Mangia, of course! Right in step, a mere seconds after my arrival there is a double scoop of gelato in hand. Mint and chocolate, please and grazie. It's gone in a flash, the creamy, dreamy coldness hitting the spot and taking the edge off a sweltering early summer afternoon. Throw in a piece of cheesy, wonderfully thin and foldable pizza, and I'm ready for action.
Getting around Venice requires riding what has to be the most fun, ridiculous, and utterly tremendous public transportation system known to man. You ride in boats. Nothing but boats. While this does not surprise me, these water buses provide endless entertainment. I never once mind that it takes twenty or thirty minutes to get from place to place. Who cares! Just sit back and let the driver maneuver you through the lagoon and accompanying canals, the wind in your face and sun at your back. This is surely Venezia at its finest. Let me repeat: you take boats from place to place. Whoever thought it was a good idea to build a city this way was wrong. It was downright brilliant.
And what are the streets like in Venice? Well, many of them are slim alleyways (no cars allowed), most not much wider than two average-sized bodies across. They often lead to piazzas, large open spaces from which you can snap photos to your heart's content. But wait. You can snap new masterpieces all over the place, and you will too if you know what's good for you. Every single street leads you to a view more grandiose and surreal than the one you saw only moments before. Walking around for hours, I cannot recall visiting a place where "oh my gosh" comes flying out of my mouth as often as it does here. This city is absolutely drenched with mesmerizing photo ops. Point. Click. Repeat. Shutterbugs unite!
Yes, it's an embarrassment of riches in Venice. Which leads me to its darker underbelly, one which is aimed squarely at the tourist trade it so clearly beckons to. Venice might be sinking, but its prices sure aren't. It is terribly expensive here, and that could be an understatement though I can easily see why it is so. It has to be costly to keep this fantasy island running smoothly. Those public boat rides don't come cheap (30 Euros for 48 hours, to be exact). Hostels here are more than twice the average hostel in Europe; I can only imagine what staying at a nice hotel will set you back. And there are very few public toilets in Venice. If you have to go reaaalllllyyy bad, get ready to shell out 1.50 Euros to use one. Had I not downed a liter of water and a perfectly pulled doppio espresso so quickly during the afternoon, I probably would have held it until my bladder was ready to rupture. Instead I caved, and you know what? The relief was almost (I said almost) worth plucking down those two coins just so I could continue on my touristically merry way without feeling like I might wet myself at any second, and not from excitement.
But enough of these minor quibbles. Places this awesome need to be seen, and if today's crowds are any indication, people come in droves to get their Venezian cups filled. And what about those gondolas, anyway? Don't worry. They are everywhere, calmly whisking the masses down canal after canal, some even accompanied by "spontaneous" live entertainment consisting of the gondolier belting out some Italian ditty or another. I can never recognize the songs, just as I cannot understand most of what people say to me here, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to hear people speak Italian till the cows come home. God, it's like music to my ears. I heard a woman speaking Italian to a tourist while in Slovenia and immediately fell in love with this most romantic of romance languages. I think she was just answering a simple question, but the words came tumbling out of her mouth with such grace, such elegance, that I wanted to clap when she was finished. She might have told him to go take a flying leap for all I know, but hey, at least getting insulted never sounded so good.
The native language is certainly not the only thing romantic in Venice. Far from it. Shuffling lazily after today's second round of gelato (don't judge me), I wonder if there is any place in the world more obviously built for falling in love than this city. Even with the crowds, there is so much heart here. You see it in the warm smiles. You feel it in the warm breeze. Perhaps warmth is what Venice is selling, actually. Not prefabricated warmth, but the real thing. Step outside the city center, hear only the sounds of boats and water splashing, look down any street to its astonishing climax, and just let all of your senses be engulfed. Feel the warmth. It's there. You can't miss it.
Sadly, I have only two days here. Maybe that's perfect. The very existence of Venice itself, a city that spends at least part of every year submerged in water, serves to remind us all that everything is temporary. No matter how long your stay, I honestly don't know if it is possible for anyone not to fall in love with this place. Go ahead and try to resist. I certainly couldn't. My verdict is in: Venice is most definitely real, and it is spectacular.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Emerging from the Santa Lucia train station, head turning wildly from side to side, I lose my breath a little. It's stunning, and every direction I look draws me deeper and deeper into the mystique of this trippy city. Water taxis are the rule, not cars or buses. Naturally there is water water everywhere, canals in every direction, complete with colorful buildings lined up on either side of them with a front row seat to all the action. Oh look, there's the trademark gondolas. And there are the tourists--lots and lots of them--all with similar expressions of disbelief on their faces. Believe it. Yep, Venice is real alright, and for me it's love at first sight.
Perhaps none of this is exactly surprising. After all, Venice is one of the most beloved cities in all of Europe. But this is my first visit to Italy, aka "the homeland", the mothership where my ancestors came from, my family tree's roots stretching far and wide all over the Big Boot. Fittingly, I feel right at home even though I don't speak a lick of Italiana. And what does one always do first upon entering any Italian home? Mangia, of course! Right in step, a mere seconds after my arrival there is a double scoop of gelato in hand. Mint and chocolate, please and grazie. It's gone in a flash, the creamy, dreamy coldness hitting the spot and taking the edge off a sweltering early summer afternoon. Throw in a piece of cheesy, wonderfully thin and foldable pizza, and I'm ready for action.
Getting around Venice requires riding what has to be the most fun, ridiculous, and utterly tremendous public transportation system known to man. You ride in boats. Nothing but boats. While this does not surprise me, these water buses provide endless entertainment. I never once mind that it takes twenty or thirty minutes to get from place to place. Who cares! Just sit back and let the driver maneuver you through the lagoon and accompanying canals, the wind in your face and sun at your back. This is surely Venezia at its finest. Let me repeat: you take boats from place to place. Whoever thought it was a good idea to build a city this way was wrong. It was downright brilliant.
And what are the streets like in Venice? Well, many of them are slim alleyways (no cars allowed), most not much wider than two average-sized bodies across. They often lead to piazzas, large open spaces from which you can snap photos to your heart's content. But wait. You can snap new masterpieces all over the place, and you will too if you know what's good for you. Every single street leads you to a view more grandiose and surreal than the one you saw only moments before. Walking around for hours, I cannot recall visiting a place where "oh my gosh" comes flying out of my mouth as often as it does here. This city is absolutely drenched with mesmerizing photo ops. Point. Click. Repeat. Shutterbugs unite!
Yes, it's an embarrassment of riches in Venice. Which leads me to its darker underbelly, one which is aimed squarely at the tourist trade it so clearly beckons to. Venice might be sinking, but its prices sure aren't. It is terribly expensive here, and that could be an understatement though I can easily see why it is so. It has to be costly to keep this fantasy island running smoothly. Those public boat rides don't come cheap (30 Euros for 48 hours, to be exact). Hostels here are more than twice the average hostel in Europe; I can only imagine what staying at a nice hotel will set you back. And there are very few public toilets in Venice. If you have to go reaaalllllyyy bad, get ready to shell out 1.50 Euros to use one. Had I not downed a liter of water and a perfectly pulled doppio espresso so quickly during the afternoon, I probably would have held it until my bladder was ready to rupture. Instead I caved, and you know what? The relief was almost (I said almost) worth plucking down those two coins just so I could continue on my touristically merry way without feeling like I might wet myself at any second, and not from excitement.
But enough of these minor quibbles. Places this awesome need to be seen, and if today's crowds are any indication, people come in droves to get their Venezian cups filled. And what about those gondolas, anyway? Don't worry. They are everywhere, calmly whisking the masses down canal after canal, some even accompanied by "spontaneous" live entertainment consisting of the gondolier belting out some Italian ditty or another. I can never recognize the songs, just as I cannot understand most of what people say to me here, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to hear people speak Italian till the cows come home. God, it's like music to my ears. I heard a woman speaking Italian to a tourist while in Slovenia and immediately fell in love with this most romantic of romance languages. I think she was just answering a simple question, but the words came tumbling out of her mouth with such grace, such elegance, that I wanted to clap when she was finished. She might have told him to go take a flying leap for all I know, but hey, at least getting insulted never sounded so good.
The native language is certainly not the only thing romantic in Venice. Far from it. Shuffling lazily after today's second round of gelato (don't judge me), I wonder if there is any place in the world more obviously built for falling in love than this city. Even with the crowds, there is so much heart here. You see it in the warm smiles. You feel it in the warm breeze. Perhaps warmth is what Venice is selling, actually. Not prefabricated warmth, but the real thing. Step outside the city center, hear only the sounds of boats and water splashing, look down any street to its astonishing climax, and just let all of your senses be engulfed. Feel the warmth. It's there. You can't miss it.
Sadly, I have only two days here. Maybe that's perfect. The very existence of Venice itself, a city that spends at least part of every year submerged in water, serves to remind us all that everything is temporary. No matter how long your stay, I honestly don't know if it is possible for anyone not to fall in love with this place. Go ahead and try to resist. I certainly couldn't. My verdict is in: Venice is most definitely real, and it is spectacular.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Comments
This was an amazing entry. It put this huge smile on my face. Now I booked Croatia, now I need to book Venice, what are you doing to me? I think I'll hold off Venice until I can do the romantic thing there, what do you say?
Keep these posts coming...
I posted mine by the way. I couldn't wait.... to excited to start blogging. So it's up...
Thinking of you.
M.