Journal of a Trip to Venice

One of the must-see, within our “trip plan” was Venice. From our hotel in Bologna, to the parking lot on the island of Tronchetto, 150Km. There are various companies offering parking spaces, in buildings of various plants. The roof of the van not allowed us to use them, but there is also one for buses and caravans in which you could park. Depending on the time you go to be in Venice will cost more or less, as in general prices are quite spacious hours strips. For example, let the van from 30 minutes up to 12 hours costs €21 (all prices I will discuss relate to 2013). In the parking lot of cars you can pay for hours… until the 5th, from 6 hours to 24 costs €21 also. If you go to Venice and sleep in another city, and you’ll be less than 6 hours, or more than 12, total, that it didn’t us more expensive… or rather, us cost as expensive as if had been on the car. They say that bottlenecks to access the island occasionally reach mythical proportions.

We think that we were lucky there was no jam and we get well and fast. If you don’t know or you have not deducted, to Venice can not be entered by car. It is the only city that has “limited traffic zone”, for the simple reason that there are no streets to cars. One reason as any. Piazzale Roma is the last point which you can reach by car. Just a little earlier, and just crossing the bridge which crosses the lagoon is the island of Tronchetto, where you will find many parking. If you want to avoid a possible jam, and also save you some money, you can leave the car in Mestre, near the train station. While searching for information, before the trip, I saw that there are several car parks, some free, and some payment, but with prices less than Tronchetto. From Mestre train station up to the Santa Lucia is a very short and inexpensive ride. Anyway, that each have accounts with their own conditions: If you are traveling alone, or in pairs, cheapest Mestre, but in our case, 8 people and a car came out better Tronchetto. In the next image, Google Earth, will see in red the arrival with the van to Tronchetto, in cyan the ride by vaporetto, and green travel on foot.

Both the Santa Lucia railway station and the Tronchetto are West of Venice, and therefore you will start the visit from similar points. I recommend, for a one day visit, start by climbing at the waterbus. From Tronchetto, Piazzale Roma or Santa Lucia you can use line 2, which runs along the Grand canal, and get to San Marcos. Line 1 also, but begins in Piazzale Roma, i.e. you can not catch it from Tronchetto, and makes more stops than the 2. Personally I think that the 2 OK, seems nice to make the vaporetto ride, but cannot plan to spend one hour on each trip. As for prices, the vaporetto is a robbery armed, and no more alternatives (except walking): € 7 one way, with a ticket that allows you to go up and down for an hour. There is a bonus, € 18 to be able to travel freely during 12 h. If we make accounts, you get cost-effective provided that you do at least three trips. If someone wanted to go, for example, to Murano, maybe interested in the bond, but only with stroll through Venice I think that for a whole day. If you’re more days you have options, until, for example, € 50 for a full week.

Walk through the Grand canal is beautiful, and you’ll have a first impression of the city. If you’re lucky, and there are not too many people can do many photos from the central part of the boat, with the open sides. There are three stops along with San Marcos, by order (from Tronchetto): Vallaresso, Giardinetti, S. Zaccaria. Eye, each line has some or other. It is easy to search on the Internet and download the plane of all lines. I recommend you let the square and get off at S. Zaccaria, the view of San Marcos from the vaporetto is very nice. I found a page on the internet where someone placed, simply marked on a plane, a preferred route. We decided to let us carry and try it. We start at the Piazza San Marco, after trying to get a photo with the bridge of sighs to the bottom (was background bridge and other dozens of tourists who were in the same). I estimate that everyone already knows that sighs weren’t in love, despite the idyllic view of Palace and bridge, but inmates before entering the dungeons.At that time we could see a huge cruise ship, heading to the Adriatic, navigating the Canale di San Marco. Before you go already knew of these moles, of vibrations from the engines, the mass of water displaced, and the risk for the fragile city, but you found it there impresses, and horrified at the same time.

More smoothly, we come to the famous square, full of people, and pigeons, and people with pigeons. I know that it is a symbol of peace, and that is one bird like other any, but I do not like anything. In any case, see the photo and you, that likes to judge colors.We made the photo of rigor with the campanile in the background, highest place of Venice (except when crossing an ocean liner). The “original” began to build around the century IX, although, as usual, should be something already in Roman times. After various catastrophic misfortune, in its most rays, collapsed completely in 1902 and was rebuilt between 1903 and 1912. That I said that will be for the of the little solid ground, because of the water, or because someone forgot to use the Plumb, but currently it seems to me that he has certain inclination. Not as much as the famous Tower of Pisa or Bologna, but, not wanting to offend, the next time you have to build a tower, keeping that there is neither an Italian bricklayer.

The Basilica of San Marco, perfect example of Byzantine influence, is magnificent, a shame that in our visit had many scaffolding on the outside. Even so we could admire the mosaics of the façade. Also toured inside (but I don’t show it, I had a poster of “pictures no, grazie”). If you go with a backpack it is very likely that after doing the tail you send to the slogan, in an adjacent building, avoid it before going there. San Marcos is the patron of Venice from the year 828, when, supposedly, some traders cheated his body and brought him from Egypt, wrapped in pork so that Muslims do not see it. Finally, seems that addition San Teodoro, previous employer, fell in disgrace, as in Venice, attentive to the decline of Byzantium, they found already was not fashion a Greek Saint honor. As you want to be the case is that the basilica now we admire grew around the bones of the Saint.

We started to walk the streets. At the beginning do not stop taking pictures at every corner, channel, bridge or alley. The city we liked in general, simply take it. It has charm and atmosphere, don’t you get tired of walking and investigate. On occasions it is something overwhelming the number of tourists, I comfort thinking that others will be so fed up with me as I, je. Venice has to be tremendous in its famous carnivals, but I don’t even think the amount of people that will be, and I have not clear that the experience is rewarding.Out of the San Marcos plaza Salita San Moisè, either by the opposite side to San Marcos, we find a small place of food to carry, which gave good account while we were still wanders through the streets. A ten to the girl that we attended, perfect example of multi-tasking dealing with three or four groups at the same time.

After crossing the Canal Grande we visit the Church of Santa Maria della Salute. The exterior is profusely decorated, and the interior has works by Titian. It is currently under restoration (interior). Their situation is very visible from different points of the Grand Canal. It was built between 1631 and 1687, as an offering after the plague. The Church of the Redeemer is another example, erected after the epidemic ended in 1576.

We went to visit Santa Maria dei Frai, one of the greatest churches in Venice. Simple on the outside, from the usual red brick, but worth a go. Monteverdi, of which I spoke when we visited Mantua, has here his tomb: after working at the service of the Gonzaga he managed to “employment” in Venice. A great Titian (large size, importance and beauty), interesting side chapels, a good work of wood in the choir, and an eyesore to the greater glory of Antonio Canova.Canova was a renowned sculptor of the 18th and 19th centuries, which designed a Cenotaph as homage to Titian, that after his death (Canova) students were in this church, and in which deposited is his heart. Do not think about the sculptural group, but the enormous pyramid framing it harms me view, and believe that it does not paint too in the context of the Church.We continue, occasionally we asomábamos back to the Grand Canal, to any image from del Ponte to Accademia, or from the Rialto.

From Rialto spent a few moments looking at the, at least to my eyes, chaos of traffic of gondolas, vaporettos and different boats. A few days earlier died there same a German tourist, crushed by a vaporetto after colliding with a gondola. I can’t imagine the misfortune, at times it seemed that accidents managed to avoid the result of random, and no one, apparently, non-existent organization.We crossed Rialto and we are still wandering, with the intent on rushing the last moments of light, the head start going to San Marcos for take vaporetto, and stomach set to find some dinner at a reasonable price. We leave a moment the proposed road to get closer to see Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a beauty in Renaissance style, small and covered with marble.

Nearby a majestic square, the field of Giovanni e Paolo. Dominates the Church that gives the name to the square, although as I have read is not dedicated to Juan and Pablo biblical Apostles, but other two martyrs of the first Christian Church in Rome. It is the principal Dominican Church in Venice, and as such was built to preach to the masses. Since the 15th century was used to celebrate the funeral of the Doges, of which 25 are here buried. On your left (according to the picture) is the Renaissance building of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, today seat of the civil hospital. The equestrian statue can be seen between the terraces is Bartolomeo Colleoni, condottiero (mercenary) from the 15th century which, with its pluses and minuses, placed his sword at the service of Venice.

The return trip by vaporetto, much quieter and less crowded and traffic on the channel, us was very short. With the arrival of night could look out briefly to another Venice, magic and mystery. Similar photos and prints than to the ida, now changing with night lighting and reflections in the water. A pity we can not stay to discover that night Venice.

Finally, Google Earth, the program, the web version, have, according to the city, to see more or less buildings in three dimensions. Venice is the complete city in 3D, and allows you to explore and visit virtually all, it is worth playing awhile: