A week in Venice

 

Venice had been on our wish list for years. At long last we were on our way to visit this magnificent and beautiful city. It was just over an hour away from Olbia by plane and we managed to get very cheap flights. We arrived late but in time to get the bus into Mestre and were kindly dropped at our hotel door. We had opted for a hotel outside the city centre as it was so much cheaper but still very convenient with the bus stop to the Piazzale Roma situated right outside. The hotel also helpfully sold bus tickets so we bought a multi journey card and were ready for off.

The Grand Canal

We had decided on a week’s stay which would give us time to explore every nook and cranny of this fascinating city. We also hoped that since it was January it would give us more of a chance of getting some fine weather. The weather and tides were kind and we managed to avoid the Acqua Alta. We were lucky as a couple of week’s later Venice experienced the 15^th highest tide in history with water levels reaching 143cm with many of the smart hotels flooding.

The Grand Canal

Dorsoduro

Rialto bridge

Over the next few days we walked and walked and walked. We went off the beaten track and explored the waterways and tranquil backstreets of Dorsoduro, San Polo and Cannaregio. We rejoined the tourist trail at the ornamental stone Rialto bridge and discovered the colourful canalside fish and vegetable markets. We continued along the bustling main streets to St Mark’s Square, the largest piazza in Venice, and into the Byzantine Basilica. We climbed up to the Galleria which contains the original gilded bronze horses and affords great views of the church interior and out to the Loggia dei Cavalli with wonderful views of the square and sea. We visited the Galleria dell’Accademia and were saturated with Venetian art from the 14^th to 18^th centuries which included works by Tiepolo and Titian. We loved Peggy Guggenheim’s collection of 20^th century works displayed in the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, her home for 30 years until she died in 1979.

 












                                                             St Marks Square



Doge's Palace

Burano

With the sun forecast to shine  we purchased an all day water bus pass and borded the number 1 vaporetto at the Piazzale Roma for a trip down the Grand canal. It weaves for 3.5 km through the city and it was wonderful to see the grand old buildings and palazzos which date from the 12^th to the 18^th centuries. We disembarked at Arsenale and continued on the number  4 which took us round to the Fondamente Nuove on the north side of Venice. By now we were frozen to the bone having opted for outside seats so were grateful to move inside near a heater on the number 12 for our trip out to the small island of Burano. It is known for its lace making and the canals are lined with picturesque coloured houses. Finally we continued on the number 9 to the wilder and more rural island of Torcello where we were able to enjoy our picnic lunch in peace and quiet. Once back in Venice we topped off the day with a traghetto ride across the Grand canal. It is an empty gondola used to ferry passengers back and forth at various points along the canal. While not quite as romantic it is much cheaper.
 

Carnival in Cannaregio

 Our final day coincided with the start of the Venice Carnival. Having watched an atmospheric aquatic show between the two bridges in Cannaregio the night before we were back again the following morning for a colourful water parade of boats of all shapes and sizes and carnival costumes. It was a wonderful week and we really hope it’s not too long before we can re-visit this beautiful city.