Vacation in Venice Pt.2
Since I was nowhere close to being done summarizing my eventful trip to Venice, I decided to elaborate. If you didn’t already read my first article (Vacation in Venice) just click the link to check out what I did on my first day in Venice.
On my second day, I went around the island of Murano. What I didn’t know back then but I know now is that Murano is known for its glass industry so every store you come across would sell some kind of glass product or at least display such.
If there are artists making glass, then I would wholly recommend watching them work since those artists make a hard skill look easy and flawless. Watching them melt and mould the glass looks hypnotizing and worth the watch.
Frankly, Murano is not the biggest island one can explore but it certainly introduces you to very Venetian things such as their famous glass and the number of tourists you will come to expect on the main Venice.
Sadly, I don’t have all too much to say about Murano since I did spend a lot of time there so I probably became somewhat numb to its beauty which is quite the shame. Murano is a beautiful island with an interesting history.
One thing I did come to love over my time in Venice was the Italian cuisine. I always knew Italian food would taste better in Italy, but I just couldn’t anticipate how much better. Now I believe, I can´t go back to the Italian food served in Germany because that would ruin the beautiful cuisine for me.
Even though I am somewhat of a foodie, I have a surprisingly small appetite. I could survive with just two well-timed meals every day and a small snack in between. Or I just eat a tiny kid-sized portion for those three recommended meals per day. Either option is fine.
That is exactly what I did in Venice, very much to my dismay. I ate breakfast and either late lunch or early dinner. Which is just a shame since there were so many foods I wanted to try out. Nevertheless, I managed to tick off my Italian food list as vague as it is.
For Pizza, I had Quattro Formaggi Pizza since I just love the blend of cheeses. I already had spaghetti on the first day with the spaghetti al nero di seppie but on day two I had Linguine con cozze (linguine with Mussels). Before I left, I also managed to get risotto ai frutti di mare (seafood risotto).
Frankly, I am not too fond of the idea of taking pictures of the food I am about to eat therefore, there aren´t many pictures to show here. Nevertheless, I do take pictures of food that look incredible from a presentation standpoint and Italy never fails to impress.
There wasn’t too much of a choice when it came to lasagne because Bolognese lasagne is Bolognese lasagne. The tiramisu also didn’t leave too much room for interpretation. However, the gelato left me in paradise.
When walking down the streets one day, I found this cute gelato store on the main street which served a variety of fancy desserts such as macarons, milkshakes and gelatos. They served rich-tasting gelato in a rose shape which I found beautifully interesting.
Italy had many interesting flavours to try, the most interesting was the taralli flavour. It was unique and unlike the flavours found in Germany. Taralli is an Italian ring biscuit, which is surprisingly soft, but it was delicious just like the taralli gelato flavour.
On the main island of Venice itself, there were sights to see everywhere (and also many tourists). Every corner you turn, you will find a beautiful street right out of a travel catalogue. It was mesmerizing to watch the water glitter under the Italian sun and reflect on Italian architecture.
By the way, did I mention, that the canal water was surprisingly clean? Sure there are some rude tourists who believe canals are excellent trash bins but besides some floating trash, the waters were surprisingly clear. If you look close enough, you can even spot small fish.
On the day, we wandered through the streets of Venice, we accidentally stumbled upon many exquisite churches and incredibly detailed architecture. There was an entrance fee, but it wasn’t much for the incredibly artworks within. There is mostly a reduced price for students too.
For instance, we visited the basilica ss Giovanni e Paolo. The entrance fee for students was 1,50€ and for adults, it was 3€, which I found completely reasonable for a church. We also went into Teatro La Fenice which cost 7€ and 11€ respectively but it came with an audio guide. Well worth it if you ask me.
During our day we also went to the Piazza San Marco which was flooded. The water makes for great pictures but is terrible if should want to cross. My tip is to wear water boots/waterproof shoes or walk the side roads around the square to avoid getting your shoes wet.
What I found incredibly interesting was that there was some sort of bridged walkways across the square, which was helpful if you don’t want to get your shoes wet but it was not helpful if you were in a hurry. Tourists walked so slow because they want pictures and locals knew better than to visit on a flooded day.
Who can go to Venice without visiting the famous Rialto bridge? What I considered the better option was that you visit the bridge via public transport since the bridge itself was so crowded. From the public boat, you could get a good view of the bridge and avoid crowds.
On our way, we also came across a Leonardo da Vinci museum, which I knew I had to check out since da Vinci was a genius I always wanted to know more about. Seeing his invention in person was so inspiring. The museum being in a church really helped with the aesthetics.
I can´t say what the best part of that museum was but if I had to choose, the interactive part of the museum was honestly the best. However, an in-depth look at da Vinci´s life and his contributions was certainly also appealing. Sadly, the museum was not too big.
After a long day in Venice, I was honestly beat from all the walking. The public transportation was not too shabby. However, I wanted to walk, not only because it burnt off all the spaghetti I ate but I also didn’t want to miss a single gem down the streets.
Nevertheless, I really adore Venetian public transportation because it is on water. It is unlike any country. Full disclosure, it does take some time to get used to the being on water part but once you get the hang of it and don’t fall flat on your face, you will have a blast and beautiful views.
On the day before we departed from Italy, we went on a gondola ride because you can´t say you have been to Venice without going on a gondola ride. But my mother had other ideas when it came to a gondola ride in Venice.
My mother booked us a gondola ride where you get to row the gondola yourself. Well, not quite yourself because as it turns out gondolas are expensive and the instructor is always there to help you steer the floating piece of wood through very complicated canals.
Honestly, I had other ideas in mind when I heard gondola ride, but this was fun too. I am a hands-on kind of girl so I can´t say that I didn’t enjoy it. First, the instructor showed us how to row and then we literally started to row down the canals.
It did some time to get used to the wobbling of the gondolas and balancing on the water. When the waves crashed and the gondola started to shake vigorously, I was scared I would fall into the water but that never happened. At the end of that trip, I could walk freely like I was born on a gondola.
Can I just say, the gondolier makes a hard job look easy? The rowing part was not the hard part, the hard part was to keep rowing and staying on course. Sometimes I just forget how to row and I had to take a small break. It is just a skill which takes time and effort to perfect.
What I found most fun about the interactive gondola ride was how the other people were watching and cheering you on. It was intimidating to a certain extent but it urged me not to mess up so I guess you can call it a win. Besides with all the eyes watching it was also thrilling.
On that interesting gondola ride, we learnt a little bit more about the gondola industry and Venice itself. After hearing the stories of the instructor, I cannot believe that the Venetian gondola industry was so set on tradition.
The instructor was female just like every instructor from that company because it turns out that they can´t become official gondoliers. The gondolier business was a family business. Sexist at its best and fraudulent at its worst.
As it turns out most of the time gondoliers don´t get taxed. Not because they are vital for the Venetian tourism industry but because transactions were in cash and not with cards. Technically untraceable so the gondoliers don´t file those taxes “saving” them millions every year.
The reason why women don´t become gondoliers easily, however, has nothing to do with the fact that they can´t keep a tax evasion secret but simply because the gondolier must belong to the Gondolier´s Guild so if you are a woman you are just out of luck (and gondolier´s exams is just hard).
The gondola industry aside, I really enjoyed the gondola ride. Not only because I have learnt a new skill but it was just such an interesting way to get to discover Venice. Slowly drifting down the canals and seeing the places is just different from when you are walking.
On the ride, you can also get a local´s restaurant recommendation which I find invaluable in a tourist city since a lot of restaurants are overpriced and sometimes not as delicious as the real deal, therefore always ask a local for recommendations when it comes to restaurants.
I also learnt on that ride how water transportation on the canals worked because I couldn’t figure it out just by observing the passing boats. It was nothing like the car-filled streets but there was still a system which was explained to me. Turns out the rules are not written but just some facts every boat owner knows to avoid conflicts on the canals.
On that ride, I also found out what the locals truly felt about tourists. I can only say that I can see where the locals were coming from and their complaints are based on real concern. The wildest story was that tourists would jump into canals during the summer, which is just dangerous since you know motorboats and slightly annoying since you know boats.
During my time in Venice, I had a hard time walking with tourists everywhere in my way. If I had to walk around tourists who suddenly stop every step of the way, I would get a headache and a hate towards tourists too.
What I found most annoying about the tourist in Venice was the American tourist. I am not saying that all American tourists are bad but there are just some entitled, clearly American tourists who just believe the town is theirs and only theirs. Clouding a beautiful Venetian day.
Frankly, some tourists were not the only annoying thing I have encountered in Venice. The other being, the pigeons in Venice. Some of them don’t have a sense of personal space and they are just everywhere. So if you have a fear of pigeons then just don´t go to Venice.
After that ride, I cannot lie, my muscles were slightly sore even though it felt as if my rowing contributions did not get us any further. It just felt as if I was playing with water while the real work was done by the instructor. But it was fun so it was worth it.
On the day of our departure, I felt incredibly sad to leave. The beautiful sights and the delicious food I had to leave. It somewhat felt as if my mother had to drag me away to get me to leave because if it were up to me, I could spend some more time there.
Even though, it already feels as if I saw all the attractions and tried all the food, I still felt as if I was missing something. I just wanted to stay a little longer and enjoy the Italian sun while watching the glittering waters beside me.
After five experience-filled days in Venice, I believe I have seen a lot but clearly not enough. The people of Venice were incredibly nice, the city was just beautiful, and the experience gained is invaluable. Venice is truly a place for a city vacation with a hint of history.