Venezia
Every trip is lived three times: when you dream of it,
when you go, and when you remember it.
(Original, in Italian: Ogni viaggio lo vivi tre volte:
quando lo sogni, quando lo vivi, e quando lo ricordi.)
“Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Water”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “The Floating City”
This stunning city hosts the world’s oldest film festival, La Biennale. But it has been the star in many films too, such as Death in Venice (1971), Moonraker (1979), Everyone says I love you (1996), The Merchant of Venice (2004) Fellini’s Casanova (1977) and Casino Royale (2006). Most of us will be able to picture Venice easily, so perfectly captured on film.
We’ve talked about travelling to Venice since we first met. But somehow we never got to come here, until now. And it’s a perfect time to visit. The crowds are less, with fewer people travelling at the moment and Italy imposing restrictions on travellers from many countries.
A friend lives in Padova and she offered to be our guide. We didn’t need to be asked twice.
And so we ventured north, to Padova and on to Venice. Together we travelled by train from the mainland, before crossing the causeway over the lagoon to Venice Santa Lucia station, right on the Grand Canal. And in that moment, there is that glorious feeling of knowing that you have reached somewhere special in the world. We were reminded of travelling by boat from Manda airstrip in Kenya to Lamu Island and landing in Cape Town, with views of Table Mountain. All afford a special sense of arrival.
We wandered in the Cannaregio district, the Venetian Ghetto in which Jews were forced to live by the government of the Venetian Republic. We paused for Prosecco by one of the many canals, accompanied by cicchetti, small snacks with bacalao, prosciutto and mozzarella.
We spent hours meandering along canals, strolling down alleys and passing by beautiful, ancient bridges. Gradually we approached the grand, central square, where we marvelled at St. Mark’s Basilica and its stunning Byzantine mosaics. We headed to Cafe Florian, under the arches of the Procuratie Nuove, for fresh coffee and macaroons. It was established in 1720 and is the oldest Café in the world. And at sunset we travelled on a vaporetto, a Venetian water bus, from Castello back to Venice railway station.
This ancient city has a unique history. This beautiful place was built on mud, slime and sand, over one hundred small islands, on a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. The buildings are impressive, constructed entirely on the water, a feat of Italian engineering. There are no roads, just canals. It was the birthplace of Casanova and the venue for one of the most colourful carnivals in the world.
The city of Venice has seen many changes over the years. And more changes are a foot, which may alter the face of travel to this unique part of Italy from next year.
At the moment the number of visitors is being carefully monitored, from a police headquarters. The goal is control the flow of tourists and avoid overcrowding. Colossal cruise ships have been banned from the port. And now there is talk of tourists pre-booking their trip and paying a fee to enter the area. Luigi Brugnaro, the major of Venice, says that the aim is to make tourism more sustainable, in a city that attracts over 25 million people each year.
Have you visited Venice? Will your return, if you have to pay a fee to enter the area?
© Maggie M / Mother City Time