Postcards from Venice
When I saw that Venice was a mere 3 hour drive from Ljubljana and that there was a tour available with Roundabout Travel, I knew I had to book it. I mean, when Venice comes calling, you answer. It’s one of those destinations that never quite seems real so to see it with my own eyes…I was into it.
I daydreamed about those canal views, brick walls with window boxes dripping with flowers. I salivated thinking about bowls of fresh pasta paired with glasses of ruby red Italian wine. I longed to take a gondola ride with a potentially hunky, stripe-shirted gondolier. Bonus points if he wore a straw hat and sang to me. PS: That ended up costing €80 for 30min so I just watched from the sidelines, but some gondoliers were indeed hunky.
Oh yes, Venice would happen.
I was picked up at 8am and, after looping around Ljubljana to pick up the other guests and a stop for snacks, we made it to Venice around 11:30am. Our guide led us through the confusing, disorienting tiny streets giving us some insights into Venetian history along the way. Once we arrived at the Doge’s Palace, we were set loose to wander at will for 3.5 hours. We were given one instruction, “Get lost.” Pocketing your map, ducking down side streets, crossing tiny bridges, and letting yourself get wonderfully lost really is the best way to see Venice. It’s also the best way to avoid the big crowds.
Venice is the antithesis of Manhattan with its orderly grid of numbered streets. There is very rarely a clear cut way to get from A to B, but that’s the beauty of it. It makes you slow down and meander more, rush less. You might even find yourself with a little campo all to yourself.
17 Photos to Make You Want to Visit Venice
The Rialto Bridge across the Grand Canal. It’s one of the main landmarks in they city and so you’ll always find it packed with people, especially at the shops running down the center of the bridge.
The Grand Canal is always a mix of gondolas, water taxis, vaporetto, and private boats.
St. Mark’s Basilica – the crown jewel of Venetian architecture. It’s so ornate you could spend most of your day just trying to really take it all in.
How many human and animal figures can you spot here?
Just a few folks strolling around the Doge’s Palace.
The Bridge of Sighs sees a constant stream of gondola traffic. It’s the path prisoners would take from the palace to the jail. Their last sight of Venice. I’m not too sure how it’s developed its romantic reputation since.
Gondolas at rest.
The back patio of the Libreria Acqua Alta bookstore is something to behold. They’re famous for their staircase made of old books. Climb them and you will indeed get a great view.
Only in Venice… gondola filled with books.
By ducking down small streets I managed to stumble upon this little square that I had all to myself. Even in busy Venice, there are still quiet moments to be found.
Some of the rare greenery you’ll find in Venice.
My first ever Aperol spritz, at a stand-up bar on St. Mark’s Square.
If you went to Venice and didn’t at least get on one boat, were you really even in Venice at all?
Have you been to Venice? What are your favourite things to photograph there?
February 19th, 2018 at 6:53 pm (#)
I´ve been to Venice but I want to go back. My favouriteplace was the San Marco basilica.