Of Carnivals and Gondolas

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A February 2004 trip to Venice by Glamazon22

Quote: I'm just looking for... my mask! With all the tiny little shops, streets, and of course, dead ends, Venice was definitely frustrating to get around, but worth it once you got your bearings. The highlight of my time there was getting a carnivale mask!

13 Photos

Of Carnivals and Gondolas

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Overview

Quote:

Taking a boat to the train station to go to our next destination. For some reason I couldn't help but remember the board from Tomb Raider II and Lara Croft racing around Venice in a boat. To see the city that was built literally in the water is amazing! Walking into the Piazza San Marco! Spectacular! Caveat: Going in the summer might be fun and warm, but even though it was cold and miserable, the timing was perfect because there were hardly any crowds or lines. You could walk around freely and really enjoy being in Venice as opposed to concentrating on stepping on someone's toes.Quick Tips: I was very intimidated by the closeness of the walls. I felt claustrophobic, caged in, a...Read More

Taking a boat to the train station to go to our next destination. For some reason I couldn't help but remember the board from Tomb Raider II and Lara Croft racing around Venice in a boat. To see the city that was built literally in the water is amazing! Walking into the Piazza San Marco! Spectacular!

Caveat: Going in the summer might be fun and warm, but even though it was cold and miserable, the timing was perfect because there were hardly any crowds or lines. You could walk around freely and really enjoy being in Venice as opposed to concentrating on stepping on someone's toes.

Quick Tips:

I was very intimidated by the closeness of the walls. I felt claustrophobic, caged in, and unsafe because of darkness of the streets. Maybe because in America we are taught that dark, close streets are associated with rapists, muggers, and murderers; however, from what I understand, it is very safe in Venice. Just make sure you have a jacket with an inside pocket to protect yourself from pickpockets, and if you feel like you're being caged in, just go into a shop or make your way to the Piazza San Marco.

Also make sure you are familiar with where you are staying in regards to the major sites. We stayed near the Rialto Bridge, so in order to get back to our hostel, we just needed to look for the signs towards Rialto Bridge, and once we got there, we knew where to go; otherwise, there was no way we could have found our way back!

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking and by boat! There are no cars and bikes will not be able to move around in the main island where we stayed. Wear comfortable shoes, and Venice is not for people who cannot go up and down stairs. Stairs are everywhere!

The water taxi from the train station to Rialto Bridge was about 5 to 6 Euros, which, if you think of it as a bus ride, is expensive, but if you think of it as a taxi, it's the cheapest taxi ride I've ever taken, whether in America or Europe! Read Less

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B&B Rota

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Hotel | "B&B Rota"

Quote:

Extremely hard to find and cold!! We arrived late at night and it was freezing, being that it was late-February. While the directions say near Rialto Bridge, you have to do some maneuvering to find the place! Finally, when we found the place and entered the main office, our hearts sunk, thinking we were going to have to stay in a place that looked like a condemned building. However, this was just ground floor and the actual building we were staying in was around the corner.The bedroom was sparsely decorated and empty, but clean, and the bathroom was absolutely to die for! Although it was a shared bathroom, the tile was a beautiful color blue and looked better than my bathroom at home! ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 2, 2006

B&B Rota
San Polo 1699
Venice, Italy

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St. Mark's Square/Piazza San Marco

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Attraction | "St. Mark's Square"

Piazza San Marco Photo - St. Mark's Square/Piazza San Marco, Venice, Italy

Quote:

Winding around and around the narrow streets and bridges of Venice, one begins to wonder, "will I ever get there?" Taking time to enter shops and looking for one-of-kind treasures while staring up at building signs indicating to go here for St. Marks Square, in Italian of course, I never thought I would get there. But then all of sudden you hit a narrow passage (among the several hundred other ones) and all you can see is straight in front you. As you come to the end of passage you see St. Mark's Basilica to your left, but nothing prepares you when you look to your right and realize that here you are, right here, in St. Mark's Square. First walking into the square was absolutely breathtaking! I was ab...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on January 3, 2006

St. Mark's Square/Piazza San Marco

Venice, Italy 30124

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Doge's Palace/Palazzo Ducale

Attraction | "Doge's Palace"

Quote:

The main entrance to the Doge's palace is the one called the Porta della Carta, that Giovanni and Bartolomeo Bon built in the flamboyant Gothic style, between 1438 and 1443. It was once painted in blue, red and gold. The figure of Doge Francesco Foscari is shown kneeling before the Winged Lion, but the one seen today is a copy of the original, which was destroyed at the time of the fall of the Republic. Unfortunately, the group I was with did not want to spend money on museums and were reluctant to let me go by myself (however, they were perfectly fine for wandering the backstreets of Rome late at night, anyway...), so I did not get to really go to any of the great museums and historic si...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on January 3, 2006

Doge's Palace/Palazzo Ducale
Piazza San Marco
Venice, Italy 30124
+39 0415224951

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Saint Mark's Basilica

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Attraction | "St Mark's Basilica"

St. Mark's Basilica Photo - Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice, Italy

Quote:

Taking pictures of the inside are not allowed, but everything inside is absolutely beautiful. The entire church glitters of gold, and knowing that the building is over a 1,000 years old makes that '87 300ZX Nissan your mom gave you seem like a spring chicken. In 1063, under Doge Domenico Contarini, the building was set in motion, and not until 1096 was it finished, but the decorative work continued until the beginning of the 19th century. Times and Costs: From October 1st to March 31st: Basilica: 9.45 - 4.45 (entrance free) St. Mark's Museum: 9.45 - 4.45 (entrance: ticket 3 € , reduced 1,5 € only for groups with more than 15 people) Pala d'oro: 9.45 - 4.45 -Sunday: 1.00 - 4.45 (entranc...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on January 3, 2006

Saint Mark's Basilica
Piazza San Marco
Venice, Italy 30124
+39 0415225205

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About the Writer

Glamazon22
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

"I absolutely adore Europe and plan to move there at one point in my life. I love riding trains thro..."
9 journals
94 photos
34 reviews

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