Italy - Venice

A City on Water!

Candace here again helping out Jason with the blog! :)  So… directly outside of the train station where you arrive in Venice, you are offered a classic view of what Venice is all about. Stepping down the marble stairs you are looking at the main canal filled with anything from a long and skinny gondola for 2- 5 people to a larger ferry type boat that can hold about 100-150 people and everything in-between. 



The coolest boats were the old school ones with polished natural wood along the haul, bow and roofing. I know Jason's dad likes this kind of boat, they look like something out of the James Bond movie. 



After a short 5 min walk from the train station we were in our rooms to drop our bags and head out to make the most of our 1 night stay in Venice. Off to St Mark's Basilica!

(2 Pics of view (canal and alley way) along the way to the st marks)


The signs to St. Marks lead us winding through narrow walkways and crossing canals.



We look up imagining what it'd be like living there as we see everyones terraces with hanging vines or marble steps leading straight into the water.



The closer we got to St Marks the more and more shops we saw… more and more crowded with tourists. All in good fun for a quick moment though.







Finally we made it to the Basilica. Some quick history on Venice. The entire island of Venice was built on a marsh. In order to make this marsh land into ground that you can actually walk and build upon they had to take thousands of huge logs that went deep into the marsh standing vertically side by side. It's crazy to think that something this massive could be built on a marsh supported by nothing but wood pilings sunk into the marsh. The square that it opens up to is quite massive lined with shops and touristy restaurants.



The inside of it is decorated to the max with tiny colored tiles making a variety of designs on the floors and ceilings. The ceilings were mostly gold though. (not sure if its real "gold" or just gold colored.



When you walk into the basilica you can tell by the wavey floors that these logs are still sinking into the marsh unevenly.





Behind the basilica next to the grand canal was the Bridge of Sighs, Jason imagines Casanova  cursing after HIS trial as he walks across the bridge that all the prisoners must cross after they've been tried.



After St Marks we decide to take the larger ferry to tour the main canal through Venice to get a greater view of the rest of the Island before taking it on via foot.



Stopped at our room and are all freshened up as we head out with the free Champagne from our room to get lost in the streets/canals of venice…not to hard to do.



We decide we should get a bottle of wine along the way and then some how we end up going down this super narrow alley way that leads us to a VERY high end hotel.  If I had to guess it probably cost about 700-1200euro a night to stay here. Only 15 rooms. Of course Jason and I walk right in, stroll upstairs, past the bar and outside on a very exclusive small terrace with our wine and the only one table for 2 .  A fantastic view of the Grand Canal!



After a few great conversations we decide it's time to move on.



Close up of the really good wine!



By the time I stop for a quick potty break I return to see Jason chatting it up with the bartender who's giving him chips with his gin and tonic and talking about the local places to go to catch the Italy VS Germany Futbol game. He points us in the right direction and we trek back down the super narrow pathway (who would have thought anything cool was down this lil deserted alley!?) and are on our way to where the college students go to watch the games.



It was a great game, we barely found a seat at the tiny hole in the wall bar next to the main square of other bars that were over flowing with people and even had many sitting on the ground outside to watch the game, still visible via the TVs.


It was a Victory for Italy and people were celebrating in the streets singing and dancing, very cool to be there for it!  We managed to make it home with the help of a few friendly students.

In the morning we rise and shine at about 630am ready for an epic day of travel. Woke up in Venice, had lunch in Milan and arrived in Interlaken, Switzerland for dinner, a little after 4pm!

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