The Canals of Venice

Today, I spent the day in the beautiful Renaissance city of Venice. I took a 7am train there and a 6:30pm train back, so it was certainly a long day. However, it was nice to come back to my cousin's apartment in Florence to get myself together before my trip to Milan-Zurich-Munich begins tomorrow at 7am with yet another train ride!


As soon as I arrived in Venezia, I bought a 12-hour unlimited canal boat pass. Instead of an intricate subway or bus system like other European cities, Venice runs entirely on boats, as you would expect. I hopped on the express #2 vaporetto on the Grand Canal to Piazza San Marco. This is easily the most recognizable spot in Venice, with the large tower Campinale, the Basicilica of San Marco, and the Palace of the Doge (Mayor).


I climbed the large tower to get panoramic views of the city, which is made up of 100+ islands in the large lagoon. The city is not very large, but the streets are small, winding, confusing, and full of dead ends. It total, only 3 bridges across the whole city cross the Grand Canal, so boat transportation is a must. After walking through the Renaissance masterpiece San Marco Basilica, I bought my ticket to the Palazzo Doge.


The Doge was the Mayor of Venice, who basically function as the king of the city for centuries. The palace was at once his home, the seat of the government, and a massive prison. The palace is decorated with ornate paintings and fancy furniture, and one of the chambers is said to be one of the largest rooms in Europe and holds the world's oldest oil painting.


After a quick, delicious, and inexpensive pizza calzone for lunch on a canal bridge, I made my way to three different churches throughout the city. Although they were smaller, they were full of beautiful Renaissance designs and finding them gave me a chance to see many different allies and streets of the city.


Before setting out back for Florence, I used my boat pass to take a trip to the Island of Murano. This island is world-famous for its glass works. It was moved to a separate island in the 13th century to prevent the glass makers from burning down the city of Venice! The boat ride was about 30 minutes each way, and it was really cool to see the city and outer lagoon via water metro.


A little taste of home, Venice is famous for its Mardi Gras Carnivale and the dress/masks that come with it. I will update you on my Italy-Switzerland-Germany adventures in a few days. Until then, arrivederci!