Chic Traveler: Touring Venice

People hidden behind masks entertain the crowds. Vendors everywhere attempt to sell souvenirs in dream-like surroundings. And there are so many attractions all around you that you don't know where to start.

Welcome to Venice: the Disneyland adults fantasize about their whole lives. Finally when they arrive, they are dumbstruck by the beauty of the buildings, the canals, the gondolas, and of course the prices. Just like Disneyland, every dream has a price, and Venice cashes in big time.

Venice is a dream for travelers. The gondola rides are romanticized by movies, black and white photographs, and the media. Unfortunately, the backpacker/budget traveler will never step foot in one of these golden chariots of the canal. That is unless they are willing to dish out 70 Euros (or $100)! That is the price for a gondola ride during the afternoon heat so you can imagine how the prices increase at night.

The Rialto Bridge is one of three beautiful bridges that cross the Grand Canal. Fortunately a fourth one is being built, but it will not be done for a few more years (and locals won't hold their breath waiting since talk about a fourth bridge started decades ago). So the best way to move around Venice is on foot, strategically planning your crosses over the Grand Canal, but accepting the inevitable reality that everyone gets lost. 

As another option, there is a water bus, or vaporetto, which has stops all along the Grand Canal, St. Mark's Square, and on the smaller islands of the lagoon. Compared to public transportation systems in other cities, Venice's system is expensive. A day pass will run you 13 Euros and don't expect to receive a map or important information along with that overpriced ticket.

The biggest outrage to me was how I found out that certain lines stop running early around 8pm, and then learning that the Grand Canal closes to all boats at 10pm! First I couldn't take the line I wanted to use to return to the train station because it was no longer running. Then I was told to take another vaporetto to St. Mark's Square and from there take another one to the train station. When I got on the vaporetto at St. Mark's Square I, and most other passengers, found out that they were only stopping at about half the stops listed on their line and the train station wasn't one of them since the Grand Canal was closed.

The frustration was worsened by the reality that I might miss the last train to Padua, where I was staying. (I made the last train out!) So I suggest avoiding the hassle of the bus line and instead explore the city by foot. Of course, in order to reach other islands in the lagoon you will need to use the vaporetto so consider doing them all in one day.

The island of Murano, famous for its glass, is a must-see but make sure you go on a day the factories are opened so you don't miss free showings of glass shaping and blowing. Another island worth seeing is Burano, which is famous for its lacework, and is also perfect for beautiful pictures in front of their bright colored buildings and narrow canals with bridges. The island of Lido attracts a lot of Europeans who go there to enjoy the beaches! Yes, there are beaches in Venice and all along the Adriatic coast, but the tourist who flock to these shores are usually Italian, German, and Austrian.

Venice also has a lot to offer for art lovers. It is home to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and Palazzo Grassi which organizes different exhibitions; while I was there they had works from the Francois Pinault collection featuring 16 international artists. The city was also hosting the Venice Biennale, which supports and promotes art, architecture, cinema, dance, music and theater. Even if you were not in Venice for this event, it was inevitable that you would pass a few buildings featuring the works of artists from various countries.

A year-around local art that everyone can enjoy is mask-making. If you enter a business in which the workshop and sales floor share the same space, then you can see works in progress and learn about the process (if you dare ask). To find one of these you usually have to look beyond the typical tourist routes that lead everyone to St. Mark's Square. If you talk to a mask maker you will learn that every one of them has their own unique mold which he or she makes and then uses to make the masks they sell. They do not buy or sell these molds. The masks are made out of paper mache and are decorated in a variety of ways. Most are painted but many also feature feathers, music sheets, and glitter.

The most interesting information is usually revealed when talking to local people. The mask maker I met had studied at the Art Academy in Venice and worked for 16 years at a larger mask making company that sold to the U.S. After the Euro became expensive to purchase with American dollars, the business suffered and lost its American accounts. That's when he decided to set up his independent shop in Venice.
This particular man was happy to talk to us, but don't expect all Venetians to express the same enthusiasm. Most Venetians resent tourists and blame tourism for changing the local culture, economy, and way of life. While Venice greatly profits from tourism, the cost of living has been driven up and many Venetians can no longer afford to live on the island. Some choose to cash in on the demand and sell their apartments to foreigners.

Still, the reality remains that Venice is on many travelers' lists of places to visit. As I couldn't help but overhear some fellow travelers says on a vaporetto ride, now that they had been to Venice they could die. Well I don't know if I would go that far, but obviously there is a great desire to visit the islands on this particular lagoon. As long as people want to visit the city, nothing will stop them from making their dream come true and marking one more box on that long list of destinations.

delicious

digg

technorati

Email this page