We woke the next morning to a city filled with fog. Venice is characteristically foggy. It adds to the air of the city. A feeling of mystery, it makes you want to explore. The tight passageways, the winding canals, the smells, and the fog. These things make Venice Venice.
The obvious tourist attractions: The Rialto Bridge, St Marks Square, The Basilica, The Bridge of Sighs, and the Palace. This was our day one in Venice, i'm sure much like anyone else's. The Rialto is lined with stores selling classic Venetian masks, it is crowded and has classic views of the Grand Canal. This is our access point to tourist central as we are staying a little out of the way of St Marks. The Square itself is much more impressive in sunlight. The fog suits the alleys and canals much better. The buildings are beautiful, detailed, classic. We entered the Basilica, sneaking photos of its golden mosaiced ceiling. It glistens brightly leaving you in a dome of golden light. The museum above gives access to the roof, form here you can look down into the square, it is a great spot for people watching.
My favourite memory of Venice has always been the Bridge of Sighs. My dad would always tell me the story of the prisoners crossing the bridge, sighing as they got their last view of daylight, and their last glimpse of beautiful venice. This time, I came across the bridge by accident. It is boarded up in bright blue pictures of sky, in advertising. It is under restoration. Disappointment. Thankfully, while wandering through the Palace we found our way to the prisons. This led us across the bridge from the inside. Childhood Memory Restored.
Our host, Alex, was friendly. Over friendly perhaps, but made us feel at home. We cooked dinner, chicken stir fry, ravioli, and salad. It was delicious. We ventured into the streets of venice that night. They were filled with mist. You could barely see two inches in front of your face. It was dark, quiet, and peaceful.
We spent the next day exploring the islands. The sunset over the waters of venice was indescribable. Our next night in venice we ate in style. Spaghetti across the Rialto Bridge. Wine. Gelato. We went to St Marks Square to see the flooding. We splashed through the water filled square. Exuberating. We got lost in the dark city streets, exploring. It was late by the time we found our way home. And our flight out was early. We awoke to a bright sunny day and said goodbye to the sights sounds and smells of Venice.
The city feels like it is filled with a million secrets just waiting to be uncovered.
“I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs; A palace and a prison on each hand.” ~ Byron
ReplyDelete