2011 - My Tiki Tour (Part 11 - Venice)

A day trip to Venice.

Tuesday 3 May 2011 - Tuesday 3 May 2011
View 2011 tiki tour on nzhamsta's travel map.

Given that Verona is very close to Venice I decided to catch a train and do a day trip there. The slow train takes about 2 1/2 hours and stops at every second lamp post on the way.

There is a good walk that is signposted from the railway station through the streets of the city and eventually ends up at St Mark's Square. It takes a couple of hours to complete and takes you through the main districts of the city, over the Rialto Bridge, past countless shops selling ice cream (well, superb gelato), carnival masks, cafés, pizza joints, small hotels, up market shoe shops and so on. There is one main route but it does have a couple of branches that take you straight to St Mark's rather than diverting around the newer areas of the city.

The Grand Canal.

A small bridge on a side somewhere in the maze of Venice.

A side canal leading to the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal.

A typical Venetian cafe.

A gondola with tourists.

A small side canal.

The Ponte di Rialto.

Markets selling touristy tat.

The Grand Canal.

The most important boat in Venice.

Gondolas on the Grand Canal.

The Grand Canal with Santa Maria della Salute in the background.

St Mark's Square was very busy. Most of the buildings were covered in scaffolding, probably getting ready for the summer season. The Bridge of Sighs was covered completely with a blue advertising hoarding making it look very strange indeed.

The Basilica and the tower in Piazza San Marco.

Basilica di San Marco.

The Bridge of Sighs with blue advertising hoardings. Strange.

There is a good network of water buses that take you everywhere, especially up and down the Grand Canal for the moderate sum of €6.50. It takes about 40 minutes to wander its way up the canal stopping at designated stops and gives you a superb view of the buildings and sights.

The Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore.