Visit to Venice

21 - 23 May 2007

I was reading in Lonely Planet about Venice. It says: "Venice is built on 117 islands with 150-odd canals and 400 bridges". The best part is this: "There are no cars. All public transport is via the canals, on vaporetti (water buses) or with your feet". Hmm...I can't imagine how it is like, I did not know that Venice is actually made up of so many tiny islands, and I also can't imagine having no vehicles on the islands... There I was, pondering over these question marks on the train on my way to these massive islands, and there I was, also eager to reach Venice to see for myself, and solve my own mystery ;D

Some introduction of Venice...
:Quoted: Venezia (in Italian) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto. Venezia is aka the "City of Water", which is famous for its canals. It is built on an archipelago of 122 islands formed by about 150 canals in a shallow lagoon. In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and every form of transport is on water or on foot. Venezia is Europe's largest urban car-free area, unique in Europe in remaining a sizable functioning city in the 21st century without motorcars.


The Grand Canal is the most important canal in Venice, that runs through the whole islands-city. Public transport is provided by the water bus or private water taxis. Imagine, no cars!!! Isn't it cool to tell people that you own a boat? ;)

The moment I got into Venice, I hopped into the water bus. Cool sunny journey down the Grand Canal, with the scenary of little houses along the sideways, water taxis sped by, also gondolas drifting slowly along with our water bus. Situated on the Adriatic Sea, Venice traded with the Byzantine Empire and the muslim world extensively in the 14th century. That's why, there are onion-shaped domes found on architecture. Actually this domes are more of the Byzantine style than muslim. Byzantine refers to the ancient Greek empire.

Rialto Bridge. There are only 3 bridges across the Canal Grande or Grand Canal: Rialto, Accademia and Scalzi. So if you want to cross the canal, either you take the gondolas, or you walk for miles to reach the next one among the maze of small tricky alleys.

The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies. Most Venetians now travel by motorised waterbuses which roam around regular routes along the major canals and between the city's islands.

Piazza & the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark Place & Church). Lots of pigeons around, feeding the 'pig-oens' can be 'thrilling' experience too, when they start chipping at you and shitting everywhere...shoo shoo!!! Yes yes, maybe I was too sick to see the cute side of the pigeons!!!

Ok confession, I know I am a loser because I fell sick on the second day!!!

But I still met up with dear June & her hubby on my 1st day in Venice ;) though I was already, perhaps, preparing to get ready, to be sick on the next day...

Chiesa di San Rocco


Wah...and so much huge-looking pizza & cookies & buns!!! :D But blame it to my wobbly stomach, there was just no appetite for anything, so actually I did not have any typical pizza and pasta from Venice. Damn loser again!!!

In fact, the Venetians don't eat pizza in Venice, because they think pizza is not authentic and original in Venice but simply imitations. Pizzas are meant for tourists!!!


Venice is attractive for its maze of small alleys & canals & bridges. Getting lost is inevitable!!!

Again, confession, I had not been very adventurous to explore the unexplored, same excuse, because of wobbly stomach, plus wobbly legs too...The thought of walking (coz no cars/buses at all), awful naming convention (= getting lost), terrible heat + no wind (= high humidity), and being sick, I was not in the mood of getting lost then!!! So I think I miss out some really nice scenaries of Venice, and yet to experience its veil of mysterious-ness, and did not manage to take alot of awesome pictures too...a pity...

Venetian masks are all handmade, original and unique for every single one. There are many different forms of masks, which are usually worn during the Canival of Venice. This adds on more mysterious-ness to the city of Venice...

Overall, so far so good in Venice, I survived the wobbliness of everything, and the lack of food for more than a day! I slept and dreamed so much that I drifted between the reality and the dreams, and I lost track of myself. So far so good, for travelling alone...

Got this toilet incident, where I just wanted to wash my hands, but there was only the tap over the basin, but nothing that I could turn on. I thought it was sensor (somewhere), so I swinged my hands everywhere but still no water. I searched everywhere around the basin but detected no clue!!! So puzzling!!! Finally I found out!!! ;) Guess what, the magic was actually on the floor! There was this peddle at the foot of the sink, so just stepped on the peddle and water would flow...haaa...indeed so 'smart' of me!!!

I left on the 3rd day to go down to Bologna, to catch another train to go to Switzerland. Finally in Bologna, I managed to taste some tuna spaghetti, yummy!!! :D