Just like that, two weeks had nearly gone by and I was now at the end of my Italian tour that had started towards the south in the rich region of Napoli giving me the experiences of the city alongside that of Vesuvius and ancient city of Pompeii. From here I started my journey north, stopping off in the impressive and awe-inspiring capital of Rome, allowing me to additionally explore the tiny in size but enormous in statue and influence country of The Vatican City. Next up was further north to the beautiful and picturesque city of Florence, origin of the Renaissance and some of the most influential people to grace this Earth. Finally, I was coming to arrive in my final location, “The Floating City” of Venice, known for its canals, gondolas and history.
Why I Headed to Venice
When weighing up my options for where to head to after Florence, there were two options that really called my name, these being Milan and Venice. Out of the two, I felt that Venice was the city that was the most appealing to me and was another one of those must see places whilst in Italy. It seemed to be a perfect location to finish off my trip at this very famous city. What added to the idea of the city was having my grandfather talk about it a lot whilst I was kid, raising the appeal and romanticising the prospect of heading there.
What I Thought of Venice
I would like to caveat my thoughts with two things though. Firstly, this city was at the back end of my trip, my budget was dwindling and it’s fairly pricy city to make the most of what was on offer. Tie in the second point of mine, I was staying in a hostel on the separate island of Giudecca which meant relying upon a water taxi to get to and from the main section, costing €14 a time unless I was returning within the hour.
After the trip, I couldn’t help but feel that Venice was just a little… underwhelming. I may have been spoilt by places like Napoli on this trip with thins to do and see or it may be because I didn’t make the most of the city whilst here due to the budgeting side of things. I don’t know, I just came away feeling somewhat frustrated by the experience. For sure, it is a very interesting place when it comes to how the city was built, the history of the place through the years and some of the sights of the place for any good tourist to delve into. I think though I was just expecting more from everything I’d heard from the city.
Should You Cover It?
This is a difficult one for me to judge and even from speaking to other people, I’ve found people either love it or dislike it. For me, it’s not a lie to say that I wouldn’t rush back, even to do what I missed which could have swayed it, unless it was by chance that I was in the area and seemed reasonable to go back to Venice.
You could be one of those that absolutely loves it so I wouldn’t write it off but I wouldn’t whole heartedly say you have to go but if the opportunity arises or you are the sort of person to explore somewhere to say they’ve been there, it is a cool place to tick off the list.
Day 10 – Monday 10 Apr
As someone who enjoys the coastline and the revitalising feeling I get from it, being in Venice was that refreshing feeling that I needed as I stepped out of the train station and was met by the Mediterranean sun and the distinctive scent of the sea. Adding in the feeling of stepping onto one of the water taxis with the conditions leaving you windswept as you speed through the water, ticking slightly from side to side, it felt great to be here.
This time the hostel I was staying at was the Generator Hostel. Right on the water front, this is a hostel that has a large, expansive bar/common room area at the heart of the hostel. This also served as a cafe/restaurant area. This was a great comfy area for you to kick back and relax on your own or provide you with plenty of socialising spots, be it big or small.
The dormitories, though I obviously only saw one, were modern and comfortable, providing the usual amenities in your bunk such as light, chargers and shelf. As great as this part was, my room anyway, seemed quite tight on space when trying to move around, especially with other people in there. The facilities attached to the dormitories were modest and unisex, with shared bathrooms between rooms. The rooms come in the following options, of mixed, which come in sizes of 5, 7, 8, 10, 13 and 16, female only, coming in sizes of 10, 14 and 16, and private dorms that come in sizes of 2 or 5.
The other clear downside to the hostel was its location and the added unexpected expense this brought about. The hostel is located on the island of Giudecca, which is just across the way from the main part of Venice. Yes, this gives you some great shots of the skyline of the city however, to get there you needed to get a water taxi, which run regularly but for an hour long ticket, it’s €7. So unless your adventure is only an hour, that’s €14. This is a nightmare for budgeting!
As for recommending this as a place to stay, it’s a reasonable option to stay here when looking to be on a budget as long as you’re aware of the additional costs for the water taxi everyday. It’s not quite a place I would say is must though and would suggest that there are more convenient places to stay within the main islands of Venice.
Day 11 – Tuesday 11 Apr
There’s no surprise that the first thing I did here once I’d finished my breakfast at the hostel was head out on a free walking tour around Venice, learning about famous sights of this city and what’s worthwhile doing. Unfortunately, the name of the company that hosted this tour escapes me but from my experience, it was really informative! Little did I know that Venice was firstly built on such foundations literally but neither did I know its history was so rich, varied and intriguing.
This walking tour as expected takes you to all the hotspots and famous locations, teaching you about them all and giving all the recommendations. A firm favourite story that was told was the origins and story of St Marco and how he became the patron saint for the city, bringing about his name being honoured on plenty of landmarks. Other stories told on this tour that I particularly found interesting were about the Doge’s Palace, the way the prisoners were treated under the lock and key of the Doge’s guards and how this ties in with the infamous bridge, Bridge of Sighs, which is often photographed and celebrated but had a pretty gruesome past. There was also the use of a certain pillar outside the palace where people could decide their fate, often to no avail by trying to move around it, even if the attempt was rigged. Or the tale of clock tower designer, coming up with a complicated mechanism that drives the magnificent clock tower in St Mark’s Piazza, who was then given a horrific reward.
Moving inside, which costs nothing but it’s polite to leave a donation (at time of writing this), the intricately designed mosaics got bigger and better, as does the level of gold used! Some elements of the interior also follow the same design as the facade, utilising the materials taken from Constantinople. Unfortunately, I didn’t get many pictures inside due to the rules not allowing photography and the ones that I did sneak, aren’t that great as you can see!
The evening was spent socialising with those at the hostel whilst enjoying the picturesque nature of the Venetian cityscape as the sun was setting over Venice, whilst sitting outside. It was a wholesome way to end the day, making sure to get a variety of pictures of the sunset and the city skyline on the other side of the water, testing out my creative skills.
Day 12 – Wednesday 12 Apr
The final in Venice and Italy was admittedly a little underwhelming. I was short of budget, energy and motivation to explore so it wasn’t until the afternoon that I decided to venture out of the hostel to the main islands to tick off the last couple of locations.
One of the interesting places that I stopped off at that was recommended to me was a famous bookstore. The bookstore, named Libreria Acqua Alta, is not only a bookstore that’s chaos with books being sold from inside a gondola but was a spot that was famous with social media influencers. This was because of the stack of books that are in the back of the shop, acting as a staircase to peer over the wall but also gives you a great picture atop the colourful array of books. Searching the book store’s location on Instagram, you can see what I mean in the selection of pictures in the courtyard.
Another cool location that I checked out was Scuola Grande di San Marco that had a wall that though appeared to be 3D, the pictures had been etched into the stone in 2D. There are some elements that are actually 3D but the way that the work has been done is pretty incredible and does take some looking at to realise it isn’t 3D.
Taking the 30 minute or so train from the main station in Venice, as I headed back to the “mainland” towards Marco Polo International airport, this signalled the formal end to my time in both Venice and Italy. What throughly wonderful, intriguing and delightful place to go and explore. I had a truly amazing time here and would implore anyone to visit should the opportunity present itself. I only wish that I have done Italy justice with the blogs that I have written. That last thing to do is give you the down low of what I feel I missed whilst in Venice.
Things I Missed
As you may be able to tell from this blog, though I tried to make the most of it, I feel that I didn’t make the most of my time in Venice for one reason or another. Due to my obvious inability to budget for the whole trip, I missed out on a few experiences that looking back, would have probably left me with an opinion that is completely different. Here’s what I think I truly missed out on:
- Gondola – One of the things synonymous with Venice is sitting on a gondola as you’re taken through the romantic tight canals of Venice. As previously mentioned, my budget was tight, these things aren’t cheap to go on and I didn’t particular have anyone to share the cost with on this visit.
- Torre dell’Orologio – Why would a clock tower be something you’d want to see? Well, to answer that question al yo have to do is look at the outside design and things that they managed to get a clock to show that was designed and built in 15th Century. Plus, without spoiling it, there’s an interesting story behind the inventor. I really wish I’d visited!
- Enjoying the city with a budget – Having to be on a type budget meant that I had to really think about every purchase whilst here and I feel somewhat hindered my enjoyment of the place, not being able to eat where I wanted, see what I wanted or do what I wanted. I feel I’d have enjoyed things more if I’d been my financially savvy at the start of the trip.
- Burano, Murano and the other islands around Venice – When visiting Venice, there is certainly more to it than the main cluster of islands that it is known for. Additionally, it is worthwhile to visit the other islands on offer, each giving a different experience. You have Murano, which is home to the regions famous glass making whilst Burano plays host to some of the most picturesque canals with the vibrant and colourful hours either side of them. Or even Lido, which plays host to Venetian beaches.
- The Campanile – The Campanile that sits in St Mark’s Piazza is something you can pay to climb, though from what was seen, the queue can be a long one. However, I’m sure the views from the top would be brilliant to see.
As I said, that wraps up my time in Italy and what a great place to explore. I’m sure you enjoyed the blogs covering the four cities but if you haven’t read those other three places, make sure to check them out, as I detail my time in Napoli [insert link], Rome and Florence. Don’t worry though, Italy isn’t the inly place that I have been to! Be sure to check out the Travel tab above and the other linked blogs and enjoy those too. Travel isn’t the only thing that I write about so make sure you check out the “Fitness” and “Lifestyle” tabs too.
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