My Fleep:
Travel
Travel
Venice, Anyone? A Cruise Passengers Guide to A Day in Venice
Cruises in and around Europe are increasingly popular and
if sneak peaks at the 2008-2009 itineraries are any
indication, cruise passengers will be getting more options.
In fact, a new cruise line called Azamara is even promising
not just more Europe, but new European ports of call.Which
brings us to one of the oldest European ports, the city of
Venice.
Venice is not like anywhere else on earth. It's not the
only city that is laced with canals (Amsterdam has canals,
too, so does Stockholm), and it's not the only city with an
ancient past (Rome probably beats Venice in the historical
department and Florence definitely edges her out in art).
But there is something incredibly different and delightful
about Venice.
You can't drive in Venice. Entrance in and out of the city
is by boat (you take a water taxi from the airport), so
arriving by cruise ship is close to the way the city was
meant to be approached.
Once in Venice, you navigate on foot or by boat. The
cheapest and most efficient way to get from here to there
is vaporetto, a sort of water bus. You buy tickets for it
just like the bus. If you're a cruise passenger in town for
the day, it may pay for you to buy a pass good for the
whole day. Not only could it save you some lire, you don't
have to hassle with buying tickets when you want to get a
ride.
Water taxis are another option, but they're a bit more
expensive. Even more expensive, but delightfully romantic
and unique, are gondolas. Expect to fork out a lot of money
for the experience, but, trust me, it will be an experience.
Most Venetians get around by foot, and you probably will,
too. The city has all the twists and turns you'd expect
from an ancient town. Because of the network of canals, you
will sometimes find yourself in the intriguing position of
being able to see where you want to go but not be able to
figure out how to get there. Relax, Venice has something
interesting practically around every corner, so even if you
get lost, you'll probably still do a lot of great
sightseeing.
The biggest tourist spot in town is the Piazza San Marco
where St. Mark's Cathedral is located. You can tour the
cathedral and even climb the towers (not hard) to get a
panoramic view of the square. According to whoever decides
this sort of thing, the church houses the remains of St.
Mark, author of the Gospel according to St. Mark.
You'll see a lot of pigeons in the square and a lot of
tourists. Depending on when you travel, you may also see
scaffolding or wooden walkways around the plaza. These
aren't risers for a concert or show. They're footpaths to
help the locals traverse the square when it floods, which
it does often enough for the city to build elevated
walkways around.
Nearby is the Doge's Palace. Doge (dough-jay) is the name
the Venetians gave to their ruler back in the day when
Venice was an independent nation. It's a sumptuous kind of
place, fit for a monarch, but most tourists enjoy the
lesser accommodations better. The Doge had so many enemies
he annexed a prison to the palace which is reached by
crossing the Bridge of Sighs. There is a self-guided tour
of the prison but it is very important to stick to the
pathways marked. You are perfectly free to wander around as
you see fit, but the place is like a honeycomb and you can
get lost.
Getting lost is a typical Venetian experience. The city is
full of unmarked streets, twisted lanes, and narrow
passageways.
One of Venice's favorite native sons was reputed to have
been lost. Marco Polo lived in Venice and set out for
China, where he spent 20 years. When he returned, he was
vilified by Venetians who called him "The Liar" for making
up stories. You can visit his home. It's off a little
courtyard called "The Liar."
Venice was always better known for commerce than art, but
there are some artistic treasures. The local cuisine favors
seafood and a dry white wine called Prosecco. Of course,
most tourists end up enjoying more generic Italian
favorites here, too, such as cappuccino or espresso and
rich gelato.
If you have time, take a vaporetto out to Lido island. It's
an island that's just a short boat-bus ride from the main
drag (the Grand Canal) and there is more relaxed (and less
expensive) shopping and some beaches.
Another great thing to check out is Murano, an island
famous for colorful hand-blown glass. You can buy Murano
glassware all over Venice, including a special design known
as mille-fiori (thousand-flowers). In Murano, you can watch
artisans at work and get a much broader sampling of their
products. But expect to see Murano glass in most of the
shops.
Glass purchases from large stores can be shipped to you at
home; most shopkeepers will be able to make such
arrangements, at least for larger purchases.
Venice is a well-known city for tourists. It always has
been, and cruise ships and package tours to Europe continue
to feature it prominently. But Venice is also a very
personal kind of city. Two tourists visiting the city on
any given day can walk away with distinctly different
impressions and experiences.
----------------------------------------------------
Mandy Karlik is a travel writer who blogs at
http://www.cruiselinenews.blogspot.com . To read more about
great cruise destinations in Europe and elsewhere, visit
http://www.thecruise-shopper.com . Mandy's next cruise is
going to be to Mexico.
Cruises in and around Europe are increasingly popular and
if sneak peaks at the 2008-2009 itineraries are any
indication, cruise passengers will be getting more options.
In fact, a new cruise line called Azamara is even promising
not just more Europe, but new European ports of call.Which
brings us to one of the oldest European ports, the city of
Venice.
Venice is not like anywhere else on earth. It's not the
only city that is laced with canals (Amsterdam has canals,
too, so does Stockholm), and it's not the only city with an
ancient past (Rome probably beats Venice in the historical
department and Florence definitely edges her out in art).
But there is something incredibly different and delightful
about Venice.
You can't drive in Venice. Entrance in and out of the city
is by boat (you take a water taxi from the airport), so
arriving by cruise ship is close to the way the city was
meant to be approached.
Once in Venice, you navigate on foot or by boat. The
cheapest and most efficient way to get from here to there
is vaporetto, a sort of water bus. You buy tickets for it
just like the bus. If you're a cruise passenger in town for
the day, it may pay for you to buy a pass good for the
whole day. Not only could it save you some lire, you don't
have to hassle with buying tickets when you want to get a
ride.
Water taxis are another option, but they're a bit more
expensive. Even more expensive, but delightfully romantic
and unique, are gondolas. Expect to fork out a lot of money
for the experience, but, trust me, it will be an experience.
Most Venetians get around by foot, and you probably will,
too. The city has all the twists and turns you'd expect
from an ancient town. Because of the network of canals, you
will sometimes find yourself in the intriguing position of
being able to see where you want to go but not be able to
figure out how to get there. Relax, Venice has something
interesting practically around every corner, so even if you
get lost, you'll probably still do a lot of great
sightseeing.
The biggest tourist spot in town is the Piazza San Marco
where St. Mark's Cathedral is located. You can tour the
cathedral and even climb the towers (not hard) to get a
panoramic view of the square. According to whoever decides
this sort of thing, the church houses the remains of St.
Mark, author of the Gospel according to St. Mark.
You'll see a lot of pigeons in the square and a lot of
tourists. Depending on when you travel, you may also see
scaffolding or wooden walkways around the plaza. These
aren't risers for a concert or show. They're footpaths to
help the locals traverse the square when it floods, which
it does often enough for the city to build elevated
walkways around.
Nearby is the Doge's Palace. Doge (dough-jay) is the name
the Venetians gave to their ruler back in the day when
Venice was an independent nation. It's a sumptuous kind of
place, fit for a monarch, but most tourists enjoy the
lesser accommodations better. The Doge had so many enemies
he annexed a prison to the palace which is reached by
crossing the Bridge of Sighs. There is a self-guided tour
of the prison but it is very important to stick to the
pathways marked. You are perfectly free to wander around as
you see fit, but the place is like a honeycomb and you can
get lost.
Getting lost is a typical Venetian experience. The city is
full of unmarked streets, twisted lanes, and narrow
passageways.
One of Venice's favorite native sons was reputed to have
been lost. Marco Polo lived in Venice and set out for
China, where he spent 20 years. When he returned, he was
vilified by Venetians who called him "The Liar" for making
up stories. You can visit his home. It's off a little
courtyard called "The Liar."
Venice was always better known for commerce than art, but
there are some artistic treasures. The local cuisine favors
seafood and a dry white wine called Prosecco. Of course,
most tourists end up enjoying more generic Italian
favorites here, too, such as cappuccino or espresso and
rich gelato.
If you have time, take a vaporetto out to Lido island. It's
an island that's just a short boat-bus ride from the main
drag (the Grand Canal) and there is more relaxed (and less
expensive) shopping and some beaches.
Another great thing to check out is Murano, an island
famous for colorful hand-blown glass. You can buy Murano
glassware all over Venice, including a special design known
as mille-fiori (thousand-flowers). In Murano, you can watch
artisans at work and get a much broader sampling of their
products. But expect to see Murano glass in most of the
shops.
Glass purchases from large stores can be shipped to you at
home; most shopkeepers will be able to make such
arrangements, at least for larger purchases.
Venice is a well-known city for tourists. It always has
been, and cruise ships and package tours to Europe continue
to feature it prominently. But Venice is also a very
personal kind of city. Two tourists visiting the city on
any given day can walk away with distinctly different
impressions and experiences.
----------------------------------------------------
Mandy Karlik is a travel writer who blogs at
http://www.cruiselinenews.blogspot.com . To read more about
great cruise destinations in Europe and elsewhere, visit
http://www.thecruise-shopper.com . Mandy's next cruise is
going to be to Mexico.