Venice
October 2021
After our plans to travel to Venice last autumn didn’t work out, we were all the more delighted. We travelled to the lagoon city for a week. Very early in the morning, actually still at night, we set off in the direction of Italy. We got through the Gotthard tunnel and the tangent in Milan without any traffic jams.
We arrived in Venice early in the morning. From the car park, we made our way through the alleyways and over the many bridges to Campo San Barnaba. There we waited for the keys to be handed over. Of course we had our first cappuccino and brioche.
After a short break, we set off on our first tour. Crossing the Ponte dell`Accademia, with a great view of the Grand Canal and the Palazzi, the Campo Santo Stefano, we eventually came out at Piazza San Marco. It is always a breathtaking view of the Basilica di San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale and the Campanile. Of course, the huge square was full of tourists. There was little chance of taking any nice photos. First we went up to the Campanile. From up there you have a beautiful panoramic view of the city, the other islands and the hustle and bustle on the sea and in the piazza. You can also see all the fantastic roof terraces. Freddy particularly likes the view of San Giorgio Maggoire.
Afterwards we visited the Basilica di San Marco. Freddy couldn’t remember the inside of the church. We didn’t know where to look first: at the golden mosaics on the entire ceiling or the beautiful floor patterns. Part of the basilica was closed for restoration work. The last Acqua Alta had taken its toll on the floor. We spent quite a while in the basilica. It is unbelievable what was created artistically in the 13th century and then in the 16th century and all the more impressive that we can still marvel at it today.
The well-known bookshop Acqua Alta
The well-known bookshop Acqua Alt
It’s worth getting up early. Marco needed a bit of persuasion to come along, but it was well worth it. We walked across the almost deserted Ponte dell’Accademia to Piazza San Marco. The light of the rising sun illuminated the Grand Canal and the Basilica of Santa Maria della Salute beautifully.
At this time of day, there were lots of cargo boats on the Canale Grande carrying fresh fruit and vegetables or building materials, a completely different hustle and bustle to later in the day. The piazza was also almost empty. Only Venetians hurried to the vaporetto stop or wandered into the alleyways. The cafés were just putting out their chairs and wiping down the tables. Meanwhile, the warm morning sun shone on the piazza in a beautiful light. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and the great light. Lots of photos were taken. The play of light and shadow on the Palazzo Ducale and in the large arcades was particularly beautiful. What would Venice be like if it was always so empty of tourists?
The view from the Ponte dell’Accademia is great at any time of day! The light makes the panorama look different every time. By chance we had seen that there was a concert in the famous La Fenice theatre in the evening and there were still tickets available. What luck! We didn’t hesitate for long and bought two tickets.What an impressive theatre. We sat in the third tier and had our own little box. The many small boxes create a completely different atmosphere to the Stuttgart Opera House, for example. Like so much of Venice, La Fenice is incredibly beautifully decorated and painted. It was a very special evening at La Fenice.
It was a very special evening at La Fenice. Afterwards, we strolled through quiet Venice at night. All you could hear in the canals was the water lapping against the walls of the houses and occasionally voices coming from somewhere. Freddy found some of the alleyways a little eerie. The atmosphere was completely different to that of the morning.
Burano & Torcello
We got up early again today. We made our way across the city to Fondamente Nove. On the way through the alleyways, we stopped at a bar for a cappuccino and a brioche. Today we travelled to Burano and Torcello. There was already quite a crowd at the bus stop. Luckily we managed to get a seat outside and then it was almost an hour’s drive through the lagoon. Among other things, we passed the Cimitero di San Michele and Murano. As we arrived so early on Burano, luckily there weren’t that many tourists around yet. We took a leisurely stroll through the small alleyways with their colourful houses. It seems much more tranquil than Venice and also a little sleepy. We also strolled along the “main shopping street” for a while. An older woman recommended a restaurant for lunch. We stopped off there too. It was really delicious. We had fish and mussels with pasta.
After our bellies were full, we went to Torcello. It’s even quieter there than Burano. There are still two churches that have been preserved and otherwise meadows and fruit trees.
