Venice (Venezia) Italy
A short drive from Florence (160 miles) on our way to Slovenia. Another sweltering day in the 90s, we mentally prepared ourselves to walk & get lost in the streets and canals of Venice. Luckily we had our GPS which we changed the settings over to walking, and it helped navigate us to our destination: Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark’s Square). Only a few wrong turns–and we finally crossed the bridge over the Grand Canal.
For some reason…Venice was nothing like I expected. When you come into Venice (which is an island), you cross a very, very long flat bridge–which reminds me of New Orleans. Then you arrive at a large parking ramp, next to the train station and you can see the huge cruise ships at the port. Not how I imagined Venice. I also didn’t picture Venice being so…trendy. Lots of high end shopping. If I ever came back, I wouldn’t mind spending a few days just shopping in Venice!
Venice can be a very expensive and touristy city. We tried to stay off the beaten path. Enjoyed our classic pizza at a cafe where the locals went. Had our last taste of Italian gelato before we went back to the car.
Would I go back? Probably. Would I want to stay in Venice? Probably not. It smells, you have to carry your luggage long distances (or take an expensive water taxi) and I heard that St Mark’s Square floods during the night. I don’t even want to think about what I was walking on during the day…yuck.
After Venice we made our way over to Slovenia!
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