Venice

On Saturday 2/2, I went to Venice for the day.  This company called Bus2Alps offers buses to and from locations in Europe, and this one consisted of a seven hour bus ride there, eight to nine hours in the city, and then seven hours back.  I would have preferred to be there for a few days, but the famous Carnivale was to begin so it cost an absurd amount to exist in Venice at the time.  So, my thinking was I would go for the day, see some friends from school who had been there the whole weekend, and see a bit of Carnivale.

Palazzo Marcello, now a hotel

Venetian Waterways

The problem was, I had no idea where the hell I was.  You see, Venice is somewhat precariously placed on a sinking landmass in the middle of a marsh, so the only way to get around is by foot or water bus.  I had the idiotic idea of wanting to explore a bit, and so became completely lost in the cobweb that is the Venetian street plan.  It's also worth noting that it rained for almost the entire day (it began snowing at around 11pm as we were riding home).  So, completely waterlogged and trying to read the ridiculously complicated signs, I began to explore.

Basilica of Raffaele Arcangelo

Tower of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Museum of Leonardi da Vinci

Two hours later, I realized that the worst city to explore in without a map is Venice.  Having no idea where I am, with impossibly complicated directions I hardly understood from both signs and natives, and frantically calling my friends in the city, I finally arrived at the Ponte di Rialto, the oldest bridge spanning the Grand Canal in the city.  This was good as it's a very famous landmark, and soon my friends found me.

Ponte Rialto, a bridge covered with shops

After getting to their apartment and letting me dry off a while, we ate and some of us braved the elements to see the famous Piazza San Marco, the nexus of Carnivale.  Apparently due to inclement weather the opening ceremonies of the 700+ year old festival to Fat Tuesday were cancelled, but I at least got to see the square, no matter how depressing it looked in the rain.

St. Mark's Belltower

Basilica di San Marco

Palace of the Doge, the ancient military leader of the city

The Procuratie Vecchie, one of the long buildings that surrounds the Square

The famous St. Mark's Clocktower, connected to the Procuratie.  The clock tells the time in roman numerals on a twenty-four hour face, while also having an astrological clock inset.  On top are two bronze statues called "the Moors" who toll the bell on the hour.  Fun fact: the first death by robot  was committed by the Moors when their clanging knocked a guy off the building.

Grand Canal at night

Finally it was time to go back to the opposite part of the city to get on the bus.  Not to say I was excited to leave, but there's only so much one can do with hypothermic feet.

Il Ponte di Rialto

I will say this though: while it can be described as a miserable experience given the rain and lack of Carnivale, I was taken aback by the beauty of the city and am definitely going back later in the semester.  So often you see pictures of something and find out it was not nearly as good as the photo, but Venice as a whole is the exception to the rule: the city is amazing to behold in every bridge and street, every side street and water way.