Travel Blog: European Trip (Day 4)
Venice Canal
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
This was my favorite day of the trip. I had a very good feeling I would feel that way before we even left the United States, but it definitely held true. We woke up Tuesday morning in Innsbruck, Austria, refueled with continental breakfast, and hit the road for a brand new country. This time we were headed to Italy. More specifically, we were headed to Venice, Italy.
For a while, I have had a fondness for many aspects of Italian culture. I had also seen pictures and videos of Venice and just how awesome it looked, so to say I was excited as we headed south to cross the border would be an understatement. The drive, like all our drives throughout the trip, took longer than the GPS said it was supposed to take. Somehow, we ended up on back, country roads navigating our way through northern Italy, instead of the interstate, but I wouldn’t necessarily say that it was a bad thing. It allowed us to see some beautiful Italian countryside that I figure few American tourists have had the opportunity to see.
We finally pulled up to the parking garage on the outskirts of the ancient city. After walking down to the docks, we waited on a vaporetto to take us to St. Mark’s Square. For some reason it looked as if the vaporettos weren’t running and we ended up on a water taxi for the same price. I was a little confused, because I had done all the research and planning for the day in Venice, and the vaporettos should have been running at the time. I was also a little disappointed because the vaporetto was going to take us on a slow, scenic ride through the Grand Canal, whereas we got a quick ride around the outer edge of the island instead. But either way, we were on our way to St. Mark’s Square.
St. Mark’s Square
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
The plan was to arrive at the Square, which is at the bottom of the island, and walk all the way back up to the top where the parking garage was, all the while exploring as much as we possibly could. There’s so much to do in and around St. Mark’s Square that we spent quite a bit of time in that area. The first thing we had to do though, before any exploring took place, was grab a bite to eat. Right there in the square we found the perfect spot. A small vendor that sold pizzas and Italian deli sandwiches for cheap prices was exactly what we were looking for. We all grabbed something and ate right there on the steps in the Square. It was easily one of the most scenic lunches I’ve had in my life.
We then walked next door to visit the famous St. Mark’s Basilica. This is the most famous of the city’s many churches and was absolutely beautiful. Built in the 11th century, this Roman Catholic cathedral was adorned with mosaics all over its gold walls and ceilings. Everywhere you looked were old biblical images created long, long ago. Like Zugspitze, I could try to describe its beauty, but I wouldn’t be able to fully capture it. Walking into that church was like walking into a movie or something. It didn’t feel real. We snapped a few pictures before seeing a few signs telling us we weren’t allowed to do so. The self-guided walk-through took only about 15 minutes because the majority of the church was off limits.
Inside St. Mark’s Basilica
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
The next thing I had on the agenda for us to do was go to the top of St. Mark’s Campanile, which is the famous bell tower and highest point in Venice. Only about eight Euros were required to ride the elevator to the top, so we did so without hesitation and were met with views worth far more than the price we paid. The top featured a wrap-around observation deck that offered 360-degree views of the entire city. It was a little crowded at the top, but not so much you couldn’t get great pictures of the city from all angles. Looking down upon the ancient city and all its buildings and canals was one of the coolest sights I’ve ever seen in my life.
View from top of St. Mark’s Campanile
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
After making our way back down the bell tower to allow others to enjoy the same magnificent views, we started walking to nowhere really in particular. That’s one of the great things about visiting Venice. If you want to “do” Venice right, you just need to walk around with no destination in mind and explore. This allows you to see all of Venice and not just the major tourist destinations. And the exploring was wonderful. Every way we turned while walking throughout the city, a scenic photography moment awaited us. We took pictures of all the buildings, the canals, the famous gondolas…we just walked and soaked it all in.
We kept navigating our way through the city, stopping at touristy spots like the Rialto Bridge, the market (which was closing down by the time we got there), and several other famous old churches. Before long, it was time for dinner and there were no shortage of options. So we walked a few minutes and stopped at the first restaurant we came to. It looked just as you would imagine, with tables outside and a fancy dressed waiter. After the previous night’s questionable supper, we were all pretty eager for some good ol’ Italian food. I ordered spaghetti and a glass of red wine and I’ve never felt more Italian in my life. I must say it was all tremendous. Even the bread they brought out was very delicious. All the others at table ordered pizza, for which they gave their stamp of approval.
Restaurant in Venice
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
After a wonderful meal, which we took our time enjoying in traditional Italian fashion, we explored a little more. But it was soon becoming time to head back to the parking garage. We had wandered throughout much of the island and saw many magnificent things. By far, Venice is the most unique place I have ever visited. I don’t think there’s another city like it in the world. I was just watching a YouTube video the other day titled, “The Top 10 Most Beautiful Cities in the World,” and they listed Venice as #1. Every way you turn, a picture-worthy view awaits. And everything is so old, you feel like you’re in a different century. There’s a magical feeling that is hard to describe that just captivates you when you’re walking through Venice. It’s a place everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime.
Dinner in Venice
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
The night ended in our hotel, about a 20-minute drive from Venice. Worn out from exploring all day and Italian food filling our stomachs, we all slept pretty well that night (after we opened the windows without air-conditioning). This was our only day in Italy. We would be heading back to Germany the next day to continue our adventures. Make sure to stay tuned for my final three European blogs to find out where we went next!
The Grand Canal
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Canal in Venice
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Residences in Venice
The Sports Chief Photography/Garett
Garett