Venice, Day 3... Just Taking it In

 Day 3

Friday, December 8th

     Three great things about the hotel.  One, they do put on a great breakfast buffet.  Two, it's just off the Grand Canal.

    Third, it's at the edge of the more touristy part of town.  So, easy access, without all those tourists.  Yeah, I'd definitely stay here again.  

     After breakfast, it was time to head off into Venice and explore.  I had booked a walking tour for the next morning.  My only commitment for the day was to make sure I knew how to get to the meeting place for the next day.  That was it.  As an added bonus, T-Mobile sent me a message letting me know data and texts wouldn't be considered roaming, just actual phone calls.  If I got turned around, Google Maps could get me back on my way.  

     

    

   Venice was founded in the year 697.  The Roman Empire was collapsing and the Germanic Invasion was in full swing.  It was considered hard to get to and easy to defend. It's location in the Mediterranean Sea made it a natural trading and business hub. The influences are clearly seen throughout the city.  

    Fifteen minutes up the canal is St. Mark's Basilica.  The original was built in 832, but was burned down in 976 and rebuilt two years later.  Ninety years later, it would be expanded into what we see today.  More on the church from the walking tour.  

     One thing you've heard about Venice, everything really is moved by water.  I walked over a bridge by a hotel that was loading its guest's luggage.

    The Rialto Bridge is one of only four that cross the Grand Canal.  After four hundred years of the occasional fire or collapse, city leaders started looking at proposals for a stone bridge.  In 1591, this bridge was completed and stands just as strong today.

    Across the bridge and you're in a large open area market. More on that tomorrow, too.

     As many of us have seen happen, once you book a trip somewhere, you start seeing ads in your newsfeed.  I also started seeing posts from travel bloggers about Venice.  One such place was the Palazzo Contarini del Bolovo.  The name comes from the property owners, the Contarinis, and the Venusian word for snail.  The courtyard is free.  To climb the eighty stairs to the top will run you eight Euros.

      Eventually, I did work my way back to the hotel.  I'd been walking all day exploring the city.  Sunset is at 4:30P here.  It's way too early to call it a day.  Which brings me to the other reason I liked this hotel.

      The green marker is the hotel.  Just south-east, it becomes residential and there's a paved walkway most of the way to the end of the island.  Just across the final canal is government owned and fenced off.  It's about a mile and a quarter(2 km) each way.  There are also one last street with stores and restaurants.  I had explored it earlier in the day.  But, with Christmas decorations out, I added it to my walk.  

      After one day in Venice, it definitely lives up to the hype.