Italy

Venice: Lagoon City

Venice viewed from the Campanile di San Marco

The city at night

 

Gondola's floating down one of Venice's canals

Venice is easily one of the most touristed cities in Europe, especially once you consider its relatively small size.  The typical tourist fare from gondolas to the Piazza San Marco exists just as presented in guidebooks.  As a visitor it is hard to be disappointed by the city.  It draws nearly 10 million tourists a year for a reason.

Being on a lagoon, the city feels like it violates common sense for siting a human community.  This is part of its magnetism and thankfully it does exist to be visited.  You would be hard pressed to find another city that offers everything you find in Venice.

In keeping with a trend of other cities I've visited, Venice has appeared in three James Bond movies, making it one of the most frequented locales in the franchise.  From Russia With Love, Moonraker, and Casino Royale all contain scenes in Venice.  For what it's worth, my personal favorite is probably Moonraker's boat chase.

Despite all the museums, galleries, and churches in Venice, the best activity is exploring the city on foot and getting lost along its canals.  The walkways are a labyrinth with seemingly endless permutations for getting from one location to another.  For backpacker with limited means, getting lost is the most budget friendly activity in pricey Venice.

Exploring the city on foot can lead to some pleasantly surprising discoveries.  Not all parts of the city are consumed with masses of people.  It's also possible to find some green spaces.  The Giardini Pubblici is the largest of these.  The greenhouse along this park area is great spot to enjoy some wine and some shade.

Statue at the edge of the Giardini Pubblici

A tranquil street devoid of both canals and crowds

 

Piazza San Marco during a relatively quiet moment

The Piazza San Marco is the buzzing hive of tourist activity.  Here can be found the Basilica di San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale, and more cafes and restaurants than can be counted.

The Clock Tower in the Piazza di San Marco

At one time Venice was a true power.  Just in my travels I have seen where this little city built fortresses in Montenegro and fought the Turks in Athens.  Even though tourists flock to Venice today, the city’s glory has actually been on the decline for centuries.  These days Venice is no longer a powerful republic in its own right, but another city in big Italy.  The decline in power is not all that bad of thing though.  As a visitor one of the benefits of this is the ability to visit the grand buildings from the height of Venetian prestige.  

Palazzo Ducale courtyard

The most noteworthy civic building is the Palazzo Ducale.  The palace, tucked next to Basilica di San Marco was home to the rulers of Venice (doges) starting in the 9th century.  It also housed numerous government chambers and a jail.  Inside and out, Palazzo Ducale is appropriately ornate.  Statues, paintings, and all measure of small details are to be observed.  Permanent exhibits provide an overview of the goings on of the Venetian government when the palace still served its original function.  A temporary exhibition on the role the Guardia di Finanza, Italy’s financial police, during World War I was on display during my visit and was fascinating.

Il Paradiso by Tintoretto is the focal point of the Great Council Chamber and the largest canvas painting in the world

The Palazzo also includes a prison that once housed Giacomo Casanova

My travel companion Adam reliving moments from the Charlie Company armory

The Golden Staircase leading to the upper floors of the palace

Display from the exhibit on the Guardia di Finanza during World War I

 

Basilica di San Marco

Basilica di San Marco is one the symbols of Venice.  The Byzantine architecture is eye catching and stands out from other Italian cathedrals.  Construction of the church began at the end of the 11th century.  The centerpiece of the interior is the altar containing the relics of Mark the Evangelist.  Photography is not permitted inside so you will have to settle for a shot of the exterior.  Photos of the inside can be viewed here.

The Venetian Arsenal was once a major source of the city's power

Trieste: Free Territory by the Sea

Trieste and the Adriatic

9/8

The first stop in Italy for Adam and I was Trieste.  Lacking the sights (and crowds) of our later Italian stops, Trieste offered a place to relax and become familiar with Italian basics like espresso and wine.

 

Easily overlooked by travelers, Trieste has an interesting history as a city at the crossroads of cultures and empires.  The area that modern Trieste sits on has been inhabited for several thousand years.  For several centuries it was a Roman settlement.  Later rulers of the area included the Byzantines, Venetians, and Austrians.  The Austrian influence is still evident in the city’s architecture.  It first became a part of the modern Italian state following World War I.  Trieste was occupied by Nazi Germany after Fascist Italy exited World War II in 1943.  The Nazis surrendered to Allied and Yugoslav partisan forces in 1945.  With this the city and the region was transformed yet again.  The surrounding territory was divided into two occupation zones- a northern zone controlled by the Western Allies and a southern zone controlled by communist Yugoslavia.  Under a United Nations agreement, from 1947 through 1954 the Free Territory of Trieste existed as an independent entity, though its actual administration was mostly carried out by the occupiers.  In 1954 the zones were incorporated into the neighboring countries, the northern zone, with it the actual city of Trieste, to Italy and the southern zone to Yugoslav Slovenia and Croatia.  Trieste is still a major center of shipping and trade in the Adriatic Sea.

Grand Canal with Church of St Anthony in the back

The Cathedral of Saint Justus is the most significant religious building in Trieste and serves as the seat of the bishop of Trieste.  It is named for the patron saint of the city who was killed from his Christian beliefs around the beginning of the 4th century. The interior has a number of frescoes and chapels that are of interest.

Exterior of the Cathedral of St Justus

Virgin Mary Chapel

As in other European cities, Trieste has a large main square that serves as a social and civic center.  The Piazza Unità d'Italia is next to the sea and surrounded by government and commercial buildings.  Unfortunately, the mood of the square was dampened while I was there by the rainy weather.

Piazza Unità d'Italia

Ciao Italia

8/22

The last week has been very busy as Adam and I have bounced around Italy and I have had very few opportunities to sit down and write.  In this time we’ve stopped in Trieste, Venice, and Florence.  Being the peak of tourist season, we contributed to the huge crowds in the latter two cities.  Trieste was relatively quiet and provided a good spot to stopover for a day following Slovenia.  

As you might expect, we put quite a few miles on our feet as we tried to take in the sights in a limited amount of time.  Luckily for me, my feet have gotten accustomed to this.  Adam, on the other hand, has had to adjust pretty quickly and his feet are not as happy about it.  The upside to all this walking is that Venice and Florence are great cities to explore on foot.  Navigating narrow streets and alleys is as much a part of the experience as the museums and cathedrals.

I have finally activated my rail pass.  I appreciate the relative comfort of a train after a month and a half of traveling mostly by bus.  Possibly the biggest benefit of rail travel in this region is the scenery as you move from place to place.  In a single trip I have been able to see both the Tuscan countryside and catch a glimpse of alpine South Tyrol, all while having space to spread out or walk around.

From Italy we are headed to Austria where we expect to spend a few days in Innsbruck followed by a few days in Salzburg with a possible daytrip to Liechtenstein.  As always, our plans are fluid and only time will tell exactly what we do.