RARECATION 13: Venezia (Venice)

I don't know about the rest of the team, but to me Venice or Venezia has always been in my top 10 list of places to visit. Read about it quite a number of times from various books, gathering infos and would only imagine the places  like Doge's Palace, Bridge of Sigh, San Marco's Piazza, Rialto Bridge etc. 

"he must have traveled everywhere, at least in the spirit "

 - Jules Verne describing Phileas Fogg in 'Around the World in 80 Days'

Marco Polo was from Venice, so does Tomaso Albinoni (one of my favourite composer known for 'Adagio in G Minor') and Antonio Vivaldi (also a Baroque period composer, composed '4 Seasons'), it's importance in trade between West and East, the place where spices from India arrives in Europe brought in by the Muslim traders...and of course the not popular ones like being the centre of some secret society as depicted in Lara Croft's: Tomb Raider movie and other movies as well etenerlized Venice as one of the best place to visit....hmmm put in under the headline of "Old Cities"

Anyhow, from Verona...we arrived just before Maghrib at this camping site: Camping Sporting Centre

The camping ground

Hotel and reception centre

lined up for the night...

Both my sisters and also Madam had been to Venice. But all three failed miserably in telling me how on earth do they got to the island. Of course I could just google them, but asking from someone who had been there sounds even better right? 

Most documentary didn't delve on those things except on the herculean effort taken to save Venice from the high tide, aqua alta which happened during Madam's visit and also excavation of new sites  or new artefacts about Venice's past. BTW, Madam was with Kimberly-Clark at that time and they had a company trip there...but she was forgiven because she bought me a pair of nice glass cufflink. 

Anyway, in the morning...riding shotgun with Syibli at the head of the group we went to the nearest train station, Abano. There's a bridge to Venice! Actually my sister Afifa did mentioned about it. But we siblings tend to play joke and make fun of each other that I thought she was...you know, at it and I; naturally had hard time believing. It started to rain that morning and bought ourselves ticket to Venice. It was a 45 minutes ride......stopping at few stations, and finally voila...at the end of the journey, we rode into the train terminal on Venice itself!

you can use credit card to buy ticket

Khairul Hafiz taking a picture of the ticket

Didit with his vape...as if there's no tomorrow

The train...

Januar and Anz..the loudest in the group...
please keep them apart if you treasure silence and your sanity

The moment we left the train, organised ourselves into few groups. I was with Syibli, as usual and promised to regroup by 7.45pm (I think). It was the second last train out to Abano.

Across the train station, Stazione di Venezia Santa Lucia....

Ponte dei Scalzi, one of 4 bridges that span across
the Grand Canal

Fadli (Harun), SN and Syibli 

San Simeone Piccolo church

You get around the island on foot or you could take the gondola (80 euros) or water taxi. Sure enough, I got lost amid the buildings, churches, plazas, bridges and the small lanes between the old buildings. 

We walked and took pictures until we were hungry. We were walking along a lane on our way to San Marco's plaza when we found this place 'Da Habibi Kebab'....A kebab eatery among the countless shops and small lanes in Venice. The odds must be staggering, but we were in luck! 

As soon as you enter, there will be a wall 10 ft high and full with all sorts of banknotes from all over the world. I couldn't find any Naira (Nigeria denomination), so I decided to put one on the wall..yeah!!!

Tasha and Apiz busy eating, while Syibli
updating the location of the place to the
whole group

the menu...

the 'money wall'

And opposite the place is an ice cream parlour where we had the cheapest per scoop ice cream (1.50 euro) in Venice. Flavour of the day was 'Fig flavour' (buah tin) and all of us had the same thing. It was fantastic! 

We had our fill and continued onwards to San Marco's Piazza. We were walking for a while when we came across this structure, Church of Saint Apollinaire. A couple wearing mask were promoting a play elsewhere...

Saint Apollinaire

San Giacomo di Rialto

Between Saint Apollinaire and San Giacomo di Rialto, lots of souvenir shops, bakeries, cafes along the route. Too many to show in this posting...but each was nice and unique. Anyway, finally we made it to THE bridge spanning across the Grand Canal, Ponte di Rialto.

'THE' bridge

stores along the bridge..I wonder how
long these been around..

the bridge was covered for some conservation
program, I believe

The Rock Shop sells...yes, you guessed right..
Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts

Gondolier and his gondola 

Fast forward...I mean really fast forward pass all the nice stores...Venetian glass, shawls, neck ties etc....and I only bought a map. Yes, a map for souvenir. Go to Google Map and take a look at Venice...it looks like a fish. Interesting... and at last, we arrived at San Marco's Plaza! phew....

The sign mentioned that the structure
is a World Heritage site by UNESCO

panoramic view with St. Marco basilica and base of the Campanile (bell tower) in the distance

The 'Campanile' or bell tower

The square reminds me of the Trafalgar Square I visited when I was a boy. It was full of pigeons...tame ones too. Too comfortable with us. You don't need food to entice them...just close your palm (as if you have birdseed) and they would happily fly your way and land on you arm or head or shoulder or any place they can land on.

Radzi, a Malaysian. Flew in from Tanzania
to join this trip

Dinie, new dad. Seems to attract a few.
But this one was all over him...finally perched
on his cap

Of to the side of Campanile and St. Marco's basilica is a piazzetta (little Piazza or little square). The Doge's Palace (the ruler/leader of Venice was called Doge) is located there, opposite to the Library. Two tall columns dominate the small square. 

one of the entrance to the
Doge's Palace

two tall columns dominates the piazetta...both with patron saint of the city. One in a shape of human, and the other a 'winged lion'.

The 'Bridge of Sigh' or Ponte dei Sospiri

The "sigh" is from the sound made by the convicts before taken down to their cells (on the right) from the Doge's Palace. It's the last place the convicts will be able to see Venice for the last time. In a book I read, most of the prisoners would be executed...buried alive upside down with their legs up in the air. Yup that's what I read...Not sure if the head is underwater or only the head is buried, until he expires.

I was strolling along the banks of the canal when this came into sight...

The rest of the day was taking pictures of shops and souvenirs they sell. Some really posh shop along the square selling really expensive and nice watches and jewellery. Venetians really know their glass and it was amazing see some in display. I adore the artisans that made these nice glass by blowing and mixing different colour of glasses to create something really amazing. But don't be disheartened, look around, there will be something along your budget. Trust me...

We regrouped just when the sun was about to set...we took position along this particular jetty near Hotel Monaco (I think)...the jetty wasn't that busy at that time and you know it's the right spot when you see other photographers took position there, taking pictures of sunset against the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. 

I stood beside a 65 years old photographer from Edinburgh. Been taking pictures for the past 50 years and staying in Venice for 5 days! Lucky him. Syibli assisted all of us taking pictures. Landscape photography is his bread and butter.  Giving  pointers and telling us when to take pictures. The result...well, a lot of room for improvement. Editing all wrong...anyway...Saiful Nang made it to the scene and now we have to run all the way to the train station to get back to Abano!

It was one of the longest 30 minutes of my life. I was sweating like a... like a...like me! Saiful did nicest thing for all of us. He bought the ticket back to Abano! hahahaha...

Bye bye Venice! Hope to see you again...