a return to Venice

Venice (Venezia in Italian)...a place so unique in Italy...

My first visit to Venice was in 1999, which was also my first trip to Europe. My impression of Venice was: too many tourists and too many pigeons! It seemed to me that the people of Venice did not appear to be as friendly as the people I had come in contact with in the other places I had visited while in Italy. Also, I was constantly lost and even ended up in the hospital...not IN the hospital as a patient, but while trying to find my way back to Piazza San Marco, I ended up walking through the hospital as there is a road that goes right through the middle of the hospital! I was amazed seeing how the city was run with only the use of boats since there are no cars in Venice - the ambulance boats, the garbage truck boats, etc. and there was no denying the beauty of Venice. When leaving, I thought to myself that I probably would never return to Venice again. It was a little too challenging for me as a person with no sense of direction and it was much too crowded (although I did know in advance that summer is the most crowded time to visit Venice).

Two years later, I decided to give Venice another try. Before leaving, I made sure to read up on Venice and I also bought a better map. On this trip, I spent my last day in Venice and then flew out l'Aeroporto Marco Polo a Venezia, (the Marco Polo Airport in Venice) the following morning. I booked a hotel in Venezia Mestre, which is a town on the mainland just across the causeway from Venice. This way, it would be an easy transfer by hotel shuttle to the airport the next morning. Again, in the touristy areas of Venice, there were TONS and TONS of tourists BUT I liked Venice this time...the people there seemed friendlier, perhaps it was because I was able to speak more Italian?? I was even able to find my way around this time!! Unfortunately I really only had the afternoon and evening and then my time in Venice was over.

SO…here I am going back again, 5 years later, even more prepared, with the same good map, and the wonder of what I will discover. This time I plan to wander, discover the unexplored areas, and ENJOY VENICE for 4 days and nights.

Here are some pictures, which I have scanned into my computer from my first visit. They are not the best quality but do show the beauty of Venice.

 I took this picture of Piazza San Marco and 

the Campanile (tower) while riding the vaporetto.

 Here is a picture of the Grand Canal, a few gondolas, and a vaporetto.

This is a picture of Burano...one of the little islands lying to 

the north of Venice. Burano is famous for it's lacemaking.

HERE is a link to the hotel where I will be staying - Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo. It is located in the Santa Croce sestiere.

HERE is a great link which describes the different areas in Venice - the "sestieri". THIS LINK is a great little webpage called "Venice is Not Disneyland". AND THIS LINK is a description of 200 Things To Do and See in Venice. I will NOT to try to see/do all 200 things, but will keep this as a great reference for ideas.