Venice - ilivetotravel's travel log

The Best of Venice – Get Lost in Its Neighborhoods

21 November 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

In a prior post, I shared some images of Venice‘s majestic boulevard: its Grand Canal. From the modern pedestrian bridge near the train station to the iconic Rialto Bridge to St. Mark’s Square – and many palazzos in between, that post showcased Venice but now, the best of Venice!

However, I enjoy Venice a lot more when I begin meandering the alleys and small piazzas “far” from the tourist areas anchored on the Grand Canal. I say far in quotation marks because Venice is not that big and you are never far from the Grand Canal given its grand meandering that always manages to disorient me. You think you may be at the opposite end of Venice if you judge by the Grand Canal’s route but then you look at a map and see that really are not far at all from the other end of Venice!

While tourist Venice can be overwhelming most times of the year with the crowds, its back alleys can be a different story. And you get to see more of how locals live – and remember Venice is a residential place, not just a tourist attraction for us visitors.

So, I stop writing here and share images of the Venice I love the most!

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Filed Under: Europe, Europe, Italy, Italy, Travel Journal Tagged With: architecture, Italy, Venice

Venice’s Splendor Is Best Seen from Its Grand Canal

7 November 2021 by Raul Leave a Comment

Venice must be one of the most photographed cities in the world and the views from the Grand Canal, the wildly curvy main thoroughfare of the city, are likely the main object of such photos. In this “postcard” post, I will share Venice’s splendor from its great waterway. Many of the buildings along the way are palazzos (or “palazzi” to be proper) that may serve now as hotels or museums.

In another post, I will share some images of what’s beyond this most touristy section of Venice. It is Venice’s back alleys and squares that fascinate me and really make the city appeal to me as a visitor.

But for now, enjoy the Grand Canal!

Venice's splendor, Venezia, Italia, Italy, Italie, Grand Canal, St. Mark, gondola, tourism, travel — Modernity greets you near the bus station

Though this is a postcard type of post (mainly photos), I will share that catching the number 1 vaporetto (or boat-bus) is the best way to get an intro for the new visitor – or a refresher for a third time visitor like me! It makes stops on both sides of the Grand Canal, making it also a great way to move around Venice quickly. But I suggest you take it from near the bus station and then ride it all along until one stop past St. Mark’s Square. Then meander your way around Venice walking back.

But look at a map, the Grand Canal weaves such that you may be closer to a point in the town by NOT following the water’s edge!

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Approaching St. Mark’s Square

And, for the final photo, a photo of St. Mark’s Cathedral’s façade with yours truly trying to grace it!

It may look crowded but it’s the least crowded I’ve ever seen it!

Filed Under: Italia, Italy, Italy Tagged With: architecture, arquitectura, Grand Canal, Italia, Italy, Venecia, Venice

Photo of the Week: Viewing Venice from my Window Seat

21 March 2014 by Raul 5 Comments

Venice, Italy is such a unique place. It is almost out of Disney’s mind. But it is not. It is truly unique and a sight worth seeing once in your life. I have been fortunate not only to have seen it, but to have been there twice. It can be a maddening place with the crowd of peers (read: fellow visitors) but it is also a great place to get lost to get far away from the tourists.

In my second visit there, I actually flew from the U.S. direct to Venice. And that gave me this incredible bird’s eye view of my destination from my window seat. Forget jet lag, this sight can restore anyone’s energy!

Filed Under: Europe, Italy, Special Photos, Travel Journal Tagged With: airport, flight, Italia, Italy, landing, photo, travel, Venezia, Venice, view

Photo Essay: The Tiled Roofs of Dubrovnik

23 November 2012 by Raul 9 Comments

Tiled roofs seldom tell such a vivid story as they do in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Stories of war. Stories of reconstruction. The war of the early 1990s destroyed most of the tiled roofs of this jewel of the Adriatic. Not enigmatic like Venice but inviting, though both are definitely charming in distinct ways.

I wrote earlier about the charms of this Adriatic town loaded with history from older times and recent times. Its emblematic roofs catch your eye from up high as you approach the town from the airport.

It is quite a view even if this photo is not the best as it was taken from a moving bus. Walking along the old walls that surround the town is one of the best things to do to see the town from a very unique angle that most cities do not offer. From there, the tiled roofs caught my eye in a different way. This post will share some of those roofs, the new and old (most are new, repairs from the most recent war) as I keep pondering the stories the town could tell us… Enjoy them!