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Venice the canals

According to Venetian official statistics approximately 16 million people visited the province of Venice in 2011, with increases projected for 2012-13. Most if not all visitors, come to visit the central island Venezia in order to see and be in the heart of the city. Geographically the city center which includes St. Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Square, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, as well as the homes and businesses of Venetians exists on a land mass that is roughly six square miles. These six square miles are criss-crossed by the Grand and the not-so-grand canals which invite tourists to explore the nooks and crannies of a medieval powerhouse that still displays its heritage.
However, as a frame of reference, visitors should do the math. Public access to the six square miles of the central part of Venice is reduced by the areas occupied by private housing, businesses and by canals. Effectively the 80,000 to 100,000 daily visitors and the 40,000 to 60,000 local residents or business employers and employees are competing for approximately one to two square miles of open space. Regardless of the crowds it should be noted that while tourists may travel stem to stern in seemingly endless lines of gondolas, on Venice’s solid ground no car, bus or motor scooter challenges a visitor’s right to live long and prosper. In Venice the trucks, cars, and buses come with keels and rudders. All vie for space on and in the canals. Gondoliers weave their boats and passengers through the Grand Canal water traffic much like carriage driver guide their clip-clopping horse drawn carriages through any busy city’s tourist center. To paraphrase Shakespeare, in Venice all the water’s a stage, During the day Venice presents its water stained past in the guise of Palazzos, bridges, towers and churches, all accompanied with a cacophony of sounds and foreign languages (theirs and ours). At night a pleasant surprise awaits visitors who stay in the city. When diners and partiers head home residents and tourists experience Silence, perhaps modern Venice’s most subtle reminder of renaissance times, Silence, no horns, no engine noises, no canal traffic, and minimum ambient light. Consequently, from an open window looking out over the tiled rooftops of ancient Venetian homes, my wife and I could see stars and pick out the Dome of Saint Mark’s and the Campanile by the light of the same moon viewed by princes, popes and the popolo when the Grand Canal was grand.
Did we see everything? No…but we gave it a game try. We took the waterbus up and down the Grand Canal. We visited the highlighted sights. We walked and walked and walked, sort of like exploring a maze. We succumbed to the most unnecessary tour book advice offered, “In order to experience the real Venice get lost and wander its back streets and canals.” Wittingly and unwittingly we did get lost, but then again Venice is an island. So unless we were lost AND wet, we figured it was a safe bet that we would find our way back to our rooms.

The place where I had sleep. www.zanolla.nl/Bed_&_Breakfast.html

Taken on: April 25, 2014

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