I was based in Stuttgart in June 2014 at the time. I hadn’t been anywhere on a trip for some time and there was this group which was headed towards Venice. I decided since I wasn’t upto anything on the weekends and felt like going somewhere, why not join them. Someone had already booked Ikarus bus tickets which would take us from Stuttgart to Mira Mirano. Then, there were trains from Mira Mirano to Ferrovia railway station in Venice. That’s how we got there, having set out on a Friday night, reaching there by next morning.
Venice is a very old city, in the Adriatic Sea, spanning several islands in North-Eastern Italy. There are several theories about the origins, dating back several centuries.
THE TRIP
While in Venice, it is best advised to get hold of a day pass which accounts for unlimited boat and rail travel and a map to find your way around, especially if you are on a day trip plan. That also happened to be our plan.
I was just wearing shorts and a T-shirt at that time of the year and still feeling hot. The climate is something like that.
There’s boat in Venice for just about everything – Taxi, Ambulance etc. It is more of necessity than a luxury because places are separated by water bodies, each segment then having roads and other modes of land travel housed within them.
Our plan was to visit the islands of Murano, Burano, Lido and San Marco. Although one must note here that one could have more stops to make in Venice, if one wanted to. There are several islands.
So, after having some picture worthy moments at Ferrovia, we caught a ferry to Murano. One has to get to know the platform number and boat time to catch a boat here.
Murano:
The trip from island to island itself is something of a treat in Venice, because you get to see things happening in the sea and on the nearby islands. You’re also bound to pass some old, beautiful buildings which themselves make for good viewing. The trip from Ferrovia to Murano was no less in this regard.
Once at Murano, the main thing to check here are glass products, the glass factory and a demo for the process of glass blowing. Very educational and interesting to know for any tourist as this is not something one would indulge in, typically in one’s day to day life. It is also a great island to roam around and witness the archaic architecture, with bridges separating canals every now and then. There are also some interesting monuments to watch here, as you walk around although I’m not entirely sure that they are of any extreme significance.
Burano:
Next stop was the island of Burano. We again caught a ferry to get there. Here, the main attraction was a lace factory and museum. Lace products make for good viewing as well, there was no dearth of that throughout the island. I think the museum was closed on the day we visited but there were plenty of lace products to look at and admire all around.
Other than that, it was just gazing and wandering about taking in the activities of the people and the architecture is always sort of interesting in any of the islands in Venice. Same here. There were some erotic sculptures near the boat station here, striking interesting poses. I think some of us grabbed a bite or two here as well.
Lido:
Next stop was Lido. Same mode of travel, by boat. Here, the main attraction was the beach. But it was afternoon and there are some good pizzerias and places for Italian food on the way there. So, we stopped for a bite. Italian pizza anyway tastes different in terms of the crust and the toppings than it does in India.
Then, we headed for Spagghia Libera Free Beach. It was a very sunny day and there were plenty people at the beach either sunbathing or in the water. The way the depth of water builds up here is steady rather than sudden. No surprises in store for you in that regard. Considering how hot it was, even if you were to enter the water with your clothes on, it would dry up in no time. After spending some relaxing time here, we headed for the next stop - San Marco.
San Marco:
This is arguably one of the main places in Venice. St. Marks Square is very famous here, partly because it has been the location for filming several scenes from various movies, over the years. A small square surrounded by trees at places, also called Piazza San Marco.
Also, a great place for feeding pigeons who seem quite friendly. They will feed from your hand, climb on top of you and do just about anything. Also paved the way for some very interesting pictures.
The cruise ships passing by, make for good viewing and so does the St. Marks Basilica. The Rialto Bridge is another great stop and the view from it is no less breathtaking. Another good place for taking pictures. There are some alleys near the Rialto Bridge with a lot of shops, some ice cream stalls included, which is supposed to be good here. It was quite good, without a doubt.
One can also embark on a Gondola boat ride through the canals of the city for a bit. Seems good to watch, but the canals are incredibly stinky. Smells like a combination of sewage and raw fish. So, don’t know what the people on a ride feel. Also expensive, unless you’re really up for it.
We took a boat back to Ferrovia railway station from San Marco. Since we had already traversed quite some distance since morning, it took bit longer. From there, we caught a train to Mira Mirano. Then, we boarded a Ikarus bus back to Stuttgart.
People in Venice seem to be quite enthusiastic about their gay rights. We witnessed some demonstrations while we were there.
All in all, we had a good day outing there, reaching Stuttgart next morning. People of Venice also seemed nice and the place itself was a bit unique and interesting. I would recommend this as a good day trip to anyone.