Mark Dong Photography

Venice

I really wanted to return to Italy simply because I just love it here!  I loved Venice that one day I visited here in 2011 and I promised myself I would return for a longer stay.  Well, this trip was it!  

This time I flew into Paris and then flew into Venice.   I walked to the Water Taxi …it is called  the “Alilaguna.”   It took me through the small town of Murano into  Venice.   

*****See the VIDEO on the left, it shows my trip into Venice!  Right at the beginning of this video we pass another “Alilaguna” heading back to the airport!

The Aliaguna drops you off at the Train Station in Venice  where you can get on a “Vaporetto” to go anywhere in Venice, including to a stand near your hotel. The Vaporetto is a large bus like conveyance that moves across the water and stays strictly to providing service through the Grand Canal.

Many of the photographs on this webpage taken from the water were taken while riding on the Vaporetto.  Other photographs that appear to be taken from water may have been taken from bridges or land across from the water. 

The buildings of Venice are constructed on closely placed wooden piles.  Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion.  The foundations sit on the pilings and buildings of brick or stone are built on that.  The piles penetrate the soft layer of sand and mud until they reach a hard layer of compressed clay.  Submerged in water where oxygen is limited, wood does not decay as rapidly as it does out in the open.  Plus, these pilings were mostly made from Alder trees - a wood known for its water resistance.

 Venice is really a collection of islands, about 100, with over 175 canals, connected by over 400 bridges.  Getting lost in Venice is an absolute certainty if you are trying to navigate it on foot!  As you can see the signs on the buildings are of absolutely no help!

50,000 people a day visit Venice, and many ride in the gondolas.  These rides are mostly cyclical - rising tremendously with the influx of tourists in the summer months - and costing an average of 8o euros for a 30 minute ride.

Under my BLOG (above), under the title of “2014 Gondola Ride,” I have provided a VIDEO compilation of gondola rides.  Some I videotaped from afar and one I took myself!  It was really fun and amazingly smooth, gliding through the narrow canals of this romantic city. Below, on the left, is a photograph taken riding in the gondola.

Gondolas come in all colors and interior design.  Each truly reflects the personality of the owner.  

And it is only by Gondolas that Tourists can navigate the tiny canals.  It can get very busy at the height of the Tourist Season.

Gondolas and boats of all kinds carry or transport everything in Venice!  Food, supplies and even the dead.  I was shocked when I looked down from a bridge and saw this…the transportation of a coffin from the home of the deceased to the burial ground.

The most famous gondola ride is to go under the Bridge of Sighs.  This is a archway (a hallway on the inside) that connects the halls of the courts between de Duke Palace and the  prison.  Its curved profile, suspended over the Rio di Palazzo, is one of the most notorious trademarks of Venice.

The Bridge of Sighs name is based on the legend  that the prisoners, crossing the bridge, sighed at the prospect of not seeing their beautiful outside world for a long time.

Today, a new legend has evolved which says that  if a couple passes under the Bridge of Sighs their love will last forever.  Naturally, it is one of the biggest attractions in Venice.

Walking around Venice is a different adventure!  One is certain to get lost among its tiny streets.  But it is a must to see the really beautiful solitude of this magnificent city.

Then, there are lots of open air markets and I love to stroll along them and see what the locals have to choose from when making their dinners.  I wish they had places where you could stay and cook your own food, but, I am sure right away I would want to go out for that magnificent  Italian cooking!

And there is always food to go!

There are also lots of restaurants and outdoor cafes.  The food is fabulous.  I always go back for more!  Thankfully, I usually walk it all off by the end of the day.

And shopping!  Who could resist going to the shopping districts!

The evenings in Venice were even more beautiful than I remembered.  Walking around Venice in the evening is something not to be missed!

All the entertainment you could want is  happening in St. Mark’s Square at night!  It is beautiful to walk through and shop all along the way.  Or you can sit down and listen to a wonderful quartet! I did!

I also spent a day visiting the three famous islands of the Venician Lagoon: Murano, Burano & Torcello.  

Murano is known for it’s famous hand blown glass. 

Burano is known for their hand made lace and the colorful little houses that line their canals.

Torcello is where the  famous Locanda Ciapriani Hotel is located.  My friend, Andrea, works there.  It is where all the rich and famous stay in Venice!  We had a Bellini, an Italian aperitif, (a cocktail) and talked on the outside  patio.  It was nice to see him again!

I have to say that Venice is one of the most interesting cities I have yet photographed.  Around every corner is something quite extraordinary.  

On my last day, I took one more walk through the city - to an old familiar place. Where I had someone take the photo of me at the end of my 2011 Adventure to Tuscany.  If you remember, that is when I first came to Venice for the day and became determined to return for a week!

Now that I have spent a week in Venice, I would come back again!  It was even better than I imagined!  Who knows, maybe my old bench will still be there…and happily, someone walking by who will be glad to take a photograph…again!