Venice is situated on northeast coast of Italy by the Adriatic Sea.
Venice, called Venenzia by locals actually consists of 117 small islands like structures connected by more than 400 bridges over its 150 canals. The Grand Canal is like main water street, cutting through the center of the city.
It is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
The best way to arrive in Venice is by train at the Santa Lucia Train Station on the northwestern edge of the city. Land transportation is limited to a corner of Venice; mostly used for arrival. The bus terminal and parking garages are nearby but contained across the Grand Canal in Piazzale Roma.
To get around the place you have to either walk along the beautiful canals or take a boat ride.
Venice has a small airport, the Marco Polo airport on the main land. From the airport you can take a bus or boat to the hotels.
One can see the the land and rail bridge from the main land, on the left side of the map of Venice and its surrounding islands. The long and narrow island of Lido protect the city from the waves of the Adriatic Sea.
It is in this beautiful island, the renowned Venice Film Festival is conducted.
The main waterway the famous Grand Cananl - winds in inverted S shape through the city center. Hundreds of small canals branch out like roots from the grand canal to all sides, giving Venice its character. It is a city with structures built over water on wood piles. Most buildings are over 500 yeas old and the newest- 200.
Boats called Gondolas were the traditional mode of transport. Now tourists mostly use it. Today motor boats, both private and public share the canals with Gondolas.
Gondola fares are standard and set officially. These are the minimum fares for a standard gondola ride but rates can go higher for longer rides or rides to a specific location. A standard gondola ride of 40 minutes will set you back by 80 Euros. or about Rs. 4700.
We arrived at the Santa Lucia Train Station in Venice by train from Geneva, Switzerland.
This the first view of Venice one gets coming out of the rail station.
Gondola ride, in a narrow canal, passing a house which the gondola man claimed was the one that Marco Polo once lived around 1299.
Behind Mathew, who flew in from New York to join us at Zurich for this trip, is the famous Rialto Bridge. The first bridge across the Grand Canal was built in the year1181. That wooden bridge was replaced several times.
Rialto is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal today . It is the oldest bridge in Venice now and is a major tourist attraction.
This stone bridge is designed by, Antonia Da Ponte. Construction began in 1588 and was finally completed in 1591.
Bridge of Sighs. The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that prisoners saw before their incarceration.. The bridge's name, given by poet Byron, in the 19th century, comes from the knowledge that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the two window before being taken down to their dark cells.
Buying a gondoliers hat in front of San Marco Square.
View of the city of Venice from above Campanile the tall bell tower.
Full moon rises over water front of Piazza San Marco.
Full moon rises over water front of Piazza San Marco.
This is the first full moon of August 2012.
This August, will have another full moon.
It is called the Blue Moon.
That will be on Aug 31st and we'll see it from our home - In India;
after our return from US, the day before.
This wharf is heaped in history.
This August, will have another full moon.
It is called the Blue Moon.
That will be on Aug 31st and we'll see it from our home - In India;
after our return from US, the day before.
This wharf is heaped in history.
From here ships of Venice set sail to trade with the world and made her fabulously rich.
The lagoon [foreground] and the Adriatic Sea [back ground]
Once, the richest nation of the world.
The Merchants of Venice created commercial history here.
As I stand on this ancient wharf, tales of this place firmly grip my thoughts!
of the history of man-kind- particularly the history of modern business-
the foundation to globalization,
and of the ......International Business- that I teach my students back home....
and also of Shakespeare's renowned story that I learned as a school boy .....
The Merchant of Venice.
Happy to be here.
