Monday 30th September – Tuesday 1st October 2024 (day 17-18)
We arrived at Camping Fusina yesterday afternoon and have booked to stay for 4 nights. It is just a ferry ride from the main island of Venice.
Our pitch is near the main channel for large ships visiting the port of Venice, and it is amazing to see massive vessels pass by only a few yards away.
We chose to spend today exploring the city, so caught the ferry just 5 minutes walk from the site for the 25 minute crossing. The open upper deck of the boat provided a good viewing position for points of interest along the way:
The ferries and all other traffic on the lagoon, travel at speeds which cause a lot of wash, making the disembarking in Venice, interesting to say the least. The boat was going one-way whilst the pontoon landing platform was going another.
After landing, we had a quick look in a church which was right next to the jetty. Inside is was extremely elaborate with a high, painted ceiling.
After briefly exploring the southern part of Venice, we crossed the Ponte dell’Accademia, over the Grand Canal and wandered some more.
It is fair to say that Venice is an extraordinary experience. There are loads of people, but no traffic to worry about, all motorised traffic being on the canals. There are not even any cycles or motorised step-on scooters. There is also plenty of space, with many large open squares scattered about.
But of course there are also many narrow alleys and old properties, full of character:
Venice is famous for its canals and as you might expect, I did take a few photographs of them, especially those that are off the beaten track:
We visited St Mark’s Square and at the time, the tide was high enough to cause a few problems for pedestrians wanting to get across, especially as part of the square is fenced off because there is some maintenance work being done:
We also saw the Bridge of Sighs, which can be crossed from inside the Doge’s Palace on the left, to the prison, on the right:
Further along, we came to the military arsenal. It is not possible to explore this area, but the entrance is impressive:
The Rialto Bridge over the Grand Canal, is actually a “shopping arcade” with a walkway either side:
Of course, there are many shops to visit with a variety of goods on offer:
There were many places to buy traditional Venetian masks and some were obviously made on the premises:
The chocolate shop was especially interesting, with its unique chocolate fountains in the window:
Tomorrow, we plan a visit to the Doge’s Palace.
"See-u-Later" 