Travel- Venetian Photo Diary

The second city that we visited in Italy has been on my bucket list for ages- Venice. I was always mesmerized by this stunning city that stands on water so after seeing some more of Verona in the morning, in the afternoon we headed off to Venice. The train ride from Verona to Venice is not a long one, just over an hour on the “faster” trains (there are slower ones that take almost 3 hours).  The first thing to know about Venice is that no cars or transport is allowed inside the city, so the only way to move around is to take a gondola or to walk. In hindsight it probably wasn’t the best idea to wear heels on the day given that we walked over 30 kms, but hey the heels went with my outfit! Because I knew Venice was a little bit chillier than Verona, I changed into my jeans and added a faux fur coat on top of my cherry blouse.

Venice is probably the most picturesque city that I’ve ever visited (including Paris) and any time you turn a corner, it’s just a photo opportunity waiting to happen. It’s filled with tiny little old streets and canals, one prettier than the next. Some streets are so tiny, you can really only walk there one person at a time! The narrowest street in Venice is just 53 cm- isn’t that crazy!? Some streets are flooded with tourist while others are completely empty. It’s easy to find the quiet streets- just take any street of the main road and there you’ll have it- it’s just you and Venice.

I really wanted to visit St.Mark’s Square(Piazza San Marco) which is the main attraction in the city to play with all of the birds! I do actually enjoy doing tourist-y things in a city because they are usually quite fun! The pigeons flood St. Mark’s Square and it’s pretty easy to get them close to you- just bring bread with! Technically you are not allowed to feed the pigeons but they are pretty friendly anyway and will come and softly land on your shoulder like this little one. My brother had the best time and really enjoyed “training” the pigeons to come onto his hands and chill there.

We didn’t end up taking a gondola ride in Venice for one simple reason- it’s so expensive! A 40 minute ride will cost you 80 euros, which for me just didn’t feel like it was worth it. The gondola history is quite interesting in Venice; turns out not just everyone can be a gondolier! It’s a profession that is passed down to you by a male member of your family! Only if you have Venetian gondolier roots will you be allowed to be a gondolier as well. There is also a uniform, and you will spot the same hat and nautical t-shirt on every gondolier.

We literally walked through half of Venice in one day, and I loved getting into the spirit of the city. My boots did have a high heel on them, but because it was actually a chunky heel I did feel quite comfortable. These black skinnies from GAP have been giving me life lately, because they are honestly the best fitting jeans I’ve ever had! I got this faux fur at H&M a couple of years back, but it’s never been truly used in the tame South African winter, so it got a proper outing in Venice. I hope you enjoy these beautiful photos of Venice and make sure to put Venice on your bucket list! 🙂

I had to put this photo in just because its so funny! This is how I actually felt about the pigeons sitting on me.

Must eat all the food!