Venice Expectations vs Reality

November 20, 2018 RhysHanson

The expectations in bold were written before we went to Venice and the answers to the expectations in regular text talk about what I saw during and were written after our stay.

I am expecting it to be very colorful.

It was not as colorful as I expected. many of the houses were just plain stone and had no paint or finish. The only place this was not true was Burano. The island had been intentionally painted bright colors to bring in tourists like Santa Catrina Palopo in my Guatemala blog post. In general, most buildings were the same stone and rock colors that we have seen other places.

I am expecting all canals.

There were many places that were not accessible by canals. The canals are like the large freeways and highways while walks are like all the roads that connect everything to each other. The canals were mainly used to separate islands from each other and to haul cargo and not as the main mode of transport. That still remains walking. They have even built carts that have wheels on the front to go up the stairs of the countless bridges.

I am expecting some newer skyscrapers.

I learned that Venice doesn’t have any new skyscrapers. For one it would be very difficult to get all the supplies to the build site. Secondly, the city is built on a sandbar, therefore, all they would do is have it sink into the ocean and either tip over entirely or start leaning and make another failed Italian landmark.

Lots of churches.

Almost every island has its own church. Each one trying to be more grand and intricate than the last. But by far the most intricate is Saint Mark’s Cathedral. The tile floor is made of millions of tiny mosaic tiles. The walls and ceiling are covered with tiny tiles too. We went all around the cathedral that had just been hit by the bad flooding. It is probably one of the largest I’ve ever been in.

Restaurants with patios that stuck out over the canal.

We didn’t see many restaurants with patios over the canal. Those are only really found in very touristy places and even then the Venetians know better than to tempt fate like those guys over in Pisa. Almost all the restaurants in the squares and on the streets. The fancy restaurants even have waiters with spray bottles that they attempt (and usually fail) to spray the pidgeons to keep them away from you as you eat.

One or two small car roads.

There were no small car roads. The only place cars are allowed is in the parking garage and road that dead ends into a canal. cars just aren’t needed. They have post boat transport, trash, produce and also crane boats. They do not need cars because they can stay on the island and get whatever then need by boat or walking. Most places in the city because one person can hardly walk through them.