Venice and my 21st!

We stayed in Venice for 3 days--the last day was unexpected because we missed our train--. Venice is absoulutly amazing, I have never seen anything else like it! After we dropped of our Piccola Macchina at the airport, we bought tickets for the public water bus that went back and forth to Venice (its about 95 euros cheaper than taking a water taxi). The ride over was beautiful, I was the most excited to see the ocean again! Here are some pictures for them boat ride over;

It took about an hour to get to the main island of Venice, there we hauled our huge bags over our shoulders and got thoughaly lost trying to find the hotel. When we finally found it, we were the most happy! We threw our bags on the bed, charged our cameras and then went out to explore! Our first stop was Piannza San Marco

Piazza San Marco (often known in English as St Mark's Square), is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as "the Piazza". All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called "campi" (fields). The Piazzetta (the 'little Piazza') is an extension of the Piazza towards the lagoon in its south east corner. The Piazza San Marco is not far above sea level and during the Acqua Alta, the "high water" from storm surges from the Adriatic or heavy rain, it is quick to flood. Water pouring into the drains in the Piazza runs directly into the Grand Canal. This normally works well but, when the sea is high, it has the reverse effect, with water from the lagoon surging up into the Square. Its a good thing we werent there when it was raining!! The main part is this Piazza is  church of St Mark. is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, northern Italy. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. It lies at the eastern end of the Piazza San Marco, adjacent and connected to the Doge's Palace. Originally it was the chapel of the Doge, and has only been the city's cathedral since 1807, when it became the seat of thePatriarch of Venice, archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice, formerly at San Pietro di Castello. For its opulent design, gilded Byzantine mosaics, and its status as a symbol of Venetian wealth and power, from the 11th century on the building has been known by the nickname Chiesa d'Oro (Church of gold).


After looking around Saint Marks Square for a while, we went and explored all around the canals of Venice. We saw many shops, gonadalas and toursists. 

I thought the Gondolas were especially intresting!  Even though they were so expensive (90 euro for 30 min!!) that we didnt get to go on one, I still enjoyed watching them paddle down the canals. Its amazing how they never fall in!


Some intresting facts about the Gondola that I have Learned:


1) The gondola is propelled by a person (the gondolier) who stands facing the bow and rows with a forward strokes, followed by a compensating backward stroke. Contrary to popular belief, the gondola is never poled like a punt as the waters of Venice are too deep.
2) A sumptuary law of Venice required that gondolas should be painted black, and they are customarily so painted now.
3) It is estimated that there were eight to ten thousand gondolas during the 17th and 18th century. There are just over four hundred in active service today, virtually all of them used for hire by tourists.
4) The profession of gondolier is controlled by a guild, which issues a limited number of licenses granted after periods of training and apprenticeship, and a major comprehensive exam which tests knowledge of Venetian history and landmarks, foreign language skills, and practical skills in handling the gondola typically necessary in the tight spaces of Venetian canals.
5) Mark Twain visited Venice in the summer of 1867. He dedicated much of The Innocents Abroad, chapter 23 to describing the curiosity of urban life with gondolas and gondoliers.


It is the most intresting!!


And now to answer the most asked question of all: is Venice really sinking?

Venice was built on marshlands, a sedimentary island within a lagoon off the coast of Italy. Attila the Hun invaded Italy in 452, forcing many inhabitants to flee to the coast. A small group of islands in the center of a lagoon were collectively called Rivo Alto, or "high bank." The area soon expanded, and Ri'Alto became the center of Venice.

Venice is a warren of canals. Where most cities have roads, Venice has canals. Gondolas and water taxis transport people to and from destinations. With water levels rising, flooding has become a serious problem and is contributing to Venice sinking. During the high tides in autumn and winter, the Piazza San Marco, the lowest area of the island, becomes totally flooded with water.

When the high tide season arrives, the streets of Venice become blocked with water. Wooden walkways must be erected in order for pedestrians to walk safely. The high water level is causing damage to Venice and disruption to its inhabitants. It has now reached the point at which city governors see the problem as critical.

Fortunatly, there have been many plans to slow down the sinking, such as the Dam Project which helps regulate the water that passes through the Grand Canal. Also, nature has been an allie in the sinking process, the earth's natural underground water supplies acted as a cushion that helped slow the city's sinking. Since the city has stopped pumping this natural water source, the sinking has slowed ever so slightly.


Nobody has predicted an exact date on when Venice will actually sink, but I don't think its going to happen for a long while.


So if it sinks will it become like the lost city of Atlantis? Or maybe it will turn into a major scuba diving hot spot? 


I hope it never sinks, it's too beautiful!!


On a completly different note, I celebrated my 21st birthday this week.....


It was the most fun, pictures will be up soon. The one thing that did sink in Venice was my camera battery :( so now I have to reply on other camera's for my memories. Eventually I will get to charging my iphone so I can take pictures with that, I will do it before London, I promise!!


Non the less, my birthday was fun. We went to a delicious pizzeria called Dar Poeta and afterwards we went to our favorite cafe, G.G. Belli where we had a canoli. I recieved my very own first bottle of wine as a birthday present, I have to take pictures of it before we drink it. It is the most special :)


ciao ciao!!