After six hours on a train from Cinque Terre we made it to Venice for our quick 48 hour stop. While we don’t ideally like to stay anywhere for that short of a period, we really wanted to squeeze in this iconic city and it was our only option. In the end, we’re glad we did this length as it felt like enough time to see all you need to see and we were ready to go by the time we left.
Upon arriving, we walked about a mile from the train station to our Airbnb. This created some funny memories as Katie and I are always all business when we get to a new location. We are on a mission to get to wherever we stay so we can drop off the heavy weight from our backs, make sure there are no hiccups, freshen up, then go explore without any restraints. So there we were walking with purpose through the canal streets, not stopping to look at anything or take in the views and there was mom just in awe of all she was seeing. We laugh now because she stopped at just about every dog that passed, or when she saw cookies, purses or scarves. Basically exactly what you should be doing when you’re on an amazing vacation and seeing a new part of the world for the first time. At the time we were all about rushing her since we’ve had that feeling/experience so many times on the trip, but we had to stop and realize how fun and special those moments are and that we might be a little too desensitized to some of the best little things travel has to offer. I think it was just hard to see when you have 40 lbs on your back and you are carrying your mom’s 40 lb luggage as well. Live and learn!
So Venice is beautiful, it really is. The canals and architecture make for some amazing photos and I think every photographer there felt like they were getting the best shot as there are so many different places you can get unique pictures from. We did a wonderful walking tour which allowed us to learn about the city and roam areas not normally explored by the masses. This really helped as the main areas of Venice are beyond touristy and frankly not areas I would want to go back to. While a place might be iconic, nobody wants to stand in a sea of foreigners with selfie sticks. We also decided not to partake in the gondola ride once we realized the canals are also the city’s septic system, so basically all sewage flows into the waters which makes them a lot less desirable to boat around (not to mention the smell in some spots).
So in the end, two days in Venice was great but all you need to check it off the bucket list!
