Venice is truly unique, colorful with beautiful water scenes and holiday themes.
Venice is a unique city surrounded by water; numerous canal-like streets are cursive, filled with fashion boutiques, twisted around, leading to the city center across all directions. The Grand Canal flows through different districts of Venice. Many smaller canals eventually lead to this Grand Canal, and there are numerous bridges built across the canal, creating this unique water city connected by bridges.
Canal-like street lit with Christmas light: On the first day there, after I put down my luggage in the charming hotel, I walked back and forth of nearby canals, bridges, ferry stations, getting familiar with the local environment, learning to be a local, exploring the surroundings. This city on the water is mixed with old and new, the light is already on in the midafternoon, demonstrating the holiday theme.
The day becomes shorter in the winter time, so I walked into one of the canal-like streets near the central train station. The dark night starts at 5 pm, but in that street, the snow-flake shaped light is on, the boutique stores, bars, restaurants, souvenir gifts shops, chocolate/candy stores, cafes, etc lined up, across the street, the tourists, or perhaps quite many locals walk it through, go deeper, visit their favorite stores, relax, full of the holiday theme. I had my dinner there, and headed back. Although it is still early, it might be easy to get lost in the darkness, so rest early and prepare for the journey for the next day.
My first water bus trip is to visit Murano Island – in which there are glassware showrooms, museums and factories. Live like a local. As it’s about 8:30 am, many local residents take the water bus going to work, kids take the water bus to the schools, tourists take the water bus to the places they would like to visit.
On the trip running through water bus, I stare at the open waterfront of Venice, with unique feeling and open view about such a wonderful water land. I am a little bit scared with some safety concerns, what if the turbulent river with flooded water causes us trouble, do we have those backup equipment on board for those “in case” scenarios. But the majority of locals on board still stared at their smartphone, took granted with such trips, for them, that is their daily routines, as they are so familiar with their water land.
It took about half an hour, I arrived at Murano Island, walked on the twisted streets, the water could spill on the shore anytime; step across the bridge, walk through those glassware showrooms, some products are truly open-eyed, with bright colors, bold design and creative tastes.
I also visited the Murano glassware museum, introducing some history and categories of glassware. It is the mid-size of the museum, with some glassware collections, mainly the houseware types, not extremely impressive. Italy is perhaps not the first country which invested in glass, but there are quite a few great show rooms with very unique collections in this small island, bringing freshness of the traditional glassware, spark imagination on how we make things not only functioning, but also cool and delightful.
Then, with all sorts of global strangers' help, I found the right station and took the water bus again to visit another unique island – Burano - famous for its colorful houses: red, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple, etc, which make the island very charming and look bright. There are quite many fashion boutiques and gift shops across the river bridge, in which the tourists can pick their favorite gifts and bring the memory of Venice to where they come from or the next destination of their journey.
After hanging around downtown, overseeing the grandeur architecture buildings, I took the water bus again, visited Biennale Gardens, also known as the Napoleonic Garden on the shoreline of Venice. It is the winter time, the garden looks quiet, slightly chilly, but very peaceful, with big trees, artistic sculpture, and a lovely warm coffee shop in which people study, chat, sip their coffee, and enjoy life. There are many cultural events hosted in the garden from music concerts to art/cultural festivals, and it represents the largest green area in the historic center of Venice.
Go through deep alley: After taking water bus back to the central train station, it’s only midafternoon, I decided to go deeper, walked through the alley I went at the first day. As there are lots of cool shops line up, the deep, narrow alley is the interesting place for people to hang around, give themselves some treat, and walk tirelessly. Venice business people are friendly, flexible, and hardworking, opening their shops from early morning to deep night indefatigably, give guests some candy or cholate treat generously.
Although I feel lost after more than an hour walking, keep moving ahead, the path becomes broader, the little fashion boutiques turn out to be the big brand name stores, you know you are heading toward the city center, ultimately. That is the fun, an hour-long walking journey to circle around downtown Venice.
Near my hotel, there are four bridges that cross the Venice canal. Tourists took photos to capture the night scenery of Venice. And on the last day there, after enjoying the big breakfast, I pull and lift my two luggage, cross those bridges, and head to the central station to catch the next trains.
Venice is truly unique, colorful with beautiful water scenes and holiday themes. But some buildings look old, are water buses as safe as traditional transportation tools, how come my internet wasn’t working in the hotel room, only working at the first floor of the lobby? We appreciate her and criticize her – this unique city-Venice, on the water, makes her one of the charming places in the world.
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