Beautiful Venice!

We originally intended to spend the fall and winter of this year in Italy, which would have included Venice. But with all the changes to our route due to COVID, we put Italy on the back-burner and decided Croatia and Greece would be our winter destinations. That route took us across northern Italy and right through the city of Venice.

We figured this would be a great time to visit since tourism was at such an all-time low and, with schools now back in session, there would be even fewer tourists. Plus, the weather was going to be gorgeous. Most importantly, though, it was Steven’s number one destination in Italy and he was chomping at the bit to get there and make some beautiful photographs. Given how unpredictable travel is these days, we decided we’d better see it while we can!

Also in the “win” column for this stop was the campground. It was easy to get to, with nearby transportation into the city and it had all the amenities we needed, such as great laundry facilities. It kind of irked me to pay the exorbitant fees for using their machines. We did four loads total during our stay and it cost just over $47(!!).

Our little spot at Camping Venezia Village only a short bus trip to the city.

This is why we travel with Maxxi, but on this occasion, we gave in to the convenience of big machines so we could spend our time gallivanting around Venice rather than sitting at the campsite waiting for our clothes to dry. I can tell that it’s going to be more difficult to do our own laundry in the winter months just because it’s going to take longer for the clothes to dry properly. I’ve given that a lot of thought, so more on that in a future post.

We planned to spend five days at Camping Venezia Village and travel into the city on at least three of those days. We bought transportation tickets that included buses and vaporetti, which is the main transportation to get around the canals. The historical city of Venice is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. On our first day into the city we walked everywhere. It is a labyrinth of tiny streets and walkways, but if you want to learn your way around, walking is a great way to do it.

I have visited Venice once before and I was pleasantly surprised to find both the streets and the canals so much cleaner than I remember. In fact, Venice used to not smell very good and the canals were kind of gross. But now they looked clean and the most gorgeous teal color. I don’t know how much of this is due to the pandemic or if there has been a clean up in general over the years. I’m guessing maybe a bit of both. In any case, we found it to be lovely.

Two Chouters at the Rialto Bridge in Venice. This is one of those Instagram spots where there are usually huge lines but there were only a few people there when we snapped this selfie.

On my last visit I went to the Murano glass factory and bought my mom a glass gondola. The day before I was heading home at the end of the school year it got knocked off my dresser and shattered. I was heartbroken and so I was on the lookout for a replacement. Sadly, I did not find it. Sorry, Mom. The only thing we bought in Venice was an adorable little glass Christmas tree. I wish I could have bought several of them, but they are fragile and we really have no place to keep them in Bijou. I’ll just enjoy the one I did get.

Linda didn’t have any luck finding the particular glass gondola she was looking for. We did like this one, though. And no, we didn’t buy it.
We did, however, buy this beautiful glass Christmas tree. This and a couple of butter knives were our only purchases in Venice.
We enjoyed a couple of Aperol Spritzers by the water. If you’re not familiar with this drink, it’s Prosecco, Aperol and soda water. Delicious on a hot day.

Our hunch about there being fewer crowds was spot on. We enjoyed lunch along the canals each day we went in, and sometimes stayed long enough to enjoy an Aperol as well. But rather than blab on and on about it, I’m going to turn this post over to Steven, who will share his thoughts and photos of our time in Venice. I think this is our first joint blog post ever. Enjoy!

Venice has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember. When in Ireland, there was an ad that would run on TV for an ice cream called Cornetto. It had a gondolier gliding down one of the canals in Venice and a woman on a bridge enjoying said ice cream. As he passes, he snatches it from her but she snatches it right back as he emerges from the other side of the bridge. All the while, he is singing “Just one Cornetto…give it to me…” to the tune of O Sole Mio. I’ve never forgotten that and, wouldn’t you know, it’s on YouTube here. Anyway, that image of a gondolier on the Grand Canal, of course, is iconic when you think of Venice.

The thing about Venice is that you can easily get lost. Not only lost in place but lost in time. Meandering down narrow cobblestone streets was like being in a movie. With few tourists, it was easy to get a sense of the people who live here. Of course, it is a city that relies on tourism, so much of it is set up for that but it is quite easy to duck down an alley and escape the throng. Part of me just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere while the other part wanted to start making photographs. As much as I practice being present in my three dimensional space, the minute I look through the viewfinder of my camera, I’ve already sacrificed a little of that experience. Everything becomes a frame. I start thinking about what I should include and exclude in the picture and how best to represent the huge scene in front of me. While it’s definitely fun to capture images, I sometimes leave the camera in my bag and just observe. Those moments are sometimes more memorable than any image I’ve created.

Having said all of that, it was absolute bliss to photograph this wonderful city. As Linda said, the lack of crowds really made our visit something special. It also made shooting tourist attractions a lot easier. Here is a sampling of my favorite images.

This was one of the first canal bridges we came across when we arrived in Venice. Even though we had already been to another water city in the Netherlands, Venice has a personality all its own.
I’m really attracted to decrepit buildings. The more peeling paint, the better. It’s almost a cliché for photographers so what can I say? The architecture in Venice pushed all my buttons on this front. It’s also fascinating watching the variety of water vessels that frequently pass by. These waters are never still.
This scene on the Grand Canal felt like an antique painting. My goal was to capture that essence in a photograph. The morning was pretty foggy so it added a nice dimension to the background as the details begin to fall away. I think this is probably my most favorite image of the entire visit.
Each gondola appears to make its own fashion statement. The colors are beautiful as is the overall design of the boats. I was sorely tempted to go for a ride but the expense kind of held me back. I also like to be as mobile as possible so walking is my preferred mode of transport in a city like Venice.
I had to pinch myself time and again when I saw gondoliers rowing through the canals of Venice. The whole place was like a living painting.
The “fero” at the front of each gondola forms an S that is meant to symbolize the Grand Canal’s curves, and the six teeth represent the six quarters of Venice.
The view of Piazza San Marco from atop the Campanile tower. It’s almost unreal seeing only a handful of people where there are usually thousands milling about. The ticket line would normally wind around the block but there were only 3 or 4 people ahead of us when we arrived.
More scenes of Piazza San Marco, the basilica and the famous gondolas out on the water. The fog in the bottom right really made this image work for me. Without it, everything in the composition would have been clamoring for attention.
The Campanile at the Piazza San Marco.
This is the first time we had our temps checked. We were entering the Campanile.
Why am I constantly attracted to washing on a line? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s all the colors and textures or the way the wind catches it. It also shows a human presence. Sometimes I’m not sure if people live in some of these buildings. Either a satellite dish or washing will usually confirm it for me. I loved the angular light and the colors and texture of the walls here also.
In other places I’ve visited, I would have to deliberately seek out places to photograph but in Venice there is something interesting at every turn. I love those old kiosks that are chockablock with trinkets. Of course the bridges across the canals are iconic also. And the light! Have I mentioned that I love Venice?
Window shopping is fun from elaborate garments and masks to fresh baked goods. All waiting to be photographed and eaten (well, at least the food). I wanted to buy a mask but then I thought, what am I going to do with that in Bijou??
Foggy atmosphere, morning light and a lone boat make a perfect picture of solitude.
Even though they are almost insignificant in the image, the birds flying around the tower make it really interesting to me. But it also embodies everything that is Venice: the gondolas/gondoliers, the old architecture, the canal and the bridge. Oh, and the light, of course.
When we got here on our first evening, it was just breathtaking. I could stand on that bridge for hours and just marvel at all the beautiful architecture and the colors.
The canals are always busy. I can only imagine what it’s like in a normal year where there are thousands of tourists. We took the water taxi (locally known as the vaporetto) a few times.
The vaporetto is a cheap way to get some great shots of the city from the water. Here, you can see the Campanile in Piazza San Marco.
The Rialto Bridge is a favorite destination of tourists.
Even though the tourist population was massively reduced, it didn’t mean there weren’t any around. It just meant not standing in line for as long and not have to push your way through a crowd to get a photograph. Masks became mandatory while we were in Venice so it felt a little less risky being on public transport.
Lovely evening light on the Grand Canal as taken from a vaporetto.


Up next: Slovenia and Croatia!


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42 Comments

  1. maggie barrett

    What a gift to be able to experience the glory of Venice without the hoards and those awful cruise ships
    that have blighted it in recent years. Truly the experience of a lifetime. Well done.

  2. 2chouters

    Thanks Maggie. I can’t even imagine the city with all that traffic going on. We may never make it back so it’s nice to have this wonderful uncrowded adventure locked in our memories.

  3. Ginny

    Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful photos and description of Venice! Two years ago my husband and I were in Venice for just two nights and one full day while we did a ten day tour of Italy on our own. I bought a small painting from a local vendor that I enjoy looking at every day. This brings back wonderful memories of that beautiful country!

    1. 2chouters

      That sounds like a whirlwind tour, but I’m sure you hit a few highlights in the main area of Venice. It’s a beautiful place to visit. We don’t have room for too many souvenirs, but we do try to get little things. We got a little painting in Lisbon that we love! Thanks for commenting, Ginny!

  4. Carol

    We loved Venice too, these photos bring back happy memories! If it’s not too late, Slovenia is lovely and the Aire at the Military Museum near the caves beginning with “P” has motorhome facility working all year, unlike those in the caves car park. More info here:. http://www.moho-dream.co.uk

    1. 2chouters

      Our stay in Slovenia was short, so I’ll have to read your blog posts so I don’t miss out! Perhaps one day we’ll get back there, but who knows in this day and age. Strange times!

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks for your kind words, Jeff! We loved Venice, too. We shared photos with our son, who has never been there, and it’s now at the top of his list of places to visit. You can’t deny the draw of such a unique and beautiful place. Thanks for commenting, we appreciate it!

  7. Catherine Wolfe

    Such lovely views! Earlier this year I saw photos of how the great lack of traffic on the canals resulted in crystal clear water. What are the canals like now?

    1. 2chouters

      I saw photos of dolphins in the canals, but they were fake. LOL, I don’t know why people feel the need to put out fake photos, but there you are. The canals were the most gorgeous teal color, just beautiful. But with the boat traffic ramping up, you could see how it won’t be long before the water is again covered in diesel. I hope they have a way to clean it up!

    1. 2chouters

      Isn’t my little tree the cutest thing? I found it on day one and we had to go searching for it again based on the GPS of the nearest photo we took in that area. I agree with you about Steven’s photo of the Grand Canal, it looks timeless.

    1. 2chouters

      A lot of people don’t remember Venice looking like it was when we were there. It’s been a similar story for other world class cities we have visited too. We have been so lucky to be able to continue traveling while so many others are grounded. I’m not gonna lie, it’s a treat to travel around and not see tour buses piled with tourists.

    1. 2chouters

      Thank you. Yes, it was truly magical and we may never see it that way again. We try not to lose sight of how lucky we are to be traveling in these challenging times.

  11. Dolores Tanner

    Well….. That was stunning!!!! From the 1st picture on, did not disappoint.
    Xmas tree beautiful…
    Been so long since last blog entry was worried about how things were faring…
    Take Care and God Blesd

  12. Nickie

    We’ve never been to Venice (and probably never will at this point). Thanks for taking us along on your journey with incredibly beautiful photos and explanatory text. Wish we were with you guys!

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks Nickie. Despite the pandemic, it has been quite a year of travel for us and I’ve accumulated many photographs. Watch out for a special upcoming post where I’ll showcase the best from 2020.

    1. 2chouters

      Thanks Carol, I’m a sucker for reflections and there was no shortage of them in Venice. It’s going to be a tough choice with all of the photos I’ve been capturing 🙂

  14. Laurel

    Such lovely, romantic images. I was in Venice 25 years ago and don’t remember it as crowded, but I know that in any normal year now it is ridiculous. You’re so fortunate to be there with so few people. Sweet little Christmas tree!

    1. Jeanne

      Thank you for sharing your adventure, I truly look forward to each destination, Steven your photography is superb, as I have said before I live vicariously through you. Especially having to live through this pandemic I have not been able to travel.

    2. 2chouters

      Laurel, thank you. Up until recently, it has been hard to avoid huge crowds at major destination like this. It was not unusual to have busloads of people and long lines to do anything worthwhile. Sometimes it can so inform an experience that my memory of a place is just tarnished so I’m thankful for all we’ve managed to see this year.

  20. Jodee Gravel

    How lovely to find the water clean and blue. Love your sweet little tree!

    I agree with your choice of favorite pic Steven. The “perfect picture of solitude” is a close second. Glad to see at least one of the gondola pilots had the straw hat 🙂

    Silver lining to experience this beautiful city during the pandemic. A lack of crowds is always a plus. Another fab selfie!

    1. 2chouters

      Ha Jodee, you know we can’t go somewhere without preserving it with the perfect selfie 🙂 Thank you for your comments about the photos. Yeah, the gondoliers seem to be slowly shedding their traditional garb. I was glad a few die hards. I hope you and Bill are doing well.

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