hkskyline's 2010 VENICE Photo Collection

[hkskyline]

After a long trip through rain, thunderstorms, and snow across Switzerland and Italy, the sun finally came out in Venice. With crazy prices in the city itself, we opted for a room in Mestre, just one stop away on the mainland.

1. Plenty of trains ply between Mestre and Venice Santa Lucia, although not always on time!



2. The Grand Canal sits just outside the train station.







5. Tourists watch above as plenty of boats pass below. Venice's canals are bursting with traffic, even though the water buses were insanely overpriced.











10. I cannot emphasize more how expensive these crummy-looking boats are. Venice is out to gouge the honest tourist.



11. This sleek new bridge spans the canal connecting the train and bus stations.







14. We didn't ride the gondolas either. The waterways were choked with traffic, and we could hear plenty of singing already from walking the streets that bordered the canals. This visit would not be just another typical tourist itinerary in Venice!

















22. It's very easy to be swallowed up by the maze of alleys. Luckily, there are plenty of yellow signs to guide the lost soul back on track.











27. There weren't that many locals around though. I guess they've all migrated to the mainland by now.













33. Yet another romantic but overpriced tourist trap.





35. Photography was free though!







38. Some of the designs looked Indian (Mughal) in a way. Where did it originate from?

















46. The density must've been incredible back in the day, but once in a while, a big open space emerged with the canals far out of sight.





48. 3 euros for a small bun seemed very expensive for northern Italy.











More in the next part. For the full set, visit my Venice photo gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/venice.htm

[hkskyline]

53. Plenty of touristy shops selling the typical Venetian fare line the route towards Rialto Bridge.











58. Forget these overpriced gondolas. If you want to try them out, head a few steps down to the commuter gondola ferry, which crosses the canal for 50 cents.











63. This building looks a bit slanted.















70. Rialto Bridge - where only tourists seem to congregate.

















78. This promenade along the Grand Canal is lined with restaurants, gondola parking spots, and a space for tourists to take some riverside photos.



















87. Across the river, the crowds flooded the streets and moved towards St. Mark's Square. Luckily the route through the narrow alleys and turns were well-signed.

[Cov Boy]

Nice pictures.

Do you have to haggle for a price for the Gondolas?

I think it is a one in a lifetime experience for a Gondola ride.

[hkskyline]

Originally Posted by Cov Boy

Nice pictures.

Do you have to haggle for a price for the Gondolas?

I think it is a one in a lifetime experience for a Gondola ride.

I didn't take the private gondolas because I didn't feel like bargaining. Instead, I took the public transit gondolas which crossed the canals at specific points. Those charged flat rate fares.

[Cov Boy]

Ahh right cool, sounds good to me.

Love to visit one day myself.

[christos-greece]

Great, very nice photos from Venice, hkskyline

[hkskyline]

92. There are plenty of gondolas waiting to be hired along the main canal and its sidestreets.









96. Here comes the overpriced commuter ferry.

















104. Many of these smaller canals were pools of stagnant water, yet it didn't stink and seemed reasonably clean.





106. Rialto Market is in a very touristy location, but sells fresh food for locals. The vibrant colours and fishy smells disappear in the afternoon though, as this place shuts down around lunch time.







109. I wonder if there really are that many local residents to sustain this market?























120. Being so close to the sea, it's not surprising to see an abundance of these creatures.

[hkskyline]

134. Continuing with the fish market theme ...













140. Meanwhile, plenty of tourist fare were available in the shops.





142. The crowds flooded the streets and moved towards St. Mark's Square. Luckily the route through the narrow alleys and turns were well-signed.

[hkskyline]

160. There are plenty of narrow streets to explore in San Marco district.











165. Santa Maria del Giglio's stunning facade faces a long street to the commuter gondola. With an admission charge, I only admired the outside. I don't understand why anyone would charge a fee to enter the house of God.









169. Here are those expensive yet basic ferries again.







172. This tower is slanted in a very scary way.

[skymantle]

Great pics, you captured the architectural character of Venice well.

To answer your question about the 'exotic, mughal, eastern' looking architecture of Venice. That stems from Venice's history as a major seafaring and trading nation in the eastern mediteranean and beyond. They had contact with that part of the world, traded with it and learned from it, including on the Silk Road as a major power of its day. Think Marco Polo and the multicultural character of the city with its eastern and western peoples that settled there.

And here lies the secret to enjoying and exploring Venice. You really have to get off the much beaten tourist track and head for the backstreets of this great city and there you will also discover more about its multi-layered history. Head for the Jewish or Greek quarters, the Armenian island etc. In fact the tourist office in Venice has openly discouraged mass tourism in the recent past, pleading with visitors to explore further in and that way you may find more authenticity and less rip-off tourist traps. A little bit of research snd intrepid exporation goes a long way when travelling, not only in Venice but in any other place in the world.

[hkskyline]

181. Campanile di San Marco dominates St. Mark's Square. Luckily, it's possible to go up to admire the views.















188. Looking EAST - towards the Adriatic Sea















195. Just across the tower is Doge's Palace. The outside looks simple but the rooms inside are stunning.











200. Looking SOUTH, the view is lot more blue and serene. You won't see a sea of buildings, but more contrast with nature.







203. I never made it to this island though.













209. This church is stunning.







212. Heading WEST, the entire St. Mark's Square is visible, with the many tourists on the ground looking like ants roaming about. The rest of the city lies behind, with Mestre in the distance beyond the water.

[Linguine]

fantastic images, lovely and romantic Venice....thanks for sharing.

[hkskyline]

Thanks for your support. Here are some more :

223. Dorsoduro is probably a less busy attraction for tourists. I was on a mission to find locals, and see what the non-touristy areas would look like.







226. The canal scenes are quite authentic but the streets were eeringly quiet.

















234. I found a disgusting feast under way.











239. These public fountains are supposedly safe to use as drinking water.







242. I wasn't successful in finding locals though.

[El_Greco]

Those eastern motifs in Venetian architecture came from Byzantium and beyond. Venice had near monopoly on trade with the mid/far East. Nice collection.

[hkskyline]

251. A beautiful waterfront lines Zattere.

















259. The clouds began rolling in again after a few hours of sun. From the eastern edge of Dorsoduro, St. Mark's Square was clearly visible.









263. Santa Maria della Salute is a massive church overlooking the Grand Canal.













269. A wave of gondolas with singing came by as the clouds rolled in. The formation was quite interesting.







The full set : http://www.globalphotos.org/venice.htm