Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go.-Truman Capote

Few could put it better than Capote. If I could describe my trip to Venice, it would be in his words. The city itself is stunning, and I can imagine that it must have once seemed magical. It is afterall, a city on water, and in that way it feels like an escape from reality. However, it is completely overwhelming. Everywhere you look, there is something new to take in. My senses were completely overtaken with the sights, sounds, and smells that can only be found in a canal city.

Venice had always been a dream of mine. In my mind’s eye it became the city of unfathomable beauty; a labyrinth of sapphire waterways and unique architecture. I pictured myself strolling through old, cobblestone streets, and enjoying a romantic gondola ride through the canals. I was also fascinated by the idea of stepping foot on a city that may one day disappear. I imagined one day telling my grandchildren about the time I saw the sinking city of Venice. Out of all of the cities in Italy that I had dreamed of seeing, Venice had long been at the top of my list.

Thus I counted myself unbelievably lucky for being able to spend a weekend there in May. I wish I could say that it remains on a pedestal. I wish I could say that I loved every minute, and that I immersed myself in the romance and flair of the city. Sadly, by the end of the trip, I couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Fortunately, I cannot blame its fall from grace on the city itself. Rather, let me place the blame on the tourists.

The tourists. Picture a black, swarming mass of people, moving together in a massive blob that consumes every road, bridge, and shop entryway. I have never seen so many people in one place. Perhaps the crowds seemed more impressive due to the size of the city. As an old canal city, Venice is composed of extremely narrow streets. It would be difficult to navigate through the city without the tourists. Trapped in this sea of people, it was utterly impossible. At one point I wanted to sit down and scream. Meret and I were moving at a snail’s pace, toe to stranger’s heel, and I couldn’t take it. I could barely even move my arms. We were sandwiched in my worst nightmare.

The crowds made it difficult to enjoy the trip. We couldn’t catch a couple buses because people decided to squeeze in together like sardines in a tin can. We couldn’t go up the Bell Tower because the line was too long. We couldn’t even go into the famous San Marco Basilica because the line outdid any that I had seen in Disney World (which is saying a lot, amirite).

Venice is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, and it is clear that the endless stream of tourists has corrupted the city. The stores sold mostly cheap souvenirs, and everything was overpriced. We chose not to ride a gondola because it would have cost us 80 euro. I was happy with our choice after seeing the canals; they were absolutely full of gondolas. What may have once been a pleasant, romantic experience has now turned into a stressful highway of grumpy gondola drivers.
We were smart, broke girls, and took a 2 euro traghetti ride across the river.

Despite the initial disappointment, Venice is still a gorgeous city. I don’t mean to complain about it, because I was just happy to walk around, and to take in as much of the culture as I could. I loved the fact that I was seeing what Marco Polo may have seen back in his day. I’m a dork.

The Grand Canal

San Marco Piazza
The San Marco Basilica sits center stage. Unfortunately there was scaffolding (always! Ugh, Europe). The Basilica was completed in 1098, and it is commonly known as the Church of Gold. It was named after Mark the Evangelist, and according to legend, it once housed the relic of the saint after it was stolen from Alexandria by Venetian merchants. It is an beautiful mix of Italian and Byzantine architecture.

To the right is the Campanile (bell tower), completed in the 12th century.
To the left of the basilica is the Clock Tower, which was completed in 1499.

“That right there, is my worst nightmare”
While walking through the square, we noticed that a large crowd of people were feeding the pigeons. Even worse, they were touching the birds, and letting them perch on them. Let’s be honest, these birds are the rats of the sky. We were disgusted.

“She’s holding a pigeon? Who does that? Oh God, it’s on her head! I’m freaking out right now.”

San Murano Island
On the last day, we took a ferry trip to San Murano Island. This island is famous for it’s glass-blowing factory. As a result, the tiny island is covered in glass shops. It felt quite contrived, but, we did get to try some great venetian food. I had Cuttlefish Ink Pasta. It was delicious.

Mestre
I should mention that we had a fantastic Airbnb. We stayed in Mestre, just outside of Venice. This was our paradise; an escape from the tourists after a long day in Venice. We ate dinner at the Osteria del Lupo Nero twice because everything was a decent price.

More pretty pictures of the canals.
Once the sun came out, I just wanted to jump into that sparkling, blue water.

Despite the crowds, it was a great weekend trip. I don’t think that I would ever return to Venice, but I am eternally grateful for the chance to see it.