Travel Guide: Venice

 Venice is one of the most unique cities I have visited. How many cities float on log pillars after all? A major city that does not have a single car or street is just hard to fathom for those who have never been to this Italian locale.

(Canal view taken from a gondola)

I have spent more time completely lost in Venice than I wish to admit. Upon my first visit I spent over an hour looking for my hotel which ended up being just a block away from where I had first started out. I must have asked at least 10 locals to point me in the right direction. I'm not sure if they honestly did not know or if they got a kick out of sending me on a wild goose chase but, each of them pointed me in a different direction.  I challenge you to be prepared when you arrive and come with detailed directions to your accommodations.

As there are only narrow cobble stone passageways for streets, I highly recommend that you leave large rolling luggage at home. You will have a great deal of trouble rolling that luggage to your hotel. Then, once at the hotel you will be hard pressed to find an elevator. If they do have one, it will likely be the type of thing that is only large enough for you OR your bag, not both.

 (View from Rialto Bridge)

The first hour or so in Venice is a bit of a headache. You are overwhelmed by the beauty and the distinctive character of the city. However, you will have a bit of a fish out of water feeling as you have never had to navigate in a place such as this before. Every time I have been in Venice I have noticed this feeling amongst my travel companions. Once you find your hotel,  leave your bags and get out and start exploring, the anxiety is over and you will find yourself on cloud 9!

DIY Tour Guide:  

I am famous for traveling with a guide book. Yes I stick out like a sore thumb as a tourist but I am a well informed one! There is no need to guess at the age of a statue or wonder where the best coffee shop is located; all of the most important information is in your hand and has been vetted by travel pros! You will not need to pay for the audio guides in museums or guided tours of historical monuments - you have the book and it has all of the information you would get from a guide. I spend the first day or so in a new place exploring the must see, most visited, obvious places as listed in the guide book.

 

(Reading the gondolier a bit of shocking information about some famous Venetians from the guidebook)

Fodors, Rick Steve's, Lonely Planet, Eyewitness Travel - all are great and will do the trick. I usually check out everything the library has on the city I am visiting. I then scan over them and take just one or two on the actual trip. Once I hit the highlights from the book I have likely also found my bearings and will be able to get around the city more easily.  At that point I ditch the book and can spend the remainder of my time getting lost in shops, museums, side streets and restaurants I happen upon.

In Venice these books are indispensable. The maps in the books will save you time as you figure out how to navigate the maze of corridors and canals that is Venice. They will also save you money as you will not need to hire a guide.

While you are at the library (or book store) pick up a pocket Italian language guide. Make sure it includes information about food and wine. Everyone can order spaghetti and pizza but Italy has SO much more to offer! To get a real flavor for the local cuisine you may need to understand a little Italiano!

Getting Around:

The single most important thing to understand about Venice before you arrive is the Vaporetto system. The Vaporetto are public transportation boats that can move you around the city for a minimal cost. The Vaporetto is the equivalent of the subway or bus system in any other major city. Venice is a city of eighteen islands connected by 354 bridges and, again, they have no streets so no buses. You can buy a 1 day, 3 day or week pass for the Vaporetto. These are good for infinite rides within the time frame you have paid for. I was able to explore the main islands of Venice as well as outliers like Lido and Murano with my Vaporetto pass. Check out prices, schedules and routes online before you travel.

(A vaporetto boat docked at a stop near the Rialto Bridge)

Most any way you travel to Venice you will need to get from the main land into the city. The trains drop you off across the open water from the main part of the city. If you drive you will need to park your vehicle in a lot (I recommend the Tronchetto Parking area) and find water transportation into the city.

You can take the extremely pricy water taxis but I would suggest the public transportation.  You will most likely be approached by boat owners who want to offer to be your guide. That is always an option but, you never know who you are getting on a boat with and how much it will end up costing. The city is relatively easy to navigate by vaporetto especially if you have a good map and a travel guide book with you.

When traveling on public transportation in any part of Italy it is imperative that you validate your ticket before you ride. You will see small yellow or red boxes by the subway, vaporetto, train or bus stops. Slide your ticket into that box and it will time stamp your ticket. If you neglect to do this and you are stopped by authorities you will be subject to a steep fine! If you're confused, just watch the locals and do what they do (unless they jump off a bridge... I would not recommend doing that :) ).

Must See: 

• Piazza San Marco - This is the main square in town and is one of the vaporetto stops. There is a massive church with all sorts of historical relics and significance. Your guide book will be able to fill you in on all of the details.  Make sure to inquire about the large horses outside and inside! 

(Views of San Marco)

• Rialto Bridge - You can not miss it. Again, check the guide book for historical information. I highly recommend taking the vaporetto down the grand canal in both directions at various times during the day (sunrise, sunset, mid day, after dark...) as the light changes  on the Rialto Bridge and makes for unforgettable views and photo ops.
• Glass Blowing on the Island of Murano - Venice is famous for its blown glass figurines. The island of Murano is where all of this originated. Go early in the day and you will be able to see Venetian artisans blowing the glass. Be aware that they stop working around 3pm. While you can still visit the shops on this island, after 3pm you will not be able to view the artists at work.
• Lido island - Have you ever been on a cruise and joined in on a conga line on the lido deck? Well, this island is to blame for the famously named pool deck. It is the family friendly beach/party island. If you have a spare day, go out to Lido and enjoy the beach. Grab a cone of gelato and have a fantastic and relaxing day on the beach!
• Fish Market - Each morning there is a fish market starting around sunrise. Get up early, get an Itallian coffee and pastry before heading out to the fish market. You will peruse the days catch with local restauranteurs.  Ask the fishermen what is in season and order it later that night for dinner!
• Drinks - Venice is located in the Veneto wine region. The crown jewel of this region is Amarone. It can be expensive but it is an amazing wine and must be tasted while you are in the area. Another alcoholic beverage that can not be missed is the Belini. This blend of prosecco (sparkling white wine/Italian champagne)  and peach puree is a Venetian tradition!
• Gondola ride - You kind of have to... The cost of a 45 minute ride starts around 90 euros in the off season and goes up from there and you have to pay extra to get the gondolier to sing.  If you are trying to save some money, pair up with another couple or family and share a ride. The gondolas can hold 6 to 8 people and you can just divide the cost amongst yourselves. Also, I suggest taking a bottle of wine with you and enjoying it on your ride (I do turn into a bit of a lush as soon as I hit the Italian border so, you can disregard that suggestion if you do not share my love of Italian wines #PurpleTeeth).

(Canal view from the bow of a gondola)

There is so much to be written about this fantastic destination. However, the best advice I can give you is to get out and explore it on your own. You will find some little cafe or resturant that will make your trip memorable and uniquely yours.  My friends and I wound up at a James Taylor concert in the middle of a public piazza in the pouring rain. "Oh I've seen fire and I've seen rain..." has never been more moving! We then stopped in for a drink at a random bar near our hotel and found that it was the after work hang out for the gondoliers. We were the only ones in there not in striped shirts and straw hats. I hope your time in Venice is just as exciting and memorable!

Serendipities and the Food Service Weight Loss Plan!

Today was full of small serendipities! Some have asked what I mean by "A Series of Small Serendipities" - my blog title. Well, serendipity is the development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way (Thanks Webster's). Serendipities are blessings, God things and divine interventions on my behalf. My life seems to be filled with small serendipities. Big ones come along from time to time, but almost daily there are small chance happenings that work out in my favor. Charmed life? Maybe. Too blessed? Most likely. Sometimes I do think it's too good to be true!

I've heard it said that having a positive attitude breeds positive outcomes.  I don't always have a positive attitude or positive outcomes but, on the whole, I'm pretty optimistic! Today I was feeling particularly cheerful - positive results ensued. Here's what happened to me today: 

I was up early this morning to go to a child abuse prevention training class in preparation for my volunteer work. The walk to the meeting was going to take me about an hour, considering I had never walked it before and had little clue where I was going! So, I was heading out of the guarded staff quarters where I live and had walked about a block when I stopped to let a car pull out of a driveway. The lady in the car rolled down the window and asked if I would like a ride. She was British and looked a little like Christiane Amanpour from CNN. I'm a fairly good judge of character and she seemed really great so I got in the car. Turns out I was right - she was awesome!  She saved me from a  long walk and from getting very lost and potentially being late for my meeting. Turns out she works in the conference center at the Resort (where I think I might like to transfer later). She gave me lots of helpful suggestions about future career moves, at Edelweiss and beyond, as well as some tips on life here and travel. Her name is Sue and she's my new buddy! It was definitely a small serendipity that I ran into her this morning!

So, Sue dropped me off at the hotel. Since I was much earlier than I anticipated I was able to get breakfast - this was great because in my rush to grocery shop yesterday, I didn't buy any breakfast food - oops!  Then I walked over to the base/garrison for my meeting. There were only three of us in the class and the other two guys have been here for more than 2 years. After the class, they showed me around and offered lots of advice. And one of them offered to teach me how to snowboard and to give me a tour of the mountain on skis - score! Serendipitous meeting, I think so!

This afternoon I went in for my first day of work. This is a little less positive but, I'll put a spin on it at the end, don't you worry! Remember, I'm a consummate optimist! Alright, so the first day of work started at 3:30pm with a meeting with the Restaurants manager of the resort. He went over the basic HR stuff - time off, leave, harassment policies, etc - and gave us a tour of the kitchen. Then we went to work and now  I'm in so many kinds of pain I don't know where to start! Want to hear me complain a little? Continue reading otherwise skip this paragraph:
<Rant> Today Ashlinn and I, the two new girls, were scheduled on the dinner shift. 2 people called in sick leaving one person on the floor who wasn't new. Talk about flying by the seat of your pants! Luckily, I worked in a restaurant the summer after my freshman year in college. I really thought this experience would never come in handy (Other than the understanding I gained of how difficult the food service industry can be). Well tonight I felt a little like I knew what I was doing. I already know the lingo and understand the pace and the fact that yelling isn't a bad thing at certain points in the evening. HOWEVER: we were basically doing two people's jobs since half the staff called in sick.  I feel bad for our supervisor and the one guy who wasn't new. I'm sure we really stressed them out - not our fault, we are new but still!  I guess this will make my next shift seem pretty easy! All of this was in addition to the fact that I couldn't sleep last night. The jet lag finally caught up with me - or maybe I'm just getting back on "Kacey Time" (Kacey time is the freak time zone where staying up until 3am every night is normal). So now I have aches in all kinds of new places! It will get better but it's not going to be a fun first few days! Also, I'm suffering a little from walking in the snow! You know how after walking on the sand at the beach for a few days your legs begin to feel a little sore in weird places because you are using different muscle groups. Yeah - the snow is just like that. I need a yoga class stat! </Rant> So what's the upside? Well, I think I did really well! Or maybe the supervisor is just really nice? It went swimmingly for sure. Though I'm a little sore from standing on my feet for 6 hours, I'll get used to it soon and, if I can do well in this position, it will be easier for me to be moved to another position that is more desirable. Also, I'm thinking working on my feet like this will be a good weight loss program! No eating for 6 hours while walking, bending, lifting... it's going to be good!


When leaving work, the one guy who wasn't new who had been working with us, offered to drive us home. His roommate is out of town for the week and let him use his car. Thank goodness for this! Otherwise it would have been a 45 minute walk back to my room at 10:00 pm in 4 degree weather. Again with the serendipity!

To sum it all up: My life is stinkin awesome right now, I'm happy as a lark and am certain that I am in the right place at the right time with the right intentions.

I'm not working on Saturday or Sunday so I'm trying to come up with something to do this weekend. I could continue to get acquainted with Garmisch but I could also go up to Munich or to Salzburg or something... oh the possibilities! I don't want to waste any of my free time! I have a to-do list I need to start hacking away at! Leave some comment love about what you think I should do this weekend!