I've had the travel bug my entire life and through the years I've become sort of an expert in finding little secrets and gems away from the masses. I went to Venice, Italy for the first time and I went completely blind...not knowing a damn thing about Italy. I knew as much about Venice any average person: the canals smell of poo, pizza is everywhere, the city is sinking ...that's about it. My experience was completely not what I expected. So let me dive into this post the best way I know how...photos!
First, I didn't smell anything funky while I was in Venice. I'm not sure if it smells other times of the year but I only smelled the fresh sea smell. And the streets were so clean, I woke up at 5:30am to roam the canals my first morning and saw people cleaning the streets. Venice = So Fresh!
A ride on a Gondola is about $100 for 30 minutes. Not my idea of value. But there is a longer looking Gondola boat that takes people across the grand canal for 2 euro. You can find this gondola taxi thing at San Marcos square. Sorry, no pic.
HUGE tip! When you arrive in Venice (from the US) you're internal clock is going to be off. So take advantage of that go out at night or early morning. The city rolls up around 8:00pm and the tourists don't come out in droves until around 8:00am. Here are pics of San Marcos before the masses are let off the cruise ships. Probably my best tip for Venice.
Where the hell are all the people at San Marcos? Hahahahhaa...6:00am!!
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Yours truly enjoying calamari and some Italian red wine in one of the small piazzas (squares) off the beaten path. Just start walking until you find your little quaint street or piazza away from the tourist. I found this table next to a telephone booth...I'm a busy guy!
I hate fiat currency, paper money. I didn't see anyone excepting bitcoin so that didn't go down the blockchain path unfortunately. But be sure to call your credit card/bank ahead of time and let them know how long you'll be out of the country. I just called the number on the back of my card and notified them through their automation. Easy! Don't get stuck with a bunch of damn paper currency like me.
Did I already mention I prefer Venice early in the morning? Awwww...no tourists. Peace and quiet. Beauty. And the light is beautiful; if you're into photography bring your tripod and rip off some killer shots, bro!
How about a Mikey selfie? Look good while you're in Italy, bring some nice threads even if it's 5:30 in the morning. Do it. The Italians will appreciate you more and might even smile at you. Not that I'm that dashing, but I did go to H&M and grab some cheap threads for the trip to be as hip as I could be. HA! Be like an Italian is my point, no cargo shorts please!
I didn't know this about Venice, but there are no taxis...no cars! But, there are water taxis and you're going to want to buy a pass for however many days you're going to be there. A one way ticket is 7.5 Euro; I bought a 72 hour pass for 40 Euro and I was on the water taxis all the time. Well worth it and one of the best ways to see Venice and the surrounding islands.
It can be a bit confusing as to where to buy your pass. Tobacco shops is where I found mine. Just ask for a tobacco shop and get your pass there. Enjoy the adventure and try to not get frustrated, getting around Venice can be confusing. You have to tell yourself that this is part of the experience. If you aren't adventurous or a scared little rabbit go on a fucking tour.
Use Google maps to figure out how to get around. Don't ask anyone because you'll get about 10 different answers if you were to ask 10 different people. The employees of the city water taxis are helpful, be quick about your question because they are busy and working a job that is somewhat dangerous (waves and boats flying around everywhere, they don't have time to chitchat with your sorry tourist ass).
Water taxi operator - they are busy, so be quick about getting directions. "Sir, does this go to San Marcos?"
Remember the photo of me on the phone above? This is that same piazza at night. Quiet and romantic....bring your love partner and get your groove on.
What the hell is that gold thing? The Italians are all about style, art and giant gold dildos (LOL). When you venture off the main tourist areas you are likely to see art installations, small galleries, and just art in general. Look for it, find it and explore. Venice is easy to walk around, it's roughly 15 minutes from one side to another by foot. So don't be afraid to get lost, be sure to bring your phone because you're going to need Google maps!
Off of San Stefano Square I found lots of funky glass shops, art shops and everything Italian without all the tourists of San Marcos. This glass designer shop blew me away.
In a back alley I found this little courtyard. Off the beaten path my friends. I'll say it again, off the beaten path is where you'll find all things Italian in Venice.
I avoided Rialto Bridge, here's what a mob of tourists looks like. Grrrrr....horrible and it's difficult to walk around too. Not sure about pick pockets, I don't keep anything in my pockets worth stealing. I have my credit card in my iPhone Case. Google "Stoaway" by Incipio. Well worth the $25.
If you do one touristy thing, go to the Doge. It's in San Marcos Square. You'll learn a bit about the magnitude and sheer power the Venetians had at one point in history. Don't even question it, just go. You can send me a donation of bitcoin later.
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Food tips: if you're rich just find a restaurant right in the touristy area, or get a bit of a discount when you're off the beaten path. Check out the menu and see if you like it. To be honest I didn't have one bad food experience in Venice except for the price. The Jewish Ghetto was the cheapest and coolest for eats/drinks in my opinion (about 1/3 of the price in the main tourist areas).
Some sort of scallop risotto dish on a funky little piazza (12 Euro)
My view on a canal in the Ghetto. Google the Jewish Ghetto. It's hip.
I highly recommend prosciutto and melon. Be sure to grab a glass of Campari to wash it down.
I did order pizza once, but I sort of regretted it since there were so many options for the same price that I have never had before. Go for some seafood!
Here's a screen shot of one of my favorite neighborhoods that I talked about above called San Stefano. Go and get lost there if you're into art.
If you are a photographer and want to shoot an Italian model I recommend modelmayhem.com. I reached out to a few different people before my trip and shot a few different people. Here's Chiara who was not only beautiful but really fun to shoot. We ventured into an abandoned factory for pictures. Great fun!
Chiara
Next I will write about my experience in Croatia. Enjoy and tell me what you think!
Mikey
PS Anyone interested in taking a photography workshop? Comment.