Floating Venice - The Element of Water
- Tobias Heller
- 23. Sept. 2016
- 6 Min. Lesezeit
Venice, after a long hike I finally arrive, utterly exhausted with only one simple wish - find an accommodation and rest! But oh no, marching into Venice people cheerfully awaiting me to fall on their knees offering an accommodation for an exhausted hiker was something I should not expect here, and undoubtedly will not encounter. Lying on an larger Island in the lagoon of Venice with a surface of roughly about 415 square kilometers it attracts thousands and thousands of tourists from allover the world to wander in the maze of channels.
Arrival
Despair & Luck - Start to Venice
I limp into the next tourist office, past the immense crowd of tourists, carefully avoiding not to knock over any of them. Once inside they tell me they can't advice me for any accommodation and refer to the attached computers on the wall, to find something for myself. As I check the prices, my eyeballs are on the verge of popping out, unaffordable for only one night! The only possibilities would be to leave Venice to stay on the mainland for the night. Confused, indecisive and overly tired I step out and begin to walk along the streets of Venice. I wander the streets of Venice, heavy backpack still on my sore shoulders, barely able to even make one step in front of another, not at all knowing where I am going. I admire the canals but only halfheartedly as I am over fatigued and desire a warm and comfortable bed - or at least somewhere, just somewhere, for my body to rest. Thoughts circle around the possibilities: sleeping under a bridge? Well, that's maybe not the cleverest idea, despite an overabundant number of them they may all seem too wet to sleep below. Sleeping on a bench? It may sound easy, but unfortunately once you search for something specific it is the least likely to find. The sun is already about to set.
After a while I encounter some benches on a square, people are still around and I feel uncomfortable lying down on that exposed spot, in direct view of others. As I sit here sully, a shadow moves out of nearby bushes and startles me. A man with a weird way of walking accompanied by a dog stands there, pulling on the leash as the dog tries to force his owner to move. But he simply stands there, staring. Staring at what? Undoubtedly staring in my direction. I shiver slightly, shift my body into another position and hope for him to leave, pretending to not see this strange hooded figure. The minutes pass on, and he still lingers there, so I decide it is enough of that nonsense, I heave my bag back on and move into another direction, after a few meters trying to look back - noticing that he started to follow me. I now see no other way than fleeing from that spot, as with my unwanted friend I'd be never able to find rest at all, so I keep walking, left, right, right, left, with no specific plan or goal in mind as I am lost in Venice. Once I feel like I outdistanced that highly despicable man, I slow down the pace. Darkness has arrived now.
And as it so happens, luck was finally upon me. Passing a bar a bunch of young people starts talking to me, as I apparently drew their attention, heavily loaded wandering blindfolded through the passage ways. Once I finish telling my story, I end up having a beer in my hands, and the promise for a roof over my head and I am engaged in interesting talks with my new hosts. Stephan, an artist living in Venice, currently working for the 'Biennale di Venezia' arranges the whole thing for me, and luckily these gorgeous people allow me to stay in their home for the next 3 days. I am overwhelmed by this great hospitality.
Sightseeing & Exploring
The Maze & the Canals
The sun falls on my face and I slowly get back to consciousness, pincing my eyes together and blinking several times in order to bring my field of view back into focus. I am slightly confused in the beginning, but it only takes a few seconds until it dawns on me which location I am in and a mixture of various images flashes back through my brain, which finally conclude in last nights events. I sit up, some muscles still aching from the arduous final days of hiking, but this still is nothing compared to my feet. Giving them a look, they look simply put disgusting. Skin on parts is already peeling off, but some of newly developed blisters contain a huge load of yellowish puss, which is visible through the thin layer of skin that is leftover. Carefully I tend to the blisters, removing leftovers of dead skin, cleaning out the dirt, disinfecting the skin and wrapping them in tissues and plasters. While doing so my view falls onto my freshly washed and hanged clothes on the rack, and not only these are clean, I also took a shower the previous night and that was one of the most amazing showers in my life. It felt like cleaning off all the exertion of the previous days - and with it the bad smell and saltiness of my sweat.
I meet Stephan and his flatmate in the kitchen, having breakfast together. As both of them have to work today, I will walk around - yes walking again - to explore Venice on my own. As we are staying in Giudeca, a small Island just right over the river I take the Tronchetto to go over to the other side, making my way into the maze-like structure of Venice.
The picturesque small canals and streets winding their way through the city are the remarkable signature feature of Venice, as there are hundreds of small bridges, water canals and gondoliers floating through the narrowness of the buildings, it is favored photo motif and serves similarly as template for artists. The best thing to do in Venice is to simply stroll aimlessly around, as it won't matter deeply which corner you go around, you will find yourself in front of an adorable canal with rippling water reflecting it's surrounding and bridges leading the way over to the other side or you find yourself in any of the numerous tiny and narrow streets, often dotted with unfortunately mainly expensive design shops and boutiques and mouth-watering delicacies are offered in restaurants and small cafes. If it weren't for the overpopulation of tourists, which I assume sums up to a higher number of people than actual inhabitants, this place would be simply magic and gorgeous. As it is weekend, those days the city is packed and you barely find just a single street which isn't occupied by tourists busily taking selfies on every corner.
Museum & Culture
Biennale - Entrance through the Backside
As Stephano works as an artist for the Biennale, which currently takes place and is situated at the east end of the island Venice, he offers to get me inside for free. He tells me to meet him at the backside of one of the main buildings at a door marked with a square until he is able to open the door. Standing there, mosquitoes are starting to literally eat me up, somehow attracted to that certain spot. Once he opens, I rush inside hastily to get rid of those nasty creatures, already starting to scratch my attacked legs. He hands me a map, and on my own I explore the area of the Biennale and it's current exhibitions, which range from architecture designs to art as well as experimental art to scientific researches. I enjoy myself very much, exploring the various halls dedicated to different matters, professionally displayed.
Culture & Curiosities
Demonstration - Clean the Grand Canale
I am sitting waiting at the deck in front of the Grand Canale, in order to meet up with Stephano and some friends for a beer just here at the main pier. Musicians are gathered here and a massive crowd of people, according to my host this is a protest going on, with people getting furious about the fact that another cruising ship has set a new route through the Grand Canale, thereby clogging up the water way with further mass tourism. They are all waiting during the sunset for the renown ship to enter and as soon as it is in reach small boats circle around it, colorful smoke evaporating in the air. I wonder what those people on the cruise may think about the spectacle, who are standing on deck, overviewing the boats from above. It is quite a scene to watch the ongoing events on the water, accompanied by a speakers loud echoing voice at the pier. The sun begins to set, and I invite Stephano for a Pizza in a restaurant along the river due to the slight feeling of guilt and also thankfulness for his hospitality. Great days did I spend in Venice, though extremely tired from the hiking, I am eager to go on with my travels down the boot of Italy. It has just begun.
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