Two days in Venice, Italy

I visited Venice for the first time on the first weekend of the Venice Carnival (Carnevale di Venezia), to experience the opening ceremonies of the Carnival. This was the first weekend of February so the weather was quite pleasant, becoming colder by night with a cold breeze blowing through. The famous tourist destination was crowded because of the Carnival, which was not unusual for Venice, though it was not filled with as many tourists as I had imagined (at least in the streets and while roaming around - the carnival areas were obviously extremely crowded).

TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION

I took a Flixbus from Milan Lampugnano station to Venice Mestre station, which was approximately a four hour ride. The bus ticket was 9 euros, and it was pleasantly comfortable. We reached there around 12.00 pm, and checked in our hostel, the Wombat hostel. It was really close to the station (like a three to five minute walk) and the area was quite nice, with wide roads and other hostels and hotels. The Wombat hostel is a new brand and we booked it because of the good reviews. 

The reception is really warm and inviting, with cosy seating on one side and a playful bar on the other. The decor is really youthful and colorful, and the staff was very friendly. Our dorm was clean and spacious, and the lockers were good enough for storing a backpack as well as extra storage. There were no linens or toiletries, but the toiletries could be bought from the vending machine near the reception. A bed in a six room dorm costed me around 12 euros.

DAY ONE

After checking in, we went back to the Venice Mestre station to take the train to the main island, to the Venizia St. Lucia station. The train costs 1.5 euros per ticket, and it is a 15 minute travel. Upon reaching, we started walking around. The city was decorated with vendors standing on the banks of the river streams, selling colorful masks ranging from subtle black eye masks to more elaborate full face masks with feathered boas sticking out from the top. Gondolas and private boats dotted the streams, and the crowd was pleasant. We roamed around the cobbled streets that were marked with restaurants catering to all gastronomical needs, offering traditional Italian pizzas and pastas as well as other cultural cuisines. Gelato cafes and Murano glass shops are a common sight, as well as discounted clothing and accessories shops. 

We walked further towards the Piazza San Marco, the main square located at the sea banks, also home to the famous Cathedral, Basilica di San Marco. On our way we walked through a lot of small bridges and narrow streets that opened up to hidden squares, excitedly watching the crowd donning the playful masks. Here and there we could see couples or friends dressed extremely flamboyantly in full carinval gear, with outfits of princes and princesses, etcetera. We stopped at a big hidden shop at a corner just before Piazza San Marco to buy masks for ourselves (for keepsakes and souvenirs) and walked further.

Towards the Piazza the stores became fancier, with many famous brands located on either side of us. The square in itself is quite populous, with a colonnaded corridor running on three sides which is full of shops and fancy restaurants. On one side is the St. Mark's Cathedral and on the other is the museum. We did not go inside the Cathedral but looked in awe at the facade, which has elaborate gold paintings and classic architecture reminiscent of the Gothic-Renaissance period.

Across the Cathedral is the sea bank, where you can board the water taxi (since there are no vehicular roads in Venice, you either travel by private boats or government owned water 'buses/taxis' that run from certain central points connecting the small island). You can also hire a private water taxi which is a speed boat, or you can take the Gondola ride from here. The water taxis here also connect to the other islands (which are visible from these banks) where the apartment complexes, university and hotels are situated. 

After grabbing a coffee and enjoying the sights, we made our way back to Rio di Canareggio, one of the main and major canal streams in the island of Venice, where the opening ceremony of the Carnival was to take place. The entire ceremony was to be performed on boats, travelling up the canal. As onlookers, we had to stand on either side of the canal to get a glimpse of the spectacle. And what a spectacle it was! After tolerating and getting through a major crowd of people, we found our way to the banks. 

The Venice Carnival opening ceremony was beautiful, to say the least. There were acrobats high up in the air stabilized from the boat, performing an acrobatic dance up in the sky, made more mesmerizing by the melancholic music playing behind. There were performers presenting a dance with fire, and it was a riot of colours, acts and performances. The canal was alive that night!

After the ceremony ended, we made our way to a restaurant near the Piazza San Marco for an Italian dinner. From there, we walked back towards the Venizia St. Lucia station to take the train back to Mestre.

The Wombat hostel had a lively bar and we had free drink coupons given to us on arrival, so we made good use of it and spent some more time there, enjoying the youthful environment around us.

DAY TWO

We made breakfast at the free group kitchen in the hostel (it was quite big, airy and spacious, and also had a separate room for laundry which had sufficient washing and drying machines) and then left for the island of Venice the same way as the previous day. There was to be a morning carnival ceremony as well, so we rushed in order to find a good spot. This ceremony was based on people designing their own boats, racing and then presenting it to the crowd by travelling through the canal stream we were standing at (Rio di Canareggio again). It was a little underwhelming after the previous night's experience, but it was worth watching the water caravans dressed up as bees and snakes and dragons.

We had lunch in one of the restaurants and walked back towards the Piazza San Marco. On our way we stopped at a Gondola station, where we booked a ride. It was slightly expensive- 80 euros for the whole Gondola, approximately 20-30 minutes of time, and maximum six people allowed. The Gondola ride was really fun and we got to experience the beauty of Venice in a whole other way.

At the Piazza we stopped at a restaurant bar, whose outdoor seating was right next to the banks. We sat and enjoyed wine while watching the sun set over the sea, giving spectacular views, while the crowd walked around us. From there we took a water taxi to the station (we had to catch our evening train back to Milan), which was another experience! We saw the sunset over the sea itself, the horizon shrinking away in the blackness that had started descending. We went past the other islands and could appreciate the architecture (especially the Hilton hotel - it looked beautiful!)

I felt that Venice can be explored within two days as it took us thirty to forty five minutes to walk from one end to the other, but it is definitely worth a visit, especially if you have never been there before. There are hidden shops, malls, and niches that can offer you a never before seen experience, be it fancy or thrifty. Venice has something for everyone!