Guide to Venice
Venice 26-29.06.2010
Flight tickets to Venice
The low-cost airline Wizz Air had just recently entered the Bulgarian market and they had released a 20% reduction in all plane tickets. On the occasion of my birthday, we decided to get another ticket. And so we took first to Venice and then to Paris. The two-way ticket from Sofia to Venice cost BGN 35, or in other words, BGN 70 in total for both of them. In reality, however, the ticket cost BGN 0, and this BGN 35 was various airport and administrative fees.
Camping Jolly
We spent the night at a campsite jolly (now it is called another way), which is actually located on the mainland in the city of Marghera, and not on the island itself Venice. There we had originally booked a tent with a shared bathroom and toilet for 82 euros in total for both of them, because it was the cheapest option. Arriving, however, it turned out that there were no tents left and they gave us at the same price at no extra charge a caravan with toilet, bathroom, air conditioning and refrigerator 🙂
We were extremely impressed by the bungalow - very clean, reserved and with a comfortable bed. The campsite was also very nice – it had a pool, restaurant, supermarket and gym. Two of the evenings and mornings we ate at the campsite restaurant. Mozzarella pizza, for example, cost 5 euros, and spaghetti 6-7 euros. If we have to be honest - we got the impression that Bulgarian pizzas are tastier than the ones there.
So, on the first day we traveled to Venice Treviso Airport, then from the airport by bus to the campsite, checked in and spent the evening by the pool. On the second day we went to Venice itself. We never understood why the city has been declared one of the most romantic places in the world as by so many tourists, stalls and boats, we could not feel romantic at all.
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Venetia
There were many bridges and tunnels between the buildings, narrow cobbled streets and many, but really many shops that mainly sell carnival masks or glass molds (cups, vases, etc.) from the neighboring island Burano. There are 4 bridges that cross the Canale Grande, the most popular being Rialto Bridge. It is the oldest bridge in Venice and was completed in its current form in 1591. For nearly 260 years, it was the only solid land connection between the two banks of the Grand Canal.
The popular Venetian gondola turned out to be quite an expensive pleasure - 60-80 euros for 1 hour, as the gondolas easily accommodate 4-6 people and can be combined. Otherwise, the gondolas on the sides looked very clean and polished from all sides. As a souvenir, I bought a purple carnival mask for 12 euros - a big measurement and a try fell in the store until I liked it 🙂
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Venice There are many sights such as Saint Mark's Square and San Marco Basilica are among the most famous. Arriving at the square, we couldn't believe how many people there are - a penny to throw and there is nowhere to fall. At the same time, the temperatures in the sun reached dangerous degrees, it was very hot, but not stuffy. Walking around the square, we noticed that there are three venues with live music, where mostly baroque classical music was played - Vivaldi, Bach.
The square also houses Doge's Palace and the Clock Tower. St. Mark's Square is the largest open space in all of Venice and contrasts strongly with the narrow streets and canals that cover the entire city. It is also known for the large number of pigeons that delight tourists. There are people who give various seeds for 1-2 euros to feed the pigeons, but this is prohibited and you can get a fine.
We went to see the Basilica of San Marco. It is open from 9:30 to 17:00 in the summer and from 9:30 to 16 in the winter. Current information can be found here. Entry to the basilica is free and you have to wait your turn in a big long queue. Then we went up to the terrace of the basilica, from where there was a very nice view. And since this was not enough for us, then with a lot of effort we also climbed the Clock Tower on foot, although there was also a paid option for an elevator. From there we could at a glance cover the whole of Venice with the red roofs of the buildings, the Grand Canal and the surrounding islands.
Read more: A travelogue about Venice - 9 years later
Our second visit was part of our camper trip to the Western Balkans and Italy.
On the third day, we walked to Lido Island with Vapporetti - this is actually the local public transport, i.e. ships. We sat at the front, and the boat was half-empty, unlike the return, when we had clearly hit rush hour and it was a big scuffle. We passed through the Grand Canal, saw the Bridge of Sighs on our left side and after less than 30 minutes we reached the neighboring island of Lido. There is actually the beach of Venice. We just dipped our feet in the warm Mediterranean water to cool off, as we hadn't planned to sit for hours basking on the beach.
Lido Island is far less busy compared to Venice and far fewer tourists. There we sat at a pizzeria and ordered only 1 pizza for the two of us, as we were not very hungry, but we were curious to try the pizzas there as well. In typical Italian style, however, if only 1 pizza is ordered, the utensils must be only 1. Even when we asked for a second set of utensils, the waiter refused on the pretext that we had to order something else... Years later, the same thing happened to us in Rome...
Other interesting places along Venice that we supposedly left for the next time are the islands of Murano and Burano. Murano is the island of the popular Venetian glass. All glass factories are located there. Burano is the island of knitted lace and brightly colored houses.
A few conclusions from the trip:
Italians are not workaholics at all. We noticed a lot of shops and restaurants, whose opening hours were from 10:00 to 13:00, then they close for an afternoon manyana and then open again from 16:00 to 19:00.
Half of the population in Lido, Mestre and Marghera moved by bicycle. There were bike lanes everywhere. There were even quite a few cyclists in suits and women in dresses.
Only on the third day did we find out that the food in the restaurants is many times more expensive than in the supermarkets. Yes, don't laugh at us - after all, it was one of our first trips and we learned it as it's called - from experience. For example, mineral water of 1.5 liters. In Venice it costs 2 euros, at the campsite - 0.85 euros, and in the supermarket - 0.45 euros.
I can't help but complain that my frequent trips to the toilet were put into a big overspend, since I was pregnant at the end of the 2nd and the beginning of the 3rd month, and during this time of pregnancy it is characteristic that frequent going to the WC, and the fee for this in Venice was 1.5 euros. So we probably gave 50 euros just for that!
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Costs for two:
Flight tickets Sofia - Venice Treviso - Sofia - BGN 70
Nights in Jolly camping - 82 euros - 160 BGN
Toilets - 50 euros 🙂
Food, souvenirs and sights: BGN 270.
Total: BGN 600.
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