Euro-spiration Part 8: Venice

Tell ya what, when I started doing these 'Euro-spiration' posts it seemed like a really fun way to get me into the spirit and get excited about the places that my best friend and I will be visiting.
"Do a separate post each week", they said. "It'll be fun", they said.
Now here I am, eight posts in and two to go (after this one), and I feel such sweet relief. I think deciding to do a series TEN POSTS LONG was maybe too much of a commitment, and once I've started something I have to finish it. Lesson = learnt.

The next stop on our travels after Berlin is beautiful Venezia!

Venice is one of those places that amazes and intrigues even the most apathetic person. I remember learning about it when I learnt Italian in primary school, and the idea of a whole city floating on water completely astounded me. It consists of a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by bridges, and it is no surprise that the city itself is listed as a World Heritage Site.

The area that Venice occupies is actually considered to be a marshy lagoon, which seems strange as it's not really what one imagines when you picture a beautiful, romantic Italian city. It's original inhabitants are thought to have been fisherman, who were referred to as "lagoon dwellers". 

The foundations of Venice are actually constructed on wooden piles, which are still intact after centuries of submersion. While the wood that was chosen is known for it's water resistant properties, it is sadly believed that one day Venice will actually sink. Over the centuries, it has been sinking at a rate of about 7cm per century; however, in the last century alone it has sunk about 24cm. Obviously, this is going to happen very slowly, but is still sad to think that such a beautiful city will one day be gone.

We will only be spending about 2.5 days in Venice, but will visit St Mark's Square and Basilica, Doge's Palace, Rialto Bridge, and of course, enjoy the mandatory Gondola ride. The thing I'm looking forward to the most though, is getting lost and wandering through the city.

If you have any other tips that are a must, which won't be squeezing too much in to such a short amount of time, leave a comment in the section below!

 

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