Because the forecast has threatened rain every day I've been in Europe and instead it has been absolutely beautiful weather, I leave my rain coat in the hotel. This time the weather report is accurate so in the torrential rain I buy an umbrella for 5 euro - it's questionable as to whether it will even last the full afternoon (highway robbery aka classic economics).
Venice is made up of 117 islands along what is called the Grand Canal which is a wide waterway. Many of the islands are connected by walkway bridges. I had heard that Venice is sinking but in actuality we are told the Adriatic is threatening to swamp it. Many years ago they dredged a deeper channel into the Grand Canal to allow bigger ships to come in (there are 5 cruise ships parked in the lagoon right now). This deeper channel also allowed the Adriatic Sea to rush in farther causing more tidal swings. They are now working on erecting these man-made islands and tidal walls to prevent the Adriatic from rushing in so far. It's a big job - the sea here today is not gentle, it's choppy with sharp edged peaks of milky green, like sea glass. Apart from the gondolas the boats are flat bottomed and sturdy and handle the choppy sea with no problem - I am sure they are capable of handling much worse.
It's fitting that it is raining here in Venice. Where the other cities I've visited so far have been almost surreal in their staggering beauty, Venice is a city that looks lived in. It's real - you can tell people are living and working here. It's messy and used but nonetheless charming. With the heavy rain, umbrella-clad crowds are wondering narrow lanes, some only large enough for single file lines, I am surprised to discover I can find my way around this labyrinth of passage ways and bridges. 5 cruise ships times ~2000 people (they are big ships) means there are 10,000 people swelled into this small city of bridges and walkways. It feels swollen.
The city is not that big and despite the crowds, umbrellas and rain, it is walkable. I make my way to the Rialto bridge - it's a lovely high bridge with a fantastic view over the area with wonderful shops and cafes.
Venice is famous for it's Murano glass so I tour one of the glass blowing factories. Interesting tour. I did not know that the different colored glass comes from mixing in different elements : cobalt for blue, iron for green, cadmium for yellow, manganese for purple, and the most expensive - gold for red. Of course, the tour ended with a large show room where they had some amazing things that you could buy and they would ship it to your home for free but it was all so pricey I didn't buy anything - I hope I don't regret that when I get back....
I also saw the popular destinations of St Mark's Basilica and Piazza San Marco - so crowded! The line to get into the basilica goes around the square. Sacrilegious as it may sound, I've had my fill of churches so I seek refuge from the crowds and the rain in the Hotel Danielle. What a refuge it is! Chandeliers of Murano glass, tapestries, mosaics. I order tea and they bring an entire silver set with a plate of biscuits (aka cookies in the US). Tea time is one of those habits I want to keep when I get back.
Around 4pm the city empties out as the cruise ships start heading out of the Grand Canal. What a relief as the city starts to empty! Before we went off for dinner our tour included a gondola ride. I was so tired by that time and soaked through despite my umbrella that would give out at any moment that I almost skipped it. We went in groups of 6 and squeezed into 4 boats. They handed us a bottle of champagne and the mood improved slightly. The tour paid for a singer and an accordion player who were both very good on the middle boat. As we caravanned down the canals, it was around 6:30 pm, people with their children were coming home or heading to dinner. As we passed with the singer standing in the middle boat they started following us, singing along, waving at us. People in the buildings started opening their windows and looking down at us as we passed. Other tourists, like us, would stop on the bridges and take pictures, singing along to the songs that we've all heard and know. The sun was starting to set and it was only lightly raining, no one cared about that. It was a lovely way to end the day in Venice. I would definitely come back.
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