RSSIn Venice
It’s Carnival in Venice, one of the most famous in the world.
But like the beautiful costumes that Venetians wear, all gleaming on the outside, the celebration is more unkempt underneath.
I found the crowds overwhelming, making the narrow streets unmovable.
The schedule of events, announced in the program or by personnel at the Info Points, is often wrong. (Three events I tried going to in one day were either canceled or started much earlier because organizers “wanted to.”) And it’s Christmas for pickpockets. Or, as a crowd of locals told me in the evening as I expressed all of this, “Welcome to Venice.”
“Drink with us,” they invite me, as we stand in a piazza which was supposed to feature a dance party but instead is ruled by a small mob watching a football match. “Drinking will make Venice more tolerable; that’s what we do,” they laugh through clenched teeth.
Undeniably, Venice IS beautiful: the canals, gondolas and towering, crumbling buildings are relics of a world gone by. But my advice should you go: Bring a flask.
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Benjamin Thomas
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4 comments to “In Venice”
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About the Eurail Blog
Benjamin Thomas from the USA has been using Eurail Passes to explore Europe. On this weblog he shares his (train) travel experiences. Intro
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Venice!!!
Is it affected by global warming?
some says gondola in Venice is going to sink.
if it’s real, then I’m gonna list on my travel scheme
Belinda
Yes, you should see Venice… rising water or no rising-water. But who knows how quickly changes will happen, so maybe you are correct in going sooner rather than later.
Benjamin.
can eurail italy saver pass (3 days) be used to travel from rome to venice on 15.6. 09 ,venice to zurich on17.06.09?is the handling charges of US$15 levied on each saverpass or is it per head?
Hello – Be sure that your Pass will cover you in both Italy and Switzerland, since you are visiting Rome, Venice and Zurich. The handling charge of US $15 is per shipment, not per head or pass. You can order up to 15 passes for the US $15 handling charge. Have fun! Benjamin.