Venice

"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
08/28/2015 at 13:09 • Filed to: Travel, venice, boatlopnik

I was lucky enough to spend the day walking, and boating, Venice. It is a very cool city, especially if you can get off the main tourist thoroughfares. It gets quiet fairly quick.

DISCUSSION (16)

William Byrd > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:14

Neat city, was there last month. We stayed in Mestre, which is just outside Venice. Easier to get in and out of with luggage, kids, etc. We just took the bus in and out of town each day. Was incredibly hot when we were there, how was the weather?

We were pushing a stroller, made all the bridges difficult (except for the bridge of sighs and one other that had a ramp).

Did you make it to Lido beach on one of the other islands? Very cool, we loved that.

HammerheadFistpunch > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:14

Whats it like being in a powered boat there? I suspect its no wake zone throughout the city so...how boring is that?

Dunnik > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:15

Lucky you! Venice is, probably, my most favorite city in the entire world. I visited in May, when there are less tourists (in the high season, the tourists outnumber the Venetians) and just wandered around on foot. Wish I had the opportunity to borrow a power boat and tool around: the only way to see the city and the lagoon, of course.

And as you say, the quiet is what is most appealing. Before Venice, I was in Rome, and if you can imagine the sound of a million Vespas....and contrast that with the lapping of water on a dock...well, it’s clear which is the nicer city!

ttyymmnn > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:15

Did you go inside St. Mark’s? A whole lot of very important music history was made in that space.

f86sabre > William Byrd
08/28/2015 at 13:20

Weather was in the 80s. Warm, but not too bad. We saw folks with kids and I had sympathy. Ours stayed home with grandma, so we didn't have to worry about them getting around. We are staying in Florence until tomorrow. Just a day trip up to Venice. Gives us a reason to go back, maybe in the offseason. Didn't make it to Lido, but did make it to the phriery.

f86sabre > HammerheadFistpunch
08/28/2015 at 13:21

We were on one of the water ferry’s that everyone takes around town. It was cool and moved quick enough. There were some water taxis that were moving at a good clip. But it was pretty much no wake.

William Byrd > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:23

Any other destinations on the trip? We landed in Munich, drove to Venice, then Tuscany (town of Radda in Chianti which was cool), then Maranello , Lake Como, French Riviera, Zurich, Frankfurt, and back to Munich. Happy to compare notes, was a great trip, mix if work and pleasure.

HammerheadFistpunch > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:23

Seems like there could be a huge (profit) niche market for developing luxurious boats with low wake characteristics that could travel around at higher speeds but be very opulent. That is unless is a speed restricted issue, not a “wake-less speed” issue.

f86sabre > HammerheadFistpunch
08/28/2015 at 13:27

I think there is too much traffic volume for that. You have the ferries, taxis, private boats small cargo traffic and the traditional gondolas.

HammerheadFistpunch > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:31

Gotcha. I wasn’t thinking in terms of 20 knotts, more like 10 instead of 5.

f86sabre > William Byrd
08/28/2015 at 13:36

We are hopping a train from Florence to Santa Margahrit on the Italian Rivera tomorrow. We are just there overnight and we do dinner in Portafino. After that we have rented an apartment for four nights in Nice. We are taking my father in law to gamble at the casino in Monaco. It is a bucket list thing for him. Will be walking the track and hitting the Tip Top Bar for a beverage. Not sure what else we are going to do in Nice. My wife and I had been there before. Might rent a car and visit Grasse for the day or wander down the coast. We split ways with the In laws next Thursday and head to Monza. F1. We have an airbnb apartment booked between the core of the old town and the park. We get the Monday after the race in Milan and we fly home.

How was Como? We are going to be so close. But I don’t think we will make it up there.

f86sabre > ttyymmnn
08/28/2015 at 13:39

We did. Lovely space.

William Byrd > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:48

Oh, good timing. Make sure you head over to Cannes! It was spectacular. We stayed near Martin, just outside of Monaco and got tired of the stone/rock beaches. Cannes imported in their own sand, and it’s one of the few/only sand beaches in the region. It was worth the drive from the Monaco area, and you’ll be much closer. Most of the beach is divided into private areas where you can rent chairs/umbrella. Do that, I’ll even look up where we went if you want, it was spectacular. Rental was maybe 40 EUR and then we had food and drinks over the course of the day, spent less than 100 EUR total (2 adults and a baby). So much fun, service was impeccable. Plus the car spotting is great, esp. at the Hotel Martinez. Some pics here I think.

Como is beautiful. Was at the top of the “most beautiful in Europe” list before seeing Interlaken in the Swiss alps. It’s a haul from where you are on the riviera, but may be worth it. We were around Milan but didn’t go downtown. Naturally Maranello and Bologna were excellent, which are a couple hours drive from there.

Monaco is cool, good car experience naturally. The Monte Carlo casino is definitely worth a visit, and the circle out front is great for car watching. We went into the casino during the day, they weren’t letting everyone in though. So dress nice and you’ll have a shot at getting in to wander around. We didn’t make it down at night but I’m sure it’s great.

f86sabre > William Byrd
08/28/2015 at 13:55

We brought dressier clothes specifically for the casino. Hopefully they don't cause us any trouble. Thanks for the info. If you happen to look up the beach that would be cool. Odds are we will make it down to Cannes. I remember them having a good farmers market.

Ash78, voting early and often > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 13:57

We spent several days there in July 2008. Definitely hot, humid, smelly, and full of tourists, but I was absolutely floored how quiet it would get off the main pedestrian areas. And then when you go to Burano or Torcello, there was nobody around! Most tourists are pretty lazy.

Really amazing labyrinth of a town and a testament to early structural engineering and logistics.

William Byrd > f86sabre
08/28/2015 at 14:00

Pretty sure it was la Page du festival . But I imagine most of the nicer looking places are similar.