In April 2023 my husband and I joined my parents on our first ever Cruise. We didn't know if we were "those type of people" but the adventure was exciting and worth a try. My folks had already done a couple cruises and convinced us it was the right way to see the world. So we went all in.
Well...They were right. For us South Africans our lowly rand does not go far against the Euro, Pound or Dollar, so an inclusive trip absolutely saved us a fortune.
We embarked on our 15 day Cruise across the Med departing from Trieste and eventually arriving in Lisbon, followed by a trip up the coast. This series will take you in the journey of our Mediterranean Cruise starting with our arrival in Venice, Italy.
I had always wanted to visit Italy and my longing was confirmed when we first arrived from our flight at Marco Polo International airport in Venice. My bag was unfortunately left in Madrid where we had a layover, (Air Tags are AMAZING!!) so the additional stress was not ideal, but we still managed to walk till our feet ached on our first day in Venice.
The Bus ride from Marco Polo International to Venice was easy - pay on the bus and ride to Roma Bus station. From there it's a short walk over the bridge to Fundamenta Santa Lucia, which can lead you all the way around Venice if you wish to walk.
Just over the bridge on the right is the water bus ticket office. The water bus is a fantastic way to see Venice. Our Water Bus tickets cost E20 per person and give you 24 hours travel by bus or water bus. Between running down alleys to find a store to buy some spare clothes (we had been travelling 16 hours) we soon realised that Venice is not the place for buying your basics. Every store was high end boutique quality with hefty price tags. By the end of the afternoon we realised that the best place was actually back at the train station which is right next to the bus station. So once I had so fresh clothes we managed to enjoy the rest of our time in Venice.
This is the view from our hotel.
The views of the canal and local Venezian architecture were incredible! We were constantly dumbfounded by the Buildings that appeared to be floating in the canals. We found out that our cruise left from Trieste rather than Venice because Cruise ships had recently been banned from approaching Venice as the wake of the engines was damaging the waterways and islands. This is totally understandable when you see the buildings first hand.
The tide variance is visible on the buildings and the amount of turbulence caused by the ships could eventually be catastrophic to Venice. So these days cruise ships dock out in the bay and use tender boats to bring cruise guests to the shore in Venice. The Cruise Terminal is quite unused, but the drop off area is close enough to be able to walk into Venice to get a water bus if needed.
Our water bus trip took us to the major sights of Venice, starting with the Doge Palace which is a Gothic style palace and Museum.
Doge Palace
Gothic Architecture
The details of the Arches, Pillars and the facade of the palace are incredibly detailed. The Palace includes the Duke's rooms, a prison and armoury that can be toured. Tickets cost E25 if booked more than 30 days prior via online booking. That way you will skip the cues and get quicker access.
The outside of the Palace is constructed with Istrian Stone, while the inside is decorated in Verona Marble.
The cues to enter the museum were hours long, so we admired the architecture from the outside and then walked down Piazzetta San Marco towards The Basilica di San Marco.
This complex is found directly behind the Doge Palace, a short walk of about 3 minutes where we once again found long cues to enter the Basilica.
Saint Mark's Basilica
Saint Mark's Basilica was a sight to behold. It's beautiful facade inlaid with gold and detailed with portraits, stonework, arches and carpentry. Directly opposite the entrance across the Square is St Mark's Campanile which is a cathedral tower with a spire topped with an angel. Visitors can get an elevator to the top of the tower to see the views of Venice.
St Mark's Campanile
We walked the canals taking photos of everything we saw from the many, many buildings, Canals with Gondola rides and fancy motor boats with their wealthy guests.
Gondola Rides
We finished the day with gelato and pizza which were plentiful even during this cooler weather. We found the locals helpful and the streets busy. It's hard to imagine Venice with empty streets, because it seemed like the streets were constantly abuzz with people walking from one place to another between the ancient buildings.
Pizza at Gino's
The next morning we had one last look at the Rialto Bridge before catching the train to Trieste to embark on our cruise. We didn't get to visit Murano Island to watch the glass blowers, so we will have to go back one day and take a slower pace enjoying the culture of Venice.
Rialto Bridge
My bag arrived at Marco Polo International later that evening so we managed to fetch it before heading to Trieste. Disaster averted.
Follow along on this series for our 15 day cruise, each day in a new city, covering 7 countries in Europe. There is so much to explore!
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