We spent our second full day in Venice walking and riding the vaporetto (the bus-like passenger ferry service that operates on the canals). From the canals the city is different and has a busier feel; we were glad that we spend most of the previous day wandering the streets and tiny alley ways rather than starting to explore by water.
Venice is an island joined to the mainland by a causeway and nearby are several other island communities easily reached by ferry. We took the vaporetto to Lido and did a quick walk in the main built-up area. Unlike Venice, Lido is newer, has cars, and does not have canals. It does have a very long sandy beach, rental bikes and good places to cycle. Worth a full day of exploration the next time we are in Venice.
Being the height of the tourist season, we did not do the main tourist sights. We did venture to the Plaza St. Marco, but the lineup for the Basilica was too long. We headed on to the Academia Gallery which has a large collection of paintings, mainly religious, dating from the 14th to 18th centuries. It doesn’t seem to be a main tourist attraction and we had a pleasant visit. It is quite moving to see well cared for works of art painted 600 years ago.
A good dinner, again out doors, then packing up for an early start on Friday.
A few more photos attached.
Thanks for the postings and photos. They let me ghost along with you and share your excitement and fun. I always wanted to visit Venice, now I must. Your hotel looks perfect.