6:36 AM
Venice Island
Water TaxiWe took the water taxi to Venice Island today! We were all looking forward to it as it is our first time to Venice and for some of us, first time taking a water taxi. Water taxi is the only form of transportation to Venice Island. The moment we stepped out of the water taxi, we were totally fascinated by the scenery around us. It was simply amazing!
One of the things we learnt from the tour guide was that the Doges were elected for life and stayed in Doge’s Palace. The Doge was also not allowed to leave the Palace without 2 Council members. This was one way for the Council to actually monitor the movement and actions of the Doges. He was also not allowed to accept any personal gifts – whatever they received has to be placed in the Treasure Room. Many of the Doges elected were also rich men as they had to use their own money to build or renovate the buildings. Other Doges were regarded as heroes by the people due to their military success.
We saw a lot of interesting things there, like the gondolas. A gondola is a boat, for the tourists to sit on to tour around Venice lsland. Do you know how the gondolier is able to turn the gondola around with just one oar? This is due to the fact that each gondola is asymmetrical – it is actually heavier on one side. There is also an iron piece attached to the front of the gondola to balance the weight of the gondolier who will stand at the back.
As we proceed on, we saw many different kinds of masks on the push carts and shops around us. The tour guide explained to us that the masks were usually used during masquerade parties or festivals. Different masks have different features. For example, the mask with the long beak allows the person wearing it to breathe easily while the half mask allows them to eat and drink without having to take off the mask. These festivals were important as it allows the rich and the poor to dress up in any costumes and mix together freely, which would promote greater interaction and social cohesion among the Venetian society.
While walking around, we also saw hand-made glassware which was made into different accessories like pendants, bracelets, rings, as well as display items such as wine glasses, tea sets and animal figurines. They were all very beautiful and elegant, but most cost a BOMB!! We actually got to see a demonstration of how glassware was made by a very skilled ‘master’.
We also realized that some of the buildings in Venice were slanted to one side due to their weak foundation. We learnt that Venice is sinking as the ground it was built on was unstable and sea levels are also rising. This meant that Venice might disappear in the future and we may never see Venice again!
We saw different types of pasta that came in many shapes and colours. Moreover, the feeling of eating gelato in the cold weather was a new and ‘SHIOK’ experience for all of us.
Before going to Venice, we thought that it was not that big. However, after our exciting exploration we realized that it was pretty huge. Initially we found the streets confusing and we nearly got lost but as we became more familiar with the streets, we were able to find our way round quite easily. It was an eye-opening experience for us. We were really charmed by Venice.
May, Kahmin, Jingheng, Manickam
Europhiles :)