Venice Off the Beaten Path Tips by tpal

How many times have you heard it said, "The way to experience Venice is to walk, walk, walk!"? Probably not often enough. It's advice that's hard to ignore and so we walked...and got lost...and walked some more. Turning the next corner was never a disappointment and in fact, almost without fail, caused the camera to come out and go into action.

I wish I could tell you exactly where this photo was taken but, I can't. I know it is located somewhere between the Rialto Bridge and Ca' Pesaro and is shot from the Ponte Giovanni. That's the best I can do but it really doesn't matter. What matters is what you see. This is one of the many Venetian canals without a fondamenta or walkway along side. These are truly private as the only access to the entrances along the way is via boat. You also realize that unlike other canals these boats must belong to the residents living at the moorings.

Visually, there is a certain calm. Narrow and detached from the main canals the water is much more placid. This is not a thoroughfare but rather a local "street". This is just where you park or (if you look closely) hang you boat.

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This was our first full day in Venice so we were admittedly a little awestruck by nearly everything we saw. Still, this seems to be special in our memory. As always, it is difficult to be certain about your location in Venice but I believe this photo is taken from the Ponte Ravano which crosses the Rio de la Do Torri in San Polo.

We had been weaving our way from the Rialto Bridge en-route, more or less, to Ca' Pesaro. As we crossed this bridge we were both captivated with what struck us a classic Venetian canalside facade with its wooden doorways leading directly into the water, the eroded stucco at the waterline, the beautiful stone balcony balustrades and the ubiquitous green shutters.

It all seemed "coffee table book" perfect and could easily have been just as anonymous were it not for one humanizing detail...the laundry hanging outside the first floor window.

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It was July and surprise, surprise it was hot in Venice. I stopped at a cafe and paid too much for a cool drink but it was worth it. The cafe may have been located in the piazza near S. Stefano. But I was determined to find the undiscovered places. So off I went and turned down this alley and ...wow!!! Suddenly it's 15 degrees cooler and I think, "Maybe I'll just stay here!"

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