In the last post looking out along the waterfront of Giudecca I promised to show some of the scenes within this isle and tell you a bit more before we leave this lovely spot. Being a long thin island to the South of Venice’s main island in the lagoon it has to be said I found it perfectly calm and relaxed compared to some of the packed areas across the Giudecca Canal with the Sao Marco spots etc. Of course the whole of the islands are a must see for there are great hidden gems all over. Today its was a day to continue in a calm relaxed mode, within Giudecca itself.
The island is long and thin.. packed end to end with buildings and the odd canal passing across. That waterfront at the North, facing the main island is basically the high street. A few shops, a couple of banks and waterbus stops… Step within and you soon see it is quite a residential area. alleyways leading to hidden houses, archways leading to high rising flats.
It is always nice to see the ‘real’ place where you are.. the place as the locals know it. Off the track of the tourist traps and spots where your everyday tourist wants to be. I found the people to be on the extra natural friendly side. Quite refreshing to be honest. A great Italian humour was present in all you spoke to and a natural smile greeted you with all local passers by… eben if at times you felt like you had wandered into their back yard.
To try and describe it I could start by saying colourful, relaxed, happy and resting, even if walking a few hours. helped along the way with some tasty coffee stops of course. It is not all too often this countryside living baldy says he started to fall for a City but Venice, and the calmer Giudecca was definitely a place I could spend a lot more than a couple of days thats for sure.
One could not leave without a look at Il Redentore. A church that dominates the view when looking at Giudecca. In the 16th Century a plague outbreak killed at least 30% of the Venetian population. The thank for the end of the outbreak this church was built, designed by Andrea Palladio. It is the only church raised from the ground up in Venice.
Alas.. the Venice leg of this whistle-stop tour of Europe was coming to a close.. One more coffee, one more look at the unique Venice landscapes, was time to pick up the bags at the hostel and head to Barcelona.
