Der Traumpfad, day 30.
Distance: 0.6km (629.8km), time spent: 0:12.
Weather: Overcast, light sizzle.
And so. The end. I have reached as far as you can go on Der Traumpfad, to the ferry terminal at Punta Sabbioni. And unless you want to swim, taking a boat is the only way to Venezia from there. It is the inexplicable end of the trail and only the ferry ride remains. From Punta Sabbioni you can barely see Venezia itself, partly hidden behind one of the many isles surrounding the city of canals, Le Vignole.
On the ferry to Venezia, which here is barely visible beyond Vignole.
Lido di Venezia.
The ferry to Venezia takes about 40 minutes and passes by the artifical isle of Isola Artificiale del Baccan di Sant'Erasmo, then between La Vignole and Lido (de Venezia) where it docks to let passengers on and off the ferry. Next stop is Venezia, finally visible. Maybe it is fitting to arrive at this city on a boat, and not on foot, as so much of its life is tied up with the sea.
Buoys and Venezia in sight.
There is a melancholic quality to the light on the sky, although I probably cannot attribute that to the melancholy I feel about being finished with the hike. I feel quite stunned to witness the old and ornamented buildings located on the various small and larger isles surrounding Venezia. Some of them like towns positioned straight on top of the sea, like San Giorgio Maggiore. The history that surrounds them.
San Sèrvolo.
Approaching Venezia by ferry in a quaint light.
Passing by buoys and other boats we are getting closer to Venezia. The light is absolutely fantastic as we approach the city. Most would probably want to see this view of Venezia under a clear blue sky, but I find this more beautiful. The pale colored sky above Venezia with its wonderful architecture coming closer. St Mark's Campanile is clearly visible, located next to the Doge Palace. Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. From cathedrals of nature to cathedrals of civilization. And now we can also see those cathedrals of nature far back in the distance.
Venezia.
The ferry docks at the San Zaccaria terminal. From there it is a short walk to the main square of Venezia, Piazza San Marco, where we can put down our backpacks and truly say we did it. After days in the mountains with people, but not crowds of them, it is to another world we arrive when we are finding ourselves in the middle of the huge throng of tourists. The difference in the way of being is huge, while we walked with a sense of no rush while on the trail, we are now in the middle of a crowd of people trying to fit everything in into their allotted time. Kind of like swimming down a tranquil and gentle flowing river, which flows into a rushing river with rapid currents.
Ponte dei Sospiri, or the Bridge of Sighs.
Passing by the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs), the gondolas lined up with San Giorgio Maggiore in the background, the Doge Palace and St Mark's Campanile bell tower, we find ourselves at Piazza San Marco in front of the Basilica di San Marco. Here ends our journey, and our dream on Der Traumpfad.
Gondolas with San Giorgio Maggiore behind.
Those who have done the Camino de Santiago, know that sitting down at the Praza do Obradoiro is somewhat mandatory. After walking all the way from München, I believe it is time for a moment of quiet reflection and contemplation, especially in such grandiose surroundings. So I have to sit down at the Piazza San Marco looking in awe up at the Basilica di San Marco. Of course, you are not actually allowed to do this, so I just sit down for a short time.
The Doge Palace.
Approaching Piazza San Marco.
Der Traumpfad is done, we have arrived in Venezia and visited the Piazza San Marco. It is time to find our accommodation. Getting a place was not easy, when we searched for a hotel in the days prior to our arrival, there were no rooms available, unless outside of Venezia. However, we managed to find an apartment for rent, which in itself was perfect. Now, we only need to find the place, and we have a time to catch, the clock is ticking.
At the finishing line in front of the Basilica di San Marco, Florian, Johanna and me (and a young photobomber).
And this is something everyone should try to do, finding the place was a fun ride. Imagine a game where you are being blindfolded, then being led to a place inside Venezia and when the blindfold is removed, your task is to find your way back again. Venezia is a maze, made more difficult by the number of canals that you need to pass over, and not every canal boasts a bridge. Johanna uses Google maps to draw a route to our accommodation, Florian and I then just have to follow her lead. We walk through narrow streets, crossing over canals on small bridges, feels like we are turning back at every turn, goes through narrow ports and gates, turning here and there. It is a great way to see the city, just by getting lost in it.
Short moment of contemplation in front of Basilica di San Marco.
After walking for a while, I feel that we are just around the corner from where we started from. I have normally a very good sense of direction, but in Venezia I might need some time to tune in. Images from the movie
Don't Look Now with Donald Sutherland comes to mind and I expect to see a little girl in a red raincoat run by at every minute (making a mental note to see the movie again when back home). We do eventually arrive at our accommodation, where we are being met by the hostess. The apartment is great, with a kitchen so that we can prepare our own food and a washing machine so that we can relieve the citizens of Venezia of our hiking odour.
Piazza San Marco.
Typical canal scene in Venezia.
In the evening we go out for dinner at Campo Santa Margherita. I have earned it, I go for a salt crusted seabass. Despite being tired from our journey, we feel it is time to celebrate a little, so we sit down at a bar afterwards for a drink.
Crossing over the Grand Canal with Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute at the back.
I have a couple of days in Venezia before I head back home again. In that time, I hope to see some of this wonderful city and maybe visit one of the isles. In no rush, just be here and take in the atmosphere and architecture, while reminisce about my adventure on Der Traumpfad that brought me here. I can't think of many trails that ends in such a beautiful city.
This is actually from the second day in Venezia. We found out that you should get a certificate for finishing Der Traumpfad in Venezia like you get the Compostela when you finish a Camino de Santiago. So each one made one certificate that we gave to another. We called it the Veneziella.
Was it all just a dream?
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