Maxxanfame: 08.11.2023
We are in the incredible front row at the campsite in Fusina. The view of the water can be seen from one meter, the pilot ships and associated large ships are 30 meters away and the silhouette of Venice can be clearly seen in about 6km. From here a boat shuttle goes directly to the main island in 20 minutes. We arrive and at first we don't know what key data we should use to start our foray. We go to the right and run under the motto: If possible in the sun! The air is slightly cool in autumn, but the sun is still wonderfully warm.
Coffee break somewhere, Americano three fifty, latte five. Continue through the hustle and bustle. The tourist madness with people, tour groups, overpriced and terrible shops is again, as expected, limited. We see "real" people doing their jobs, simply shopping and drinking their espresso while standing at the counter.
However, only a little more than 49,000 people still live in the old town of San Marco. The trend continues to decline. Many houses are old and damp, but rents are still expensive.
As we get to the Rialto Bridge through quieter streets, it becomes quite touristy again, but after two or three detours we find quiet streets and squares again.
The old town of Venice is not a highly restored individual monument, as we often know from German old towns. Many houses show their age, the humidity and the lack of renovation work. But as an (architectural) work of art, embedded in the lagoon and without car traffic, it really impresses us.
Shortly before our shuttle departs for Fusina, we say goodbye to San Marco and the sun while sitting in the café with an Americano and a latte.