The Rialto Bridge

It’s only the second day, but I think I may have found my favorite spot in Venice! On Saturday, we were shown the Rialto bridge. Ironically, the only things I remembered about the place were the large amount of stairs we had to climb and the crowding overflow of tourists. Despite my less than fond memories, I returned to the Rialto bridge area and greatly enjoyed myself.

               This morning, a few of my study abroad companions and I woke up early to go into Venice before our group met at ten o’clock. Taking the 9:10am vaporetto, we arrived at Piazza San Marco and just started walking. We randomly walked along the paths, checking café prices as we went, until we ended up near the Rialto Bridge. Recalling the area from yesterday, we decided to cross and evaluate the options on the other side. With it being so early in the morning, we had no issues with overcrowding. The bridge had a peaceful, serene essence that I did not feel Saturday. After crossing the bridge, we came into an open area with a small fountain in the middle.

We easily found a café on the perimeter of the open space. While Lauren, Kate, and Juliana ordered, I explored the area in greater detail. Walking away from the cafes and fountain, I passed under an arch and found a path right along the canal. I absolutely love the smell of Venice when I am by the water. Continuing, I discovered the market area that Dr. Felluga mentioned. Most of the vendors had already left, it was relatively late in the morning by then, and a few were packing up their goods. Passing by the remaining vendors, I saw that they sold dried fruit! I am incredibly excited to purchase some dried fruit to snack on while walking around Venice and have vowed to return in order to buy some.

               I soon returned to the café, admiring the classmates’ delicious breakfast choices. Remembering what Dr. Felluga mentioned yesterday about the water in Venice being incredibly clean, I took the opportunity to refill my water bottle from the fountain. Dr. Felluga was right; the water is incredibly pure and fresh tasting. Running tight on time, we decided to start walking back to the vaparetto stop where we were meeting up with our class. To our grateful surprise, we were able to seamlessly walk back to Piazzo San Marco. Realizing that we knew enough about the area to navigate to and from the bridge was an amazing feeling. It made me feel accomplished and helped me connect more with Venice. Similar to my presentation on the Horses of Saint Mark, increasing my knowledge of Venice has helped me in creating a relationship with the city and feeling more connected. Now when I walk around places I can say, “Oh, that’s the place we passed when we…” or “Oh, I know where we are, I recognize that place”. I believe the best way for a tourist to relate to a city she is visiting is to make the city her own. By walking around and getting a feel for the city through one’s own perspective, one can personalize the city, building connections with it on a more personal level.

An especially satisfying moment regarding the Rialto Bridge today was when I was successfully able to lead a group of my classmates to the bridge. This gave me a sense of pride and made me, a tourist, feel like a tour guide. Returning to the bridge later in the day, we were surprised to find open space on the edge of the bridge, overlooking the water. These areas are typically crowded with tourists, so we were very lucky. Taking advantage of our opportunity, we took a group picture and photographed the amazing view.

I significantly enjoyed the time I spent in the Rialto Bridge area today. I feel more accomplished from learning the route to and from the bridge, and have decided to set a goal for myself. During this week, I am aiming to select a new place daily to learn the route to and from. I am excited to discover new places and increase my Venetian knowledge. Perhaps I will even find a new favorite place!