I’ve been to Venice several times, but I’ve never seen it this way.
asserted
I → see → it
From the top deck of Uniworld’s river ship SS La Venezia, I curl up on a day bed and watch Venice’s many islands pass in and out of view.
It’s June, and the lightest of breezes brushes the deck.
asserted
lightest → curl → deck
We’ve been slowly cruising around the Venetian lagoon all afternoon, one of only two ships – the other being the three-star Michelangelo – permitted to do so.
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other → cruise → ships
The water sparkles like sequins and enormous seagulls fly alongside, then overtake our leisurely pace.
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seagulls → fly → pace
The Venice that is familiar to tourists, the historical centre of the city with St Mark’s Square at its heart, is a puzzle of 126 tiny islands connected by 472 bridges, which is why every turn leads to water.
asserted
turn → connect → water
Less than 50,000 people live there.
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people → live → ?
Beyond this, the city spreads to Mestre on the mainland (population about 100,000) and across the 500-square-kilometre lagoon, which is scattered with 60 or so different islands.
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which → spread → islands
Its waters are refreshed by three inlets from the Adriatic Sea.
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waters → refresh → Sea
Seeing Venice by water is the only true way to really understand its essence.
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Seeing → see → essence
Over seven days, La Venezia will cruise to the most distant reaches of the archipelago, as far as the outer MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico) gates, which control flooding during high tides, and to Chioggia, the fishing village at the southern entrance of the lagoon.
asserted
which → cruise → lagoon
Some islands are covered in vineyards; others are little more than mud flats that disappear at high tide.
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that → cover → tide
We glide past a small island dominated by an old fortress.
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We → glide → fortress
Another holds a ruined monastery.
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Another → hold → monastery
From another, a magnificent church basilica arises.
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basilica → arise → another
A few islands, such as San Clemente Island and the Isola delle Rose, have been transformed into luxury resorts by Kempinski and JW Marriott respectively.
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islands → transform → Kempinski
Only about 30 of these islands are inhabited.
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30 → inhabit → islands
The Lido, a barrier island with a long, wide beach, has a population of 20,000.
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Lido → have → 20,000
Tiny, colourful Burano, with about 3000 residents, is the most densely populated.
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Burano → populate → residents
It’s a real treat to see the entirety of Venice’s waters in one voyage.
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It → ’ → voyage
And because we dock overnight on Burano and along the Giudecca Canal, we simply walk off the ship in the evenings and wander around when the other tourists have deserted.
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tourists → dock → evenings
Most of my fellow passengers – Americans, Canadians, Brits and a few Aussies – have never been to Venice before; if I were travelling to Venice for the first time, this is absolutely the way I would choose to see it.
asserted
I → travel → it
Venice banned large ships from the inner lagoon and the Giudecca Canal in 2021.
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Venice → ban → 2021
La Venezia has permission to cruise around it at leisure because the ship’s flat bottom doesn’t damage the shallow lagoon bed.
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bottom → have → bed
If we keep our speed to 11km/h in the shallowest parts and 20km/h in the deepest, we can join the vaporetto, ferries, speedboats and barges through the busy waterway.
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we → keep → waterway
Maritime authorities watch our progress very closely.
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authorities → watch → progress
Venice has a modern terminal at San Basilio on the canal, which processed the large cruise ships until the ban.
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which → have → ban
It’s extremely convenient, but only the river ships and some smaller cruise ships are allowed to dock there these days.
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ships → ’ → ?
The advantage for our 126-passenger river ship is that it doesn’t leave Venice so passengers can board without port formalities.
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passengers → leave → formalities
I take a short water taxi ride to the port and roll my luggage directly onto the ship.
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I → take → ship
There’s a vaporetto station at the port and the Alilaguna, the airport water bus, stops about 10 minutes’ walk away.
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Alilaguna → ’ → port
La Venezia began life as Uniworld’s River Countess and had a major refit before it was relaunched in 2020 to specifically carry passengers on the seven-day Jewels of the Veneto itinerary.
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it → begin → itinerary
The bow is decorated with a whimsical Venetian mask, and the interiors are sumptuously furnished in Murano glass and Fortuny fabrics.
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interiors → decorate → glass
Mariano Fortuny (1871-1949) was an inventor, artist and designer whose beautiful fabrics are found in the world’s luxury interiors.
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fabrics → find → interiors
We’re docked directly across the lagoon from the Fortuny factory on Giudecca.
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We → dock → Giudecca
From my deluxe stateroom on deck three, I sleep with Fortuny and the tower of the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, a converted mill, out my window.
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I → sleep → window
Its padded walls make it feel like a little jewel box with plenty of cupboard space, a sensibly organised marble bathroom with a good, hot shower, and a desk with a chair where I can work.
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I → make → chair
Outside, vaporettos and other boats churn past at eye level.
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vaporettos → churn → level
It’s an ongoing entertainment, wondering how on earth they don’t collide with each other.
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they → ’ → other
The long, low ship’s panoramic windows allow us to be continually immersed in Venice’s wonderful waterfront chaos without getting splashed.
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us → allow → chaos
We glide past St Mark’s Square and the entire length of the canal several times during our voyage; the Gothic arches of the Doge’s Palace and the towering Campanile never fail to be heart-stopping, no matter how many times you’ve seen them.
asserted
you → glide → them
…and 35 more, not listed.
The Aporia
