Getting lost in Venice is not only, no longer about losing
one's way enmeshed in the city’s labyrinthine canals, and in a mess of constant
corners that lead to more, well, corners. But all in a sense of marvel, of awe.
Venice is not only physically beautiful and intriguing, it is also riddled with
myths and legends, and a treasure hunt of culture and history.
Definitely, if you want to be all organized about it, go
ahead research, take a map, make some choices and good luck following them
through. Now, if instead you want to be surprised by Venice’s amazing mazes,
stumble upon strange serendipities, and plainly just get lost, listen to what
Rover Recommends.
1.
Walk around without a map. Just walk. Let the
corners lead you to more corners. For sure, your senses would betray you, but
when it’s time to eat or quench your thirst, there will always be a café or
food shop around the, yes, corner. For sure, it will train your tracking
abilities as well as your sign language skills. Get lost in translation and
direction.
2.
Follow the narrowest canals. Not only it will be
almost possible as there will be houses or shops or other tourists blocking
your view or route of the canals, Venice has lots of it, from the Grand Canal
to the narrowest ones, and they all look the same. Don’t worry. As the saying
goes, follow the river and it will lead you to the sea. Which sea? We’ll see. A
sea of tourists, perhaps.
3.
Come during the Carnevale. At night time. Alone.
4.
Look for the Libreria Acqua Alta. Half of the
time you’ll get lost looking for it. The other half, you can get lost among the
books in its coffers. Philosophers, explorers, scientists, they all turn to
books for guidance. Who knows you might find a secondhand copy of Lonely Planet’s
or Rick Steve’s Pocket Venice, along with the many other titles and authors you
can look to for courage and stamina to continue wandering.
5.
Go to the nearest ferry terminal and take any
ferry at any schedule. Pick the next stop or the one after that. Then explore.
Repeat steps one, two, three.
6.
Take a gondola ride. Tell the gondolier to
surprise you or to take you somewhere. Something to that effect. And together,
enter a time and space beyond the sinking kingdom of Venice. Who knows you
might end up on a beach around Venice’s mainland neighbors or in the
surrounding isles.
Are where there yet? Exactly! Nowhere or now here? But as
the great Unshod Rover would say: “I don’t really mind getting lost though if
it means sporadic, spontaneous collisions with different versions of oneself. Come
to think of it, all this time that I have been lost, inch by inch I have been scratching
the surface of the unknown, getting closer, deeper each time into finally a
pure knowledge of the universe outside of and within me. So, come unprepared.
Just as you are. // for Oasis Holidays
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is a worldwide-eyed wanderer currently based in Bangalore, India. You may follow his musings and journeys on this blog. "All Rover the World" chronicles his continuing travels wandering about the world and stumbling upon strangers.
