Destination: Venice
I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Venice, literally for as long as I can remember. And as that would be my destination today, I was very excited as I set off from Cesena.
It was a fair drive though, so I’d planned a couple of breaks into my journey along the way. I was intending to have a stop in Bologna to stretch my legs, visit the famous ‘Two Towers‘ and check out some of the street art, and then maybe head to Padua if I had time.
The weather had improved a little, and as I drove further north the skies were becoming ever brighter which only added to my excitement.
Stop 1: Bologna
The drive to Bologna was ok, most of it on an autostrade, lined with the usual backdrop of olive groves. I hadn’t checked the route beforehand, so I was surprised when it took me right past the town of Imola, home to the famous F1 racetrack. Coincidentally, just before I saw the signs, Waze had warned me to drive carefully as this section of the highway was particularly prone to accidents.
I had taken to listening to the fabulous Learn Italian podcast during my many hours on the road, in an effort to keep improving my Italian. But given the warning and the potential for drivers trying out their F1 skills, I thought I’d better turn it off and focus on my driving!
Upon reaching Bologna I started to make my way into the city. However it wasn’t long before Waze started sending me round in circles, as it had in Sicily. It seemed there were considerable roadworks happening in Bologna and poor old Waze was struggling to navigate them.
After almost 2 hours of repeatedly driving round and round the same sections of road, as if I were in an ultra slow motion F1, I decided to call it a day.
Bologna would just have to wait until my next visit to Italy. Not only that, Padua was going to have to wait as well. I wasn’t going to spend the whole day sat in the car … I was off to Venice!
Stop 2: Fusina
I decided to head for my overnight camping, pitch up and head into Venice. I had booked Camping Fusina Tourist Village via Pitchup and was super excited to get there as it had looked fabulous online.
It is oddly situated in the middle of a busy port. So to get there you have to drive through a quite industrialised area, comprised mainly of haulage and shipping yards, which is a bit disconcerting. But once you arrive, the campsite is every bit as well presented as it looks online.
I parked up, went to reception and checked in. If i’m honest I found the experience a bit disappointing. The lady who eventually checked me in was quite unfriendly and not particularly helpful, despite me speaking my very best Italian.
Nevertheless, that wasn’t going to put a dampener on the day. I drove into the site and attempted to find a spot. It was another of those sites without designated pitches where you can basically pitch up anywhere with space. That proved a bit of a challenge as the site was very busy, but I eventually found a small spot between 2 campers. It wasn’t a huge amount of space but it was the biggest I could find, and I didn’t take up much room with my little Mini.
The real selling point of this site is the proximity to Venice itself. It’s literally just across the lagoon from the city and there is a water taxi 2 minutes walk from the site. Pitches on the waterfront are a premium and reserved for campers, everyone else is in a wooded area just behind them.
I quickly made friends with the lovely couple on one side of me, checking that they didn’t mind me squeezing in next to them and they assured me they didn’t mind at all. Unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for the very rude little man who appeared on the other side and started swearing at me in French. Luckily my French is better than my Italian. So I was able to calm him down with an assurance that despite being a good 3m from his camper, I’d find another space when I returned from Venice. To be honest, I’m not sure if he was totally happy with that, but I had better things to do.
Stop 3: Venezia
I wasn’t going to let the rude reception staff or bad tempered neighbour ruin my wonderful day, so I went to explore the campsite. Happily I bumped into a lovely couple from the UK, the first UK tourers I’d seen since Pompei, and had a nice chat with them. They gave me some great tips on touring, especially on how to stay safe as a woman travelling alone. Then I quickly checked out the site services before heading to the water taxi. I’d literally just missed one by seconds so would have to wait an hour for the next. I decided not to head back to site, the sun was properly shining and and the view from the dock was fabulous.
It’s a great service, costing 8€ each way and running approximately every hour until 8pm, after which time you’d need to arrange an actual taxi, costing around 50€. The timetable is available via the ACTV SPA website, just look for line 16, Fusina to Zattere. The other UK couple were also on the boat and told me it was possible to get a discounted book of tickets from the campsite reception if you are doing multiple crossings.
The trip over the lagoon was really good fun and there were fabulous views of Venezia (I was practically a local now), as well as the port at Fusina. If you look closely at the picture of the port below you can see the motorhomes at the campsite on the waters edge.
A guide on my tour the following day explained that the wooden stakes in the water are there to mark the route of safe passage through the treacherous lagoon. In ancient times, when the islands comprising Venezia were under threat, the stakes were removed, preventing hostile invaders from attaching the islands!
I had decided not to do my planned sunset Gondola tour that evening. The very changeable weather had become overcast again, and the following day was due to be a lot nicer. Instead, I decided to explore some of the 118 tiny islands that make up Venezia, and try to get my bearings.
I had a lovely wander up to St Marks Square, walking past all the swanky designer stores, and then over to the West side of the city, which was quite lively. I had a great time exploring although I did get a bit wet when I finally made my way back to Zettare as the water was well over the pavements!
As it turned out, the sunset was absolutely spectacular. And luckily, from a lovely spot on the Ponte dell’Accademia I’d had a fabulous view along the Grand Canal that was nothing short of magical.
Overnight: Camping Fusina Tourist Village
All’s well that ends well. I settled in, very content to have had my first glimpse of Venezia. I could hear music from the campsite bar and was half tempted to wander up, butI was very tired from all the driving and walking.
I couldn’t wait for the next day, as I was having a full day in Venezia, and I was very hopeful I’d get a good nights sleep so I could enjoy it fully! Read on to see how that panned out …
