BEYOND THE CANALS: VISITING PADUA & VENICE WITH LOCALS

By María del Carmen Martín Buro

What would you think if I say that I had an amazing day in Venice without eating pizza, riding a gondola or having a hot cup of cappuccino? Venice has hidden treasures beyond places featuring on postcards and it is worth finding them.

The first weekend of November, we went to Padua to join our Italian friends in giving another friend a birthday surprise, so we had the opportunity to first explore Padua, followed by Venice, both guided by two of our local friends. The experience of visiting historical places like the famous San Marcos square just by following the steps and the words of people who live there was amazing.

Despite being neighbouring cities in Veneto, northeast Italy, Padua and Venice differ a lot in terms of their characteristics and a two-day trip is definitely needed to discover the rich Italian culture. Padua is a city imbued by university life as located in the city is the University of Padua; one of the most ancient universities in Europe. To me, the most impressive square in Padua will have to be the Pratto de la Valle square. This elegant oval square is one of the largest in Italy, formed by 78 statues around the canal, which create the illusion of a green island. In contrast, Venice is known for its canals and the carnival of Venice. Both attract thousands of tourists every year and are two of people’s favourite attractions across Europe. Our first contact with Venice was a glass of spritz, a wine-based cocktail, drunk on a sunny terrace in the square Piazza dei Signori. When night fell, we walked three minutes away to find a lovely street market in the Piazza dell’ Ebre. The fresh fruits and vegetables there created a beautiful contrast with the old surrounding pillars and arch-based architecture.

When we were on the train that took us from Padua to Venice, one of our Italian friends said ‘I really want to see your faces the first time you see Venice’, anticipating the reaction we would have in few minutes. No wonder they said that because just in front of the train station the view was already very impressive. From this entry point to the city you are surrounded by the Scanzi Bridge and the Grand Canal, and stand across from the huge green oxidized dome of San Simeone Piccollo church. Once settled, you have a completely different conception of time because there are no cars and the best way to travel is on foot. Instead of using minutes, the locals measure how long it takes to get somewhere in the numbers of bridges they have to cross. Strolling in this peaceful manner you can spend the whole day ‘bar hopping’ – that is going from one bar to another eating cicchetti, a type of little appetizer. Consisting of foods like Baccalà Mantecato, a creamed dried codfish on top of bread slices, cicchetti is authentic to this region. We even went to a Venetian bar called Cantina do Spades that was hidden in a very narrow street called San Polo (not on tourist guides) and tried a variety of cicchetti inspired by the local cuisine and served with a little glass of white wine called ombra. Finally, we did not lose the opportunity to eat a tasty piece of pizza when we returned to Padua.

In spite of visiting Italy for just a weekend, I had an amazing time there due to the unique environment and the variety of things I could do. If you are planning to visit Italy, just immerse yourself in its atmosphere and enjoy.