Venetian Maze

We spent two nights staying in a cabin at another HU site near Venice and made the most of our time there. It’s a fascinating city, but not the easiest to navigate in a wheelchair. At the tourist information office we were given a map to show the accessible routes, but it was a black and white photocopy which was difficult to read. Water buses were reduced for wheelchair users and one companion which was helpful as we couldn’t get far at all without using them. We found the staff on the boats and the quays were happy to assist us where needed. The larger boats had indoor seating with safety belts to secure Racheal’s chair, but the smaller boats only had a small area outside that we could access. Fortunately the weather was good if a little chilly.

Some bridges had ramps, but not many. We realised that visiting Venice would have its challenges and either required a lot of careful planning or to be content with only seeing the parts that were easy to get to. As we had so little time we settled on using the water buses to get to St Marks Square and the Bridge of Sighs the first evening.

The second day we took the water bus to Murano which was more accessible. We enjoyed looking at the glassware and watching the craftsman. By the time we set off to return to Venice the sun was setting.

Our second evening we explored the Rialto Bridge area frequently coming to dead ends in the form of steps or canals but it was fun finding our way through the maze.

It was a wonderful 36 hours with lots of new experiences. Racheal particularly enjoyed the boat rides and being out after dark.