Jean

I guess banning the cruise ships won't be enough to bring back la serenissima.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/v...ats/index.html

zebec

Jean, thx so much for this remarkable link! Incredible, no?
The Burano 'Gatto Nero' restaurant owner interviewed in the piece was Massimilio Bovo. We once took a series of foto portraits of him as a young man, way back when his dad was still in charge circa 1990. Massimilio was happy to pose then, during some off-time. The stylish sideburns he wore were long and pointy, as though he were a member of the Stray Cats rockabilly band. Decades later in 2013, we finally hand-delivered the best of those shots to him. Gone were the sideburns. Gone was the youthful positive energy. He gave off the vibe of, "If I could sell this restaurant tomorrow, I would do so. I am burnt-out and I've had it with all the associated BS!"

As always, I suggest that folks see the doc 'The Venice Syndrome'. Essential viewing for the traveler.
I am done. the lagoon

MinnBeef

I have been here in Venice now for 5 nights and have one more night to go. As is typical for CNN, this is significantly overblown and I’d say, rather false. Yes there are crowds but I saw MUCH WORSE the last time I was here in 2003. I waited in the ticket line for Basilica di San Marco for maybe 30 minutes. I enjoyed the shade and people watching while I did. My guess is the CNN correspondent only rode vaporetto line #1 which is ALWAYS crowded. I rode line #2 today for photography purposes and it was blessedly uncrowded. At times nearly empty. I have seen what I’ll call Italian National Guardsmen on a couple of occasions. Never obviously armed.

Like many things, rather than taking an “expert’s” word for something, it’s better to come see for yourself.

Peter_S_Aus

The article quotes Caroline Jones. She and husband Phil have lived in Venice for ten years or so. They live fifty metres from the San Basilio vaporetto stop. (Phil writes novels set in Venice. Support the Venetian economy, go buy some.)
The photo of the long line of people is on Fond. Nuove, waiting for the No 12 to Murano/ Burano. It is always a long line.
On many vapstops like Ferrovia, there are two lines, one for visitors, the other for residents holding the Venezia Unica card, and they get priority.

zebec

Have got an old photo taken aboard vap #1 that I once managed to squeeze off while being sardined by 4,719,528,553 locals and other tourists, plus assorted small dogs. I deliberately pointed the lens at a mirror, in order to capture the reflective image. Many of the locals portrayed in the image seem to be grinning malicious grins, aware of the shot being taken and with absolutely zero mercy for the crushed fotografer.
Didn't blame them.
I am done. the #1

PS always take the very final vap back from Burano/Mazzorbo for best lagoon atmosphere. Never fails to impress.

Peter_S_Aus

Zebec is correct re return from Burano. The line at Burano can be long, maybe you don’t get on the first vap. But if you walk over the bridge to Mazzorbo, they will always let you board. A nice five or ten minute stroll.

rialtogrl

They speculate the boats are running a winter season schedule. It was Ferragosto with probably larger numbers of visiting Italians since it’s expensive and a pain to go to another holiday destination like London or anywhere outside the EU. I understand why the residents are upset if they are not running enough boats.

As for the comment that seeing guns is jarring, huh? There are Guarda di Finanza and Carbinieri everywhere and they are packing a little more hardware than the guys trying to scare the senior citizens attempting to enter the boat from the exit platform.

Dee_Dee

The CNN article certainly paints a distressing picture. Thanks MinnBeef for posting a real time report! I arrive in Venice on September 4rh for 13 nights and was looking forward to enjoying Venice with far fewer crowds than I experienced on my last visit in 2019.

Macross

I tend to believe them if they live there day in and out. I recently saw a show with local restaurant owners and they dislike the day trippers that don't eat or spend the night. Why they dislike the huge ships. Gun toting? I think some areas are beefing it up more.

Peter_S_Aus

Vaporetto overcrowding.
Act 1, Scene 1.
Marinaio, angrily: “Permesso, permesso, move insida please.”
Passengers ignore request
Marinaio pulls handgun.
Passengers move briskly.

annhig

<<The article quotes Caroline Jones. She and husband Phil have lived in Venice for ten years or so. They live fifty metres from the San Basilio vaporetto stop. (Phil writes novels set in Venice. Support the Venetian economy, go buy some.)
The photo of the long line of people is on Fond. Nuove, waiting for the No 12 to Murano/ Burano. It is always a long line.
On many vapstops like Ferrovia, there are two lines, one for visitors, the other for residents holding the Venezia Unica card, and they get priority.>>

+ 1, Peter. What a coincidence for a fodorite who lives in Venice to be quoted in a CNN article in a thread on Fodors about Venice. What are the odds? Did you see on FB that Phil has just delivered his 6th book?

<<Vaporetto overcrowding.
Act 1, Scene 1.
Marinaio, angrily: “Permesso, permesso, move insida please.”
Passengers ignore request
Marinaio pulls handgun.
Passengers move briskly.>>

Bravo. I have to say that I was surprised by the idea of San Basilio being a tourist hot spot though - is it the pull of the corner bar or the Chinese restaurant next door, I wonder?

Macross, you are right, The resentment of the day trippers and cruise ship passengers is strong. If I remember correctly the film about these issues that we watched in my last Italian class there, nearly 2 years ago now, claimed that the average spend of the "grande navi" passengers is €10 pp. And what they do is to discourage those who would stay longer and spend more. But how to discourage the cruise liner companies from docking there? They want to market their cruises as starting/finishing in Venice.

dreamon

I have been to Venice many times but the last time I visited I stayed in Treviso, intending to visit Venice and other localities. I was fully aware of the negative impact of tourism including the pressure on housing for locals so I thought I was doing the best thing by not staying in Venice itself but visiting for the day. On my day in Venice I explored (including favourite neighbourhoods), shopped, had lunch, aperitif, dinner, etc, catching the last train 'home'. I don't know whether I did the right thing and, as much as I absolutely love Venice, I don't think I'll visit again because it just can't cope. With the pressure on Venice, I think the answers on how to be a responsible visitor are not simple. btw, I loved my days in Treviso.

Pepper_von_snoot

I had lunch at Gato Nero on Burano in 1998. My fish was terrible.

Thin, aristocrat 🦌

Peter_S_Aus

The CNN report mentions Caroline Jones, nee Caroline_Edinburgh.

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