“To build a city where it is impossible to build a city is madness in itself, but to build there one of the most elegant and grandest of cities is the madness of genius.” – Alexander Herzen
The Hotel Grand Italia provided a splendid breakfast and after we had had several plates of excellent food we gathered together at the reception desk and when we were all accounted for we made our way to the railway station.
Padova Stazione is one of those grand public buildings that are a legacy of the fascist era in Italy and Mussolini’s principal architect Angiolo Mazzoni Del Grande. His public buildings are iconic features of twentieth century Italy and they have an impressive functional design and layout that makes them a pleasing monument to an otherwise unpleasant era of Italian and European history.
Have Bag, Will Travel 
I really like the orange buildings with the green water in that first shot.
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I agree – that first photo is brilliant.
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Wow you captured some great light!
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Thanks. It was an overcast morning but that seemed to suit the colours of the buildings and the water.
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These are nice pictures. They came out beautiful.
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The light on these is magical! Thanks for sharing your great work!
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Thank you. It was an overcast morning but that seemed to suit the colours of the buildings and the water.
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Ah, I’ll be heading there next month for a weekend – very excited! Any tips?
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Avoid the crowds in St Mark’s in the middle of the day. Gondolas are cheaper away from San Marco. Don’t eat in the Piazza unless you have lots of money!
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Good to know 🙂 Any recommendations for places to eat/ drink?
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We didn’t stay in Venice so didn’t eat there but on a previous trip we liked the Ristorante da Raffaele next to the quieter dell’alero canal and there are some nice pizzerias in the back streets that have good menus and reasonable prices. Hope you enjoy your visit!
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Great – thanks!
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I thought those padlocks were cute when I first encountered them in Cologne, but I see the problem now. Time to move on, young lovers!
In Sydney I’ve only found one outbreak of padlock kitsch – on a Michael Jackson tribute wall on Ballast Point: http://richardtulloch.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/glebe-and-balmain-sydneys-nicest-villages/
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Thanks for the link. Everywhere has padlocks now so perhaps a good time to invest in padlock manufacturers!
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Beautiful post Andrew, Venice is sooo pretty and romantic!
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Thanks for the nice comment – I appreciate it!
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Good stuff – reminds me I must get back to Venice one day. Single tickets on the waterbus are ridiculously expensive, but a day pass or even a 48-hour pass is a bit of a bargain if you go that way again!
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Thanks for that, I’m sure I will go again one day, it’s the sort of place that you just have to keep going back to!
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I love the information provided, as well as the photo’s. Absolutely gorgeous, i have always wanted to see Venice, and i still plan to someday!
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Great post Andrew. I also want to congratulate you on the top photo.
We saw a fence of padlocks in the Cinque Terre and didn’t know they were put up for love. €3,000 penalty and up to a year in prison for those caught putting a padlock up? Sheesh!
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Not worth it, is it?
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Bruges is my favorite European city… Venice my second! So beautiful and a joy to discover on foot.
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Bruges is close to my ‘to do list’ for next year. I went there in 1980 and again in 2010 but it is a place to return to often!
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