Ah Venezia, the cannals the palazzos, the gondolas, how romantic, isn't it? Well, no. I had been in Venezia on January 95. It was cold, foggy and wet. In fact, St Marks Square had been flooded for days before my arrival. Not very romantic, really. This time, I wanted to see the sunny face of Venezia, so we decided to go back there during our trip to Italy. It was hot, humid and full of tourists. No romanticism here, either. I can cope with that, to a certain degree. What I cannot cope with is lies and scams targeted at visitors. And we started the day with a big scam. Which we managed to avoid, but narrowly. And we are still angry about it as it seems to be done with the consent of Venezia's authorities. It involves the Tronchetto public car park.

Drive your car to Venezia and you will have to use an expensive car park. Right. I agree. Land is expensive there, so we agree to pay the 18 euros a day with the understanding that right outside the public car park there is a vaporetto stop from where we will be able to ride on public transportation to the city. As soon as we arrive to the car park, several car park assistants, in full official uniform, direct us to a specific floor where we are told to park our car in a specific space. As soon as we get out of the car, a swarm of these public car park employees direct us to the end of the car park, no discussion here, they are in charge, make us take a lift and give us quick explanations on how much to pay for public transport. Out of the lift and another employee points to a road which we are supposed to walk until we get to the public transportation. Several metres ahead, another employee directs us to a harbour. To our surprise, there is no public transportation (vaporetto) there. Only water taxis. The most expensive transportation in Venezia (apart from gondolas, that is). Other tourists jump in the water taxis and wait for us. We are told it's 10,50 euros. But we want the public transportation, which is 3,50 euros. We are told there is no public transportation. Water taxi, take it or walk 7 kilometres to Venezia city centre. When we do not accept the extorsionate prices and try to look up at our guide book, we are shouted at and insulted by the taxi drivers. We are told to get out of there and walk to Venezia, as we seem to know better than them, who have lived all their lives in Venezia. Other tourists are approaching behind us. It is obvious they do not want us to make them doubt about the only choice.

We return to the car park, where other car park employees are very annoyed at seeing us again back there, without having paid the water taxis. It is obvious they will not get their commission from our fares. With bad manners, we are told to walk to the other side of the car park, where finally, we see the public transportation signs and booths were we can buy our tickets. Seven euros give us a return ticket to Venezia, via the Grand Cannal. The water taxi is 10,50 euros one way. The tourists who accepted the extorsion will have to pay their return by public transportation later on in the day, when they realise they have no return ticket. By then, the car park assistants have already left the car park. Obviously, to avoid complaints from the angry returning tourists. All this in a public car park, managed by the Venetian authorities. Start your day this way and I assure you, romanticism is the last thing in your mind. Murder, blood and vengeance is all you think of!


Ah Venecia, los cannales, los palacios, las gondolas, que romantico, no? Pues no. Me explico. Estuve anteriormente en Venecia en enero de 1995. Hacia frio, niebla y llovia. De hecho, la Plaza San Marcos habia estado inundada durante una semana antes de mi llegada. De romantico, muy poco. Esta vez, queria ver la cara alegre de Venecia, asi que decidimos volver por un dia durante nuestras vacaciones en Italia. Hacia calor, humedad pegajosa y estaba lleno de turistas. De romanticismo, bien poco. Vale. Lo acepto, Venecia es una ciudad real y no de cuento de hadas. Pero lo que no acepto, de ninguna manera, son las mentiras y los enganios a los turistas. Y asi empezamos el dia. Al final, no nos enganiaron, pero nos fue de bien poco. Aun estamos enfadados, y aun mas si consideramos que la estafa esta perpetrada en el parking publico de Tronchetto con el consentimiento de las autoridades venecianas.

Si llegas en coche a Venecia, tendras que aparcarlo en un parking caro. No hay alternativa. Los terrenos son caros en Venecia, asi que estamos de acuerdo en pagar 18 euros al dia por aparcar el coche, sabiendo que hay una parada de vaporetto en el mismo parking que nos llevara hasta el centro de la ciudad. Al llegar al parking, un empleado con uniforme nos indica subir a un piso en concreto. Alli, otro empleado en uniforme, nos seniala el lugar justo donde aparcar. Nada mas bajar del coche, un enjambre de empleados en uniforme nos rodea y nos lleva hacia la salida del parking, mientras nos informan de los precios del vaporetto y las distintas opciones. Nos hacen bajar en ascensor hasta la calle, donde otro empleado en uniforme nos indica caminar calle abajo, hasta que otro empleado, tambien en uniforme, nos hace entrar en un muelle. Para nuestra sorpresa, no hay vaporettos (transporte publico) sino solo barcas-taxis, el transporte mas caro en Venecia (sin contar las carisimas gondolas, claro!). Otros turistas suben a los taxis sin rechistar, aceptando el precio extorsionante de 10,50 hasta Venecia centro. Nos negamos a subir al taxi, explicando que queremos transporte publico, vaporetto, que cuesta 3,50 euros por trayecto. Nos dicen que no hay transporte publico. O el taxi, o caminais hasta Venecia, y son 7 km. Cuando no aceptamos la extorsion y sacamos nuestra guia para ver donde esta la parada de vaporettos, los taxistas nos gritan e insultan. Nos gritan que nos larguemos de alli, que andemos hasta Venecia, ya que somos unos listillos que sabemos mas que ellos, que han nacido y vivido todas sus vidas en Venecia. Por detras se acercan otros turistas. Es evidente que los taxistas no quieren que les hagamos dudar de la unica opcion de transporte a Venecia.

Volvemos al parking. Los empleados, cuando nos ven, ponen mala cara. Claro, acaban de perder la comision que les dan los taxistas por cada pasajero que les sirven en bandeja. Con malos modos, nos gritan que nos dirijamos al otro lado del parking donde, finalmente, vemos carteles indicando transporte publico y las taquillas donde comprar los billetes. Siete euros y tenemos billetes de ida y vuelta a Venecia, en vaporetto y a lo largo del Gran Cannal El taxi son 10,50 euros solo ida. Los turistas que aceptaron la extorsion tendran que pagar el regreso al parking, usando transporte publico, al final del dia, cuando se den cuenta de que no tienen el regreso pagado. Por aquel entonces, los empleados del parking ya se han largado a casa. Obviamente, para evitar las quejas de airados turistas que se sienten estafados. Y todo esto sucede en un parking publico, construido y dirigido por las autoridades venecianas. Os puedo asegurar que empezando asi el dia, lo unico que no me viene a la cabeza es romanticismo. Mis pensamientos giran mas en torno al asesinato, venganza y rios de sangre, por poner un ejemplo!


The weather today:
Mostly Cloudy and Windy
18C
UV Index: 1 Low
Wind: From the West at 29 mph
Dew Point: 5C
Humidity: 42%
Visibility: 6 miles
Barometer: 1,002.0 mb