Venice, Italy

We ended our two week journey in Venice. For me, it was the most anticipated city on our agenda. I had wanted to visit Venice from a very young age. I had seen it in movies and read about it in books, and it seemed so beautiful and mysterious to me.




We rode in a water taxi to the nearest exit to our hotel, but finding the hotel was a challenge. Generally, finding things on a map is difficult in Italy. The streets signs are often missing and the cobblestone alleyways are tough to navigate. But in Venice, it is nearly impossible. We also had to take into account the canals, and bridges required to cross them. Luckily I had learned a little bit of Italian before our trip. Not a lot, but enough to ask for, and somewhat understand directions.

Our hotel was very charming and I was glad I had done a little research into it before booking this one. Our room had a cute little balcony overlooking a small, quiet square, where we sat and had breakfast before heading out to see the sights. Breakfast was fresh baked croissants with cheese and jam, and of course cappuccino.





After the morning's events, we knew we would probably get lost in this city, and frankly, we welcomed it. After all, our most memorable events on this trip involved getting lost, talking to locals, and discovering little places off the beaten path. That being said, we decided to see Piazza San Marco, the city's main square, first because it was the one thing we didn't want to miss.




The piazza sits right on the edge of the lagoon, and is surrounded by numerous buildings, restaurants and shops, including the Doges palace and the Campanile, but the one that stands out is St. Mark's Basilica. From the beautifully designed exterior to the detailed Romanesque art, the Basilica is truly breathtaking, and was nicknamed the "Church of Gold" because of it's extravagant decoration. This is a must see for anyone visiting Venice.



Next we decided to wait in the short line to go to the top of the Campanile (bell tower), and it was well worth the wait. The view from the bell tower is amazing. Venice is even more fascinating from above and I realized why I find this city so appealing. With all the beautiful old buildings and no streets or cars, it gives you the feeling of being transported to an earlier time.

 Around the corner from the piazza, we stopped to have a drink in Harry's Bar, which is famous for being frequented by Ernest Hemingway, Orson Welles, and Alfred Hitchcock, among others. I ordered a Bellini, which Harry's is also famous for inventing, and it did not disappoint.

The rest of our afternoon was spent leisurely wandering through the alleyways, listening to the gondoliers sing, and shopping for souvenirs. One of my favorite things to look at were the Venetian masks. Mask making is an art that usually has been passed down from generation to generation, and there were lots of shops selling beautifully crafted masks.






After shopping for a while, we dined on the patio of a small restaurant overlooking the Grand Canal. With the full moon rising over the skyline, the setting could not have been more perfect for the last day of our amazing Mediterranean journey. Venice is a unique and truly romantic city, and it definitely lived up to all of my expectations and more.