It has been said; this is undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man. Hubby and I were blown away by its unique elegance, with centuries old Byzantine domes, Renaissance marble palaces and Gothic churches – such breath taking architecture.
At first glance this floating city is hard to comprehend, with its maze of winding canals, cobblestone alleys and streets filled with cafes, gelaterias and boutiques, offering speciality seafood, pasta dishes and of course the obligatory pizza. Being forced to sup the local drink, an Aperol Spritz, (thought it would be rude not to) a bright orange aperitif, usually with lots of ice, prosecco and a slice of orange, I rather liked it – a bit too much me thinks.
A tourists dream that was founded over 1500 years ago. Over 100 islands are linked by 150 canals and around 400 bridges that amazingly survived two world wars. Built on foundations of oak and pine piles and safely secure due to the soil being waterlogged, meaning there is no free oxygen – so no decay (according to my trusted amico Google).
Summers here are hot and humid, reaching 30degs celsius and 80pct humidity. Phewy. Hiring a gondola and leisurely meandering along the narrow canals was brilliant. These eleven metre long tastefully decorated boats with their wonderfully informative guides was worth every penny (or Euro). We were mesmerised by how easily the gondolier glided their craft round bends, passing numerous boats and taking every obstacle in their stride.
We drifted along passing Casanova’s home, Italy’s most infamous womanizer, scam artist, writer and scholar who fought duals, escaped from prison more than once, and of course was riddled with gonorrhoea. For an extra cost our lovely oarsman took us out onto the Grand Canal, lined with shops and eateries and extremely busy.
To be honest, you could easily walk round Venice in a day, but make sure you have comfortable walking attire as there are many steps to contend with, and at the end of the day my ‘dogs were definitely barking’. Although we were told there was a low crime rate, we still hesitated when approaching a dark narrow alley, silly I know, as everyone was friendly.
With so many wonders to explore, including the Basilica di San Marco, an unforgettable marble clad building with glittering ceiling mosaics. Step up to the Campanile Bell Tower to marvel at the views of the city’s red roofs, expecting to see Dick Van Dyke and his merry band of chimney sweeps. Next to the church is Doge’s Palace with its fascinating hidden chambers and passages, regrettably we didn’t have time to visit, but the piazza was buzzing with tourists and unfortunately there was a lot of renovation work being carried out. But it didn’t spoil our day.
Mardi Gras is a magical annual carnival with elaborately incredible costumes and masks, which takes place over a couple of weeks, featuring processions, street entertainment, performances and skating rinks. Regrettably, the celebrations began in earnest the day after we left (sad face). However, shops and market stalls sold many variations of masks.
Make sure you take the Vaporetto (water ferry) over to the islands of Murano and Burano. Purchase an all-day pass as its better value, although in the summer it will be hot and crowded. Murano is famous for its unparalleled beautifully elegant glassware. Take a tour around the factory, watch the master craftsmen at work and marvel at the huge chandeliers, wonderfully coloured unique sculptures, tiny figurines and jewellery. Not cheap I have to say, but definitely wow, and of course all the small gift shops sell glassware. To be honest, hubby and I both agreed that if we came back, we would prefer to stay on Murano and visit Venice for a day trip. Back onto the ferry and along to Burano, a lovely waterside island with coloured houses and lace making history, again with shops full of souvenirs.
Our hotel stay was at the Ai Cavalieri di Venezia, a beautiful 4-star 16th century former palace, oozing with charm, Murano glass chandeliers and wall sconces, and a private boat dock. The room was opulent with a huge comfortable bed, classical furniture and a luxurious marbled bathroom which had an enormous bath. The staff were friendly and very attentive. Local restaurants were great but expensive, however, we found that food was cheaper when outside of the centre.
Have to mention taking a water taxi from the airport into the centre of Venice was pretty cool – especially arriving straight to your hotel. Felt like visiting royalty. Our trip was courtesy of our lovely sister-in-law as a treat for our 70th birthdays, thank you Kim and Andy.
It’s definitely one for your bucket list; hope you love it as much as we did. Godere.