If you have never been – think about putting it on the bucket list. Venezia, in Italian, is a major seaport & is also the capital of the province & the region of Northern Italy.
Known as the greatest seaport in the late medieval Europe, and the continents commercial & cultural link to Asia. I highly recommend taking the water taxi to your hotel, but ask at your hotel ahead of time if they have a water taxi, I learned the hard way. I came off my plane & walked to the water taxi at 10:30 pm which got me into Venice by water and to San Marco Square just in time to walk across to the other end and then through the narrow streets with my luggage. Turns out – the hotel had a taxi that would have dropped me off on the back side of the hotel for the same price. Good to know now.
Coming in on the boat at night is spectacular and you are instantly transported to a world like no other that I have found in all my travels. I understand why it is so popular – the scenery, the food and being on the water is exciting.
Venice is an enchanting city that captivates anyone who visits & casts an intoxicating spell over you. I have always been told “the best part of Venice is to get lost in the winding streets,” where you will find stylish cafes, gelateries, souvenir shops, famous glass shops (specialty in Venice), Renaissance palaces & gothic churches.
The Grand Canal
Venice surrounds you in old beautiful buildings, sparkling blue water with gondolas and men singing to their passengers as they pass by, and it is extremely romantic. Anytime of the day you can stroll the narrow walkways and find yourself dreaming. Here you can find the gondola rides & I suggest the sunset ride where the buildings are in the perfect light and the sky turns pink,
Gondolas have been a mode of transportation in Venice since the 11th century. It was the best way for commoners to get around the city on the water. Eventually, gondolas started to become ornately decorated, luxurious & expensive. It is suggested there are about 400 gondolas in Venice and all are used for tourism.
Venice has been known as “The Queen of the Adriatic”, “City of Masks”, “City of Bridges”, “City of Canals”, but one thing can be said it how unique this city of water is. The city is built on 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The lagoon and parts of the city are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
As I mentioned earlier, strolling through the alleys & over the bridges you can discover life away from the crowds and see more of the livelihoods of the locals.
In my next blog, I plan to discover two of the islands in Venice and show you their specialty and the drastic differences of the two. Share with friends as we journey for the next few months through the Mediterranean and see Croatia, Greece, Italy, Montenegro, France & Spain.
Don’t forget, I have openings for 2023 Safaris to South Africa, so if you and some of your friends are interested, email me & we can discuss specifics and you can also find the details on this website.
Subscribe to my blog & keep up to date with travels & exciting new places to explore.
Your photos are phenomenal!!! They (and your descriptions) took me right back to my trip SO long ago, when I was 19 years old, traveling with my sisters. Thanks for arousing these special memories!
I am so happy! Venice is magical & thank you for following my blog