Venice

Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2011

If you are thinking of seeing Italia Bella, the most entrancing country in the Western World, don’t forget about Venice.  Italy’s vast richness in culture, art, food, wine and love are all represented in Venice – and Venice has gondolas!

Some people believe that Venice is old and dirty.  They need to see Venice as it is; yes, it is old, and yes, some of the palazzos are sinking but is there a more fascinating and serene city? No.  In fact, Venice’s nickname is La Serenissima.  

Arriving by motorcoach you really see nothing until you walk off the bus and turn right at the corner.  There she is!  Venice, the Grand Canal, the beautiful entrance to the train station and awaiting just a short boat ride away is the famed Rialto Bridge, St Marks Square with the Doges Palace and Bridge of Sighs, the Basilica and more.  There are Venetian Glass artisans showing how they blow the glass.  There’s Caffe Florian, one of the oldest cafes in Europe and if you sit outdoors you can hear violins playing romantic melodies as you sip a Campari.  All right it sounds good but stick to wine or coffee.  Campari’s not as good as one would hope.

Nighttime brings  a must do romantic gondola ride. 

Hopefully you have another day in Venice to take a short boat ride to Burano  to see lace making and the very colorful homes – each one painted a bright red,  purple , etc. and to hopefully visit a museum like the Peggy Guggenheim when back in Venice.

Not to be missed!

Things to See and Do in Venice, Italy

Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Traveling to Venice, Italy can be a truly amazing trip to go on. There are many different things that you can do while traveling through Venice. Whether you are looking to get involved with some outdoor sports, experience the nature, history or culture, or venture into the arts and entertainment, there is always something to see and do in Venice.

One of the very first things that everyone should do when traveling to Venice is take the time to get lost in Venice. I know this sounds weird because you are specifically getting lost, but you should. There is much to see in Venice, and walking around with no set direction or destination can allow you to see so much more. You can see things that many tourists may have never experienced before and avoid all the crowds of tourists that seem to hit up all the hot spots right away.

A must see, is St. Mark's Basilica. This is one of Italy's most elegant churches throughout with the large domes and marble pillars outside and then floor to ceiling mosaics in the interior. There are three museums located inside the Basilica. These each have their own admission fees. Plan on experiencing all three before you leave Venice. Each museum is different and has its own amazing beauties.

Just about everyone who travels to Venice is bound to go to St. Mark's Square at some point. One of the best times of day to really see and experience St. Mark's Square is early morning or evening. This will help you avoid all the tourists and see all the amazing architectures that St. Mark's has to offer. With Venice not being much of a "night out on the town" kind of place, there are not many people out at night, which is why it's the perfect time to go experience the Square.

Venice is full of many places to see and experience. You won't find yourself getting bored at any point with the vast amount of things to do. If you are planning on traveling to Venice then make sure you experience everything you can, whether it is a tour of the Doge's Palace, taking an elevator to the top of the Campanile, wandering through the streets of Burano Island, hiking through Torcello Island, or window shopping at the Rialto Market, there is always something to do.

Doges Palace and Casanova

Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009

"The only prisoner to ever escape from the Doge’s Palace was also Venice’s most famous lover – Giacamo Casanova. The fashionable young man-about-town was arrested by the secret police in 1755 for making blasphemous jokes and thrown into the cells called the Piombi, or Leads. (Named after the palace’s lead roof, they were located in its hot, airless attic.) The spurious charge was evidently trumped up by one of the elderly Venetian magistrates, who were enraged that Casanova was courting his mistress."