Of all the European cities, Venice has to rank right up there in my list of personal favourites.
My last visit there was a freebie, courtesy of hubby’s company, where he won a week’s holiday by way of a sales contest, all expenses paid.
It was my third visit to this beautiful Italian city, the beauty of which never fails to enthral me.
When you arrive at the airport, you get a waterbus into the city proper, and the view as you approach from the lagoon, and see Venice rising up in the distance, is truly wonderful.
On this trip we stayed at the Cipriani hotel, which is one of the best the city can offer, and is only five minutes stroll from St. Mark’s Square. It has lovely, comfortable bedrooms, a large swimming pool, and gorgeous views out over the lagoon towards the Basilica. And the staff there spoil you rotten, which is lovely.
One of the main attractions for anyone visiting Venice is St. Mark’s Square, and it lives up to its well-deserved reputation.
St. Mark’s Basilica itself is magnificent, with an ancient mosaic floor, and ancient religious relics of incredible beauty. There is a large, rather ugly, tower that you can climb to the top of that gives you views out over the city and onto the Dolomites in the distance. The view is breathtaking, and well worth the effort of the climb.
The Church has a definite atmosphere about it, and you can almost taste the history and its religious significance, no matter what your own beliefs may be.
The Doges Palace, the residence of the old rulers of Venice, is another attraction not to be missed. It has a grand staircase, and you can just imagine the royalty making their entrance down this in olden days.
The paintings and murals are unbelievable, and are all over the walls and ceilings, and it also houses one of the most famous paintings in the world, Tintoretto’s Paradiso, in its impressive great hall.
St. Mark’s Square is full of market stalls, and they’re great fun.
A lot of them sell tacky religious artefacts and souvenirs, but there are some great bargains to be had in Venetian glassware and leather goods in particular. I got myself a smashing leather shoulder bag for about half the price I would have paid at home, and hubby treated himself to a new Italian leather jacket. (I almost fancied him again!)
Venice is famous for its glassware, and we had a day trip out to one of the outlying islands called Burano, one of the main centres of the glass industry, where the locals live as though they’d been caught in a time warp, cooking in the streets on small stoves, and chatting and greeting with you like you were a long lost friend.
This trip is worth the time, and watching the old glassblowers at work is fascinating.
Off course, the other thing that Venice is famous for is its canals, and while these can pong to high heaven in hot weather, (most of the time) the way they twist and wind there way through the city is what makes it special.
A trip on one of the famous gondolas is a must, but be careful, because you can very easily be ripped off if you don’t agree a firm price beforehand with the boatman.
We let the hotel porter organise this for us, and it really was as romantic as people say. No matter how much extra hubby offered though, the boatman resolutely refused to sing for us!
The other highlight of the trip for me was the fabulous Italian food.
You are really spoilt for choice, and to single out a restaurant in particular is nearly impossible. The Italians take their food very seriously, so allow plenty of time for your main evening meal, as they refuse to be rushed about anything.
And then there’s the Italian ice cream. Oh, don’t get me started, I can taste it yet.
If you ever get the chance, I would highly recommend this delightful part of old Italy. It really is as magnificent as everyone says.