Venice

July 20 & 21, 2017

“There is something so different in Venice from any other place in the world, that you leave at once all accustomed habits and everyday sights to enter an enchanted garden.” Mary Shelley

Gondolas, canals, bridges, winged lions and marble palaces floating on a lagoon. Walking through Venice is like walking into of one of Canaletto’s paintings.

I first visited Venice in June 1973 with my sister, Patricia. Venice was much the same as I remembered, however, this visit left me with very different feelings.

This city of marble palaces floating on a lagoon was once one of the richest cities in the world and is now one of the world’s oldest tourist and cultural centers.

We flew from Santorini to Venice. We picked up our car (see Tip), left it in the car park and took a water taxi to Venice. Our hotel, Hotel A La Commedia was located steps away from the Rialto Bridge and the water-bus stop. Hotel A La Commedia is in a historic building, fully restored and open since 2006. We were next to the Grand Canal, across from the Goldoni Theatre and only a 10-minute walk from St. Marks Square.

Tip: Having been involved in an accident in Rome, I would highly recommend the “super CDW” or “zero-deductible coverage.” You literally wreck it and leave it. My vacation was impacted for about 2 hours

We checked into the hotel, grabbed a quick bite to eat and set out to explore Venice. We headed to St. Marks Square. This is the heart of Old Venice.

Later that evening we took a private water taxi tour. It was wonderful and really gave us a sense of place. I highly recommend a tour of Venice by water taxi.

With its gondolas, canals, amazing restaurants, and unforgettable romantic ambiance, Venice is definitely a city for one’s bucket list. Waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting.

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