A 10th Anniversary Trip To Italia Begins In Venice
Years in the planning, my wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with a 3-week visit to Italy. I think both of us felt we would make the trip, check Italy off the list and move on. It’s safe to say that isn’t what happened. We want to go back more than ever we wanted to visit in the first place. It’s so OLD yet modern. There’s an energy, a positive vibe, a sense of destiny that probably could only come from a civilization that has survived countless wars, incursions, raids, political shifts and even it’s own share of natural catastrophes. No matter what may happen to their land they can say without reservation: we got this. And they do it with such good humor. We begin our journey in Venice, long an item on my own personal bucket list.
We arrived in the late afternoon fresh off a 12-hour flight and a 3-hour train ride and met our Airbnb host who showed us to our home for the next 3 days. It was a very nice residence just behind The Church of The Pieta – Saint Mary of The Visitation. We unpacked and headed out for a wonderful dinner along one of the canals.
We spent 2 days exploring the many streets and canals of the city. We came during October so it was “off-season” yet there were still many people visiting the city. The cruise ships had a large impact and when one arrived the sidewalks were suddenly much more crowded. There is a sense that Venetians would prefer fewer guests but they also need the economic value provided by all those tourists spending their dollars and euros in the shops, restaurants and tour operations,
On our last day, we took a tour of the glass factory in Murano and also went to Burano to see the famous lacework it is known for. Also known for its colorful housing, the island was a photographer/artist’s dream. The windows are all beautifully decorated and I took so many pictures. Legend has it the colorful housing came from an attempt to prevent sailors coming home late from the local taverns from entering the wrong abode. Under current law, no house can change its color, it can only refresh it.
Chris, my wife, feels she’s seen enough of Venice. She thought it smelled (maybe a bit but not so much it bothered me) and was crowded. I can see her points but for me as a photographer/artist, I can’t get back soon enough. I feel I just scratched the surface. See all my Venice images by clicking here or on the trains below!
These are terrific.
Thank you!