Monday, 2 May 2011

Ciao Venezia


Venice is the one of the coolest cities in Italy. It's comprised of a series of islands sort of shaped like a spiral and there are canals everywhere. And the city is so small that it only takes about 30 minutes to walk from one end to the other. The city is a little scary when you first see it at night because all of the streets look like little alleyways but in the day you can see how pretty it actually is. The alleys and the small bridges that cross the canals give the city it's small-town like feel.

I had the best in Venice out of all of the cities I visited in Italy. There was something about the sauce that set it apart from all the others I've tried. Having dinner by the canal is definitely one of my favorite experiences. The food is just so fresh, you almost don't feel bad about eating all those carbs....But you have to top it off with some delicious gelato!

One of the main attractions is Ponte Rialto, a bridge crossing the Grand Canal that has a street market. Venice is known for its colorful masquearade masks that are worn during Carneval and you can find them at every souvenir shop in the city.

Its other main attraction is Basilica San Marco, a beautiful church located by the ocean. The churches in Venice seemed a little odd to me because they had an unusual amount of open space in the middle, it almost feels as if something is missing.

There's also another church on the island of San Giorgio. You have to take a water taxi there but the church is very pretty in its simple way, and the island gives a great view of the Venice city skyline.

There doesn't seem to be much to do in Venice, but the way the city is laid out, its houses, shops and markets made it the prettiest city I've seen in Italy.