Venice in the middle of summer was a bold choice! Sweltering hot, swarming with tourists… I would go back to again to experience this romantic beautiful city one more time. I knew that it was a city for lovers, after all, every movie or novel referencing Venice showed romantic gondola rides and couple things. I knew all of this but that wasn’t the reason why I went (though it should be the reason I go back) I went to meet up with some friends on their whirlwind tour of Europe.
Venice is made up of small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. The most famous canal is the Grand Canal which is the start of almost every single tour of Venice that awards you with breathtaking views of brightly coloured buildings whichever side you turn to. I was surprised to see that some of them were run down and others were renovated restaurants and my guess apartments. I can’t imagine living along the Grand Canal with the hive of constant activity during the day throughout the summer. If you weren’t on a tour boat on the Grand Canal, then you were on a gondola ride, it didn’t seem all that romantic, more like another way of getting across the canal with a loved one (if you rented it for just the two of you) or sharing the ride with another couple or complete strangers. The most noteworthy attraction on the Grand Canal was the Rialto Bridge which had three walkways that lead you to many little shops selling jewelry and other ornaments. Of course it looked very enticing and I spent some time there but I certainly felt the need to hold onto my wallet.
One of the busiest places I found was St Mark’s Basilica- it was so crowded and felt like every square inch had tourists with selfie sticks or cameras around their necks, ready for picture perfect shots. After what seemed like eternity lining up, I finally went into the church and it was worth the wait, it felt like walking back in time, biblical times, such a humbling experience.
One of my many highlights of this trip was visiting 3 islands that were sold as a package tour- Murano- famous for glassmaking associated with Venetian glass, Burano- being my absolute favourite with the brightly coloured houses and Torcello- which seemed abandoned but apparently home to a handful of people. Each one of these islands so unique but still so captivating that a few hours exploring each one didn’t seem nearly enough.
Venice is one of the few places that will see me again.
