A world away from our desk jobs and bustling American lifestyles lays a lagoon rich with history. Meeting Venice is a love affair right from the beginning. Your exploration of her old world charm will leave you baffled at the stark differences when compared to familiar society. A trip to Venice will fill your lust for inspiration.

All’s happy in Piazza San Marco

Our household of two hustles often in the rat-race we call life. Most of the time we find it’s hard to relax. Can any of you go-getters out there identify with that feeling? This grand adventure will really make you question just how important or obsolete that your worries really are. An authentic leisurely lust for life, difficult to discover in mundane familiarity, might change your perspective for the rest of your life. One you find ‘it’, this desire for the unknown, it will guide you- and it will guide you infinitely. Slow down, get to know, and appreciate Venice’s unfamiliar charm.

Gondolas floating in the canal

Venice Rule #1- Gondolas are a waste of money. Everyone wants to ride one, but take one hard look from the dock at passengers in a gondola . . . some of them look terrified. Let me explain: It’s not as romantic as one might typically think. These boats are tipsy-ly narrow, and they are small-fries compared to the much larger boats on the canals. Do I need to spell it out for you? Stay dry and avoid the gondolas.

Ready for a surprise? Cars are illegal here! Since you will have to explore by foot and boat, I particularly recommend utilizing the waterbus routes. Information about the vaporetto can be found at the tiny airport or the train station upon your arrival.

I discovered the greatness of the past Venetian Empire by soaking in 360 degrees of Piazza San Marco. Crowds were not a problem for us right after New Years. Walking through Doges Palace is an unreal experience. The walls shine, gilded with gold. On the secret itineraries tour, I marveled at the Shield Room. This room contained surprisingly accurate maps of the world. These maps were designed and corrected in the many years of the 1400s to the 1900s. This leads me to question and hypothesize that Christopher Columbus did not actually discover the Americas. If, in fact, the map and knowledge of America was designed pre-1492 the famous sailors, the Venetians, had knowledge of the Americas and Canada before Columbus. Perhaps not, but it’s fun to speculate. See it for yourself. Most educated individuals know that Christopher Columbus did not discover America, but if the proof lies on a map on a archipelago on the coast of Italy, that might really be incredible. See how traveling can ignite your imagination?

Basilica San Marco

On the secret itineraries tour  cross the Bridge of Sighs that leads to the creepy dungeons where Casanova was once imprisoned.

Rialto at Dusk

The architecture of the area proves to be particularly impressive. The light colors of the basilicas and the palace give an eerie feeling of history when back dropped against a pale winter sky. The engineering behind the design of the water residences astonished me. You can clearly see the influence of Middle Eastern architecture in the inflected arches of the windows. This used to be the port where East met the West, how amazing the transfer of ideas and goods must have been then. In the present time, tiny, narrow water alleys make splendid candid photographs. What mystery lies down them! I often found myself wondering how many coats of paint some of the buildings have actually had over the years.

A handwritten note on the door of a shop in Burano. I think it describes the local mentality perfectly.

Water alley way

Allot at least a day to venture out to the outlying islands. This was my husband and I’s favorite part of the entire trip. The Adriatic Sea is a beautiful

sort of turquoise blue once you steer away from the polluted waters of the canal. The vaporetto took us out to the island of Murano. Here you can browse through the shops of local glass-blowers. I was amazed at the intricate details among the tiny trinkets. A favorite souvenir of ours, we picked out a tiny yellow family of cats to bring home for just a few Euros. If you have time, watch how the glass-blowers make their ornaments. You can find authentic items here-everything from extravagant chandeliers to tiny droplets of abstract art nothingness. Even my husband, who is a self-proclaimed non-art appreciator, was amazed at the artisans’ craft. For the absolute highlight of the trip, we had to go a little further out. The fishing island of Burano is a masterpiece of its own. The brightly colored houses are eye candy. The island of Burano holds my favorite travel memories to date. I’ll just let the picture speak for itself here in the absence of my words.