Venice, A Watery Wonderland.

The floating city attracts the masses like most other cities in Italy. Its beauty is both quaint and

breathtaking as you wander the alleys and bridges, surrounded by the grandiose Gondolas. Decorated in gold swirls and kingly red thrones to sit upon, these long boats set the scene for Venice’s romanticized history (the pricing is far more futuristic). The birthplace of Vivaldi sports a large operatic house, remnant of the culturally artistic city.

Wine, art and architecture swarm the shop windows as you gently wander away from the tourist spots and lose yourself, quite literally, in the thousands of paths and alleyways. Be careful not to walk into the water on an evening as random streets end randomly.

With famous glass works, Venetian masks and Rocco style buildings, eyes wander continually. Discovering Venice is simply spectacular. The true wonder is far away from the hustle and bustle, as are the cheaper prices. The Venice film festival is the worlds oldest and very highly regarded within the film industry. Without cars, bikes or trucks, you can walk carefree around the islands with fresher air at times, until the occasional water stench hits you in random places. Wine bars in the evening give you the opportunity to sit outside on the bridges and drink a descent red for 3 euros amid glorious settings, indulging in local delicacies and bite

sized portions. Accommodation can be costly but there is one hostel across the water that offers 24 hour tickets for the boat transportation which run at least once and hour, even at 4 am.

Tiramisu, a delicious dessert, is thought to have originated here in the 1970’s and is well worth an indulgence.

By Cocai – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48894252

Salted fish, marinated eel and rice, peas and bacon make up the small treats that go before dessert if you can hold yourself away from the wide array of cookies on offer. We found that food and wine personified our time here as you wander upon small wine bars and eateries outside of San Marco or the Rialto bridge. We found Venice to be both culturally stimulating and tantalizingly tasty while, surprisingly, relatively affordable after the accommodation was paid for. We shall certainly return for a romantic weekend, lost in the alleys of this wonderful city.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.