The Canals of Venice

On my way to Venice, our port of call was Jesolo, Italy. The small city, is thriving with nightlife and in my opinion the Miami Beach of Italy. The beaches are pristine, no trash nothing, I cannot tell you how much of a relief it was walking on a beach without having to yell out “ouch!” every five seconds. Seriously, it was that lovely, and on the way to the beach I spotted Palm Trees.. Yes, Palm Trees. after a swim in the Adriatic sea, it was refreshing, looking over into the sea. I was swimming in the ocean in Italy. How cool was this? I wondered to myself. Walking through this city at night, you see neon lights, there is one long street strewn with bathing suit shoppes, ice cream parlors, tourist shoppes. Go figure, palm trees in Italy, you must be thinking this is too good to be true. Go visit and find out- its the Miami beach of Italy.

Venice was just simply lovely, the gondola rides, the gondoliers alas didn’t sing. As much as my group tried to bribe him with a simple glass of beer(the leaders, of course) The fifty year old man, with blond wavy hair wearing red and white striped tee shirt along with black pair of pants, and of course sunscreen on his nose. Simply replied in a musky Italian accent, “No, No, it’s not beer weather!” . I guess there is a time and place for everything, even beer?. I simply laughed.
It is indescribable being here, the feeling, the atmosphere is amazing. Winding through the canals of Venice, was the highlight of the trip. I swear, I could hear music. Maybe the other gondoliers were singing, or maybe it was in my head. I will never know, but it was magical. The water reflected off the windows, the buildings, bright shimmery waves throughout the city. You can feel quite small, when the buildings are towering over you. The locals walking across the bridges, as you cruise under.

Murrano Glass Factory is another place to visit while you are here. A little sign will read Murrano glass factory, black with white lettering. Worn over the ages, hanging over the door. Rustic, but with a modern twist once you walk in. White walls, modern design everywhere. Such a huge contrast to the outside of the building. Looks can be deceiving. The white walls really brought out the color in their products. Every color, shapes and sizes you can imagine was here. It felt like a candy store for Glass. I never felt so nervous to be in a store, everything was expensive and delicate. Nervous that I would break something, I made my way through the building carefully. The tour was interesting, we were able to see the glass being made by a professional, then to the shoppe, and then to the museum. White lights, and glass cases covering the products. Definitely made me nervous, but at the same time I was in awe. everything was so Shiny, I couldn’t keep my eyes off the vases, the beautiful sculptures. The glass factory prided themselves on one thing.They were proud of their Packaging, they said that they pack the product so tight that for the trip home it would not break. I tested this theory, I bought a small vase for my mother as a gift. A blue tinted(Which was more expensive because they used a specific dye for the tint) etched with gold leaves. It was breathtaking, they packed it up and gave it to me. I was told not to worry. I didn’t until I actually dropped it on the way back from Venice on the boat. Frantic, I peered in, and not a crack was made. They were right, I need not to worry.

St. Marks Square is a must visit. After winding through small narrow alleyway, you will find it surprising to find a huge open space right in front of you. Beware, thousands of tourists flock to this area in Venice, as well as pigeons but that’s no biggie. Venice is a city so magical and beautiful its not to be missed. Especially when there’s a rumor that its in fact really sinking. Every year, Venice does have a flood. So be sure you don’t visit when during that time of the year. If you do, perhaps bring a pair of boots would be wise. Near here, you will see the Bridge of Sighs. The legend has it that, when prisoners would be taken to be executed in marks square. They would look over, out to sea and sigh as they looked out the window as they passed the bridge. It is a small, bridge, but easily recognizable.

There are so many treasures in Venice, its hard to see them all. I know, I have only begun to scratch the surface here.