Venice was a republic for a thousand years, and despite being unified as part of Italy since the late 19th century, still feels distinctly different from everywhere else in Italy.
I didn’t fall in love with most of the places on this list when I visited for the first time. I’m not expecting to love every city or country I visit, but I think part of the reason I didn’t “get” it was to do with having not enough time, the weather, or other external factors in my life that didn’t really have anything to … Continue reading 5 Places I want to re-visit
Planning an itinerary for two weeks in Italy is exciting and overwhelming. Where do you start? In the north, the fashion & finance powerhouse of Milan, the sinking canals of Venice and the bright villages of Cinque Terre each demand attention. The olive groves and vineyards of Tuscany, the streets of Florence oozing Renaissance splendour and the fine foods of Emilia-Romagna tempt travellers in the … Continue reading Itinerary: 2 weeks in Italy
By the time we arrived in Venice, we had worked up an appetite. We’d taken the train from Verona in the morning, but halfway through the trip a ticket inspector realised that we’d booked the train tickets for a month earlier – an admin error on our part that we hadn’t noticed. We were kicked off the train in Vincenza, and had to purchase new … Continue reading Rush hour by the Rialto Bridge
This photo was taken immediately before we wandered down an alley so narrow and shady looking that I wondered whether I would regret ignoring the little voice in my head pleading with me to turn back. We were lost in a deserted part of Venice. How the four of us lost not only our tour group but seemingly also every other person in Venice, I’ll … Continue reading Postcard from Venice
“You’re going to get lost in Venice regardless, so stick your map in your back pocket, forget about it and just wander.” Our tour manager couldn’t have been more right. This was one of the narrowest alleyways we went down when we had lost ourselves in a seemingly deserted part of busy Venice. The atmosphere changed completely as we walked around these eerily silent alleyways. … Continue reading Brick Labyrinth
If you’re going to Venice, you’ll need to leave room in your suitcase and your wallet for a Venetian Carnivale mask (or twelve). You can buy them from street vendors but the most beautiful ones are in shops dotted around Venice. I have never seen so much beauty in one place. These small decorative porcelain masks were hanging on the door of a mask shop … Continue reading Venice: Home of the Masquerade
St Mark’s Basilica in Venice is one of my favourite buildings because it balances decadence and delicateness. It’s not as overbearing as some other iconic architecture. For example, I thought St Peter’s in Rome too overbearing and not particularly beautiful. Rome is a very masculine city and this is reflected in their architecture. Everything there seems to strives for glory rather than beauty. Venice is … Continue reading St Mark’s Meringues