Well hello readers, it's been a very busy couple of months - a change of job
http://taylormadefloraldesigns.com and lots and lots of travelling (which I am very excited to write about!)
So, let's talk about Venice.
I knew that Venice would be a beautiful and romantic city, but I wasn't expecting it to be as charming and intriguing as it was. Once we had arrived at our apartment (as quaint as it was, the bedroom smelt slightly of wee and it took much of our perfume to try and mask the smell - suppose you could argue it adds to its .... character?) we decided to go for a walk around the island to get our bearings.
Actually, one of my favourite parts of this weekend was exploring the little back streets, getting lost in the maze of small alleys and losing count of how many canals you've crossed. Eventually we started to follow the signs to Piazza San Marco and from then on it became easier to find our way around. From the quirky structure of the sometimes slanted houses that back onto the canals, to the immense architecture of the Basilica di San Marco, Venice continually left me gaping at the craftsmanship, design and character of the city.
For this alone, the trip was already well worth it.
I love museums, and I love historic art. But I've got to be honest, once you've seen one painting of baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary, it becomes extremely difficult to appreciate the hundreds of baby Jesus' and Virgin Mary's that line the halls of the museums (most of them do not do either of them a favour appearance wise... Some were kind of creepy looking) but being able to get in with a student pass meant not so much money was wasted I suppose...
Piazza San Marco is stunning, as long as your prepared to continuously refuse the street sellers and you don't mind running the risk of having pigeons poo on you (tthankfully this did not happen to me) and it's worth a visit to the Florian, the Venetian equivelant to the Ritz - overpriced? Yes. Worth a visit anyway even for just a Coffee? YES!
But my favourite place to visit on the Piazza was the Doge's Palace. Which is made up of ornate government rooms, palace apartments and a long history of Dukes struggling for power. Not forgetting the dungeons and the Bridge of Sighs.
Regrettably, we never got round to going on a traditional Gondola but as there are no cars on the island, unless you walk, the only means of transport are the boat buses. Which actually come in handy to explore Venice and travel down the Grand Canal for as long as you want and as many times as you want if you get a pass - and this also provides a way to explore the islands surrounding Venice as well.
Not long is needed to visit Murano, famous for its glass factories and shops selling well... glass. I picked up a few glass beads that fit my Pandora bracelet (Pandora actually sell Murano glass beads but for about £40-£60, I got 2 beads for €10 each).
Definitely worth a trip on a clear day is San Georgio, just to take the lift (thank goodness there were no stairs) up the tower for the most magnificent views of Venice from above - but be aware of the bell that will suddenly gong just above your head sending you close to falling from the tower in shock...
My weekend in Venice was amazing, and I would definitely go back, just for a ride across the Canals in a Gondola, for the cute bars and the incredible food, and I'm determined to find a Museum dedicated to Renaissance art (that doesn't necessarily focus so much on a creepy baby Jesus' and his sickly looking Mother). I loved the market stalls that ran along the Promenade next to the Plazza with an abundance of Venetian masks, selfie sticks and cheap memorabilia. I'm just slightly gutted I didn't bring a mask home.
