It was very fortunate we had the map because Venice is not easy to find your way around and with so many canals, markets, mysterious winding streets and dead-end alleys, we were often lost. At one point, after having located almost every dead-end alley in Venice, my daughter-in-law and I followed a woman who, walking briskly, seemed to know her way around. But eventually we lost her in the labyrinth of narrow alleyways as well. However, being lost in Venice is not a catastrophe because wherever you go, there are wonderful things to see.
Venice is part of a large group of islands and is connected by canals and bridges in some cases or by taking the Venezia ferries. Standing on the Rialto Bridge, a marvel of architecture in the heart of Venice, you can overlook the main water thoroughfare. The Grand Canal is surrounded by Renaissance palaces with gondolas transporting people through the various canals or to the other islands. Gondolas are expensive, however, so we used the ferry system to get around.
Whether you are lost or exploring, you will probably find the Palazzo Ducale or Doge's Palace, a Gothic masterpiece which has been the seat of government for centuries. The exterior is white linestone and pink marble with medieval carvings. Another place is Saint Mark's Basilica, the architecture so stunning it almost takes your breath away, as does most of Venice's buildings. It is the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. Some of the marble and carvings are much older than the building itself, having been brought from elsewhere. Also another stop will likely be the Madonna dell'Orto, a church of equal beauty. Built in the mid 14th century, the facade was done between 1460 and 1464. And as you wander, there is the anticipation of what you're going to find next. The name Venice could be synonymous with beauty because wherever we went, the buildings were beautiful, each one seeming to surpass the previous one.
We took a trip on the Venezia ferry system to the island of Murano to see the Venetian glass. The glass is famous for its color, beauty and detail. We were very surprised to find many pieces of this art used in outdoor landscaping. In one display there was a Venetian glass garden of flowers and in another, various brightly colored birds sitting on the top of an archway and in yet another, an abstract free form design. They also have jewellery, much of it made from the Venetian glass, as well as other art.
We also visited Burano Island, a quieter island with fewer tourists. What was unusual about this island was that its canals were lined with very colorful and picturesque buildings. We also noticed that the buildings were better maintained than the main island seemed to be. There were also many chances to purchase items with the beautiful and unique lace work that is made on this island.
The thing I noticed first when we began exploring Venice on our arrival were the buildings, especially those along the canals, with their crumbling plaster exterior walls. In those cases there seemed to be no effort whatsoever made to maintain them. Possibly they are intended to be part of the charm accentuating the fact that Venice is old but one only has to look at the style of architecture to know that Venice has been there for thousands of years.
Our accommodation was on a canal near one of the many bridges that crosses them. It was also near one of the many shopping districts which included an assortment of eateries and other shops. There are no cars in Venice so travel is either by walking or by taking canal transportation. Either way is enjoyable because there is much to see.
Unfortunately, our visit was far too short and it was again time to move on to our next adventure.
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