Very vibrant Venice

20 million people a year visit Venice and it's not a surprise why! What a wonderful city. Words really can't describe the place and it's unique vibe. Hence I'm not even going to try.

Brandy top 10 for Venice;

1. Gondola ride via Bridge of Sighs and the tranquil back canals. We took a 50 minute ride for a haggled 120€ which is really the going rate. They will start at 150€ (add 20€ if after 7pm) and come to 120€. Very romantic, managed to steal a kiss under the Bridge of Sighs as Casanova no doubt did many a time and got a cheer/applause from the many on lookers! A restoration effort to fix up intricate marble work, due to take 2 years, started recently so much scaffold in place at present. Once out of the jostle and banter of the main gondola area the ride gets more personal and enjoyable. The sense of tranquility was surreal as there were no cars/mopeds and generally little or no foot traffic (to the point of it being silent - I would have thought it impossible considering the number of tourists in Venice). This together with the fact that you're being gently guided by a man in a striped blue and white shirt, who will occasionally sing, through a 3 meter wide canal in a long narrow boat is something really incredible and which despite the cost I thoroughly enjoyed. It was almost like being back at Turpentine Gorge when walking the Larapinta; just the gorge and deep water, or in this case tall terraces and deep water.

Our gondola ride at sundown

The view from the water is stunning and taking the gondola ride gets you right into the heart of Venice. Canal depth approximately 2 meters, surrounding ocean 5 to 10 meters. 430 bridges over the 140 canals. Or so our 25 year gondola guiding veteran informed us in broken English. Oh and just make sure you have your cash with you; or they make you get and withdraw it while on the gondola! Our night ended not with an expensive flashy meal out but rather with the more backpacker style meal of a chicken salad bread roll and a prosciutto and salad wrap washed down with a dark Venetian beer and a bottle of Bellini (peach flavored sparkling wine)! Life ain't all glam!

Manda enjoying being gently pushed along

2. Bell tower of St Marks Basilica for a good view of Venice. Or so it looks! We didn't go up! I did the St Marks Basilica instead with it's little collection of dark paintings, patchy tapestries, intricate mosaics and other antiquities. Not bad value at 4€ and view over the square was good enough for me!

3. An early morning walk; will not only give you photos without the masses but some nice reflections on the canals. I left at 7am and only bumped into about 2 dozen people. Mostly cleaners emptying overflowing bins! Piazza San Marco, Rialto Bridge and the alleyways without a person in them is almost unbelievable so well worth a look.

Rialto Bridge view

4. A trip to the island of Burano; my pick of the 2 main islands visited, about 25 minutes by ferry, is the home of lace, farming and 'beaches'.

Amazing lace parasols

The terrace houses/shops were stunning visually; all painted in their different colours, some far more gaudy than others; made Le Maison Rosé in Carrington Street Deakin look very run-of-the-mill!!!

Mix and match coloured terraces

I guess the houses here reminded us of the Cinque Terre in many aspects just that they were better maintained (ie painted every 10 years as opposed to once ever!) and on a canal as opposed to the hillside/clifftop! 

Le Maison Rouge

5. A trip to the island of Murano; Manda's favourite for the shopping, is home to Venetian glass. Sadly their handy work is being reproduced by the bloody Chinese (as they so often do!) and sold by rip-off shops, at a fraction of the quality and price. Apparently this is even happening in Venice so glass bought here may indeed not be Venetian but Chinese! Unscrupulous thieves! Anyway, if you buy from a reputable shop you're pretty safe! We did buy from a reputable shop (or 5) and Manda made some lovely purchases. We watched, briefly, some men making their wares in hot workshops (furnaces blazing in a little tin shed) which gives you an appreciation as to the level of skill and craftsmanship these chaps have! Some amazing pieces were here on display including my favourite, a life sized horse made of glass in different colours. No photos as always allowed!

Crazy lifesized horse made of venetian glass! - no photo...

Everything is ferried in and out - building materials, food, rubbish, sheets and towels etc. EVERYTHING...

Amazing flower box on window

6. Shopping for Venetian glass. As above, just try an ensure it's the real deal and not from the chinky chonks. Antica Murrino make some lovely pieces and are well worth a look; a little more costly but worth the extra money for us. Oh, and the Venetian glass chandeliers are quite amazing... and expensive...

7. Browsing the weird and wonderful carnevale masks (actually on the week leading up to Ash Wednesday; to be here for better or worse I'm unsure). The masks are simply beautiful; the decorations extremely lavish and at times bordering bizarre! Would love to have been able to squeeze one in the bag for you Mad!

Carnevale masks!

More carnevale masks

Manda with Carnevale street performers (1 euro)

8. Doges Palace. Venices' only palace. Large oil painting here apparently...

9. A night walk through the nearly empty vacant alleys. Some great reflections again! And no people around!!!

10. Museums; if you're not museumed out already. We didn't bother with this either!

All in all a top city and worthy of all the tourists that flock here! Just don't look at the price tags!!!

EasyJet: cheap online airline. Cheap seats yes but hidden fees and charges well over the top. We had a pocket knife in our bag (oops! Security man called us the dangerous couple as Manda also had scissors) so had to check the pocket knife in; 30€! Manda still furious! No allocated seats so we got a good laugh at everyone trying to get one as were first to board! Got to love cheap dodgy airlines! Dare I say never again?!

Moared gondolas on Grand Canal