Queen of Adriatic. Review on Venice

Italy was my dream destination since my schooldays. And to my delight it was the first foreign country I visited.

I dedicate this review solely to Venice.

Our plane landed on Venice's Marco Polo Airport on a sunny December afternoon. We then drove to Pordenone, a small sleepy town further north of Venice. The whole week was hectic because of work(It was a business trip).

On weekend we planned to go to Venice or shall I say Venezia.

Italy's train network is very good. The frequency of trains is amazing and they are always on time(Indian Railways please pay attention...).

The old city of Venice was charming, bustling with activity. The moment we got out of station we were greeted by the maze of canals. And then began the tryst with the city of Gondolas.

Venezia can either be explored on foot or water taxis ferry the passengers to main landmarks and islands. Exploring on foot is not tough, all the streets and by lanes have signs, which make navigation quite easy :-).

We took water taxi to St. Marco's square. I didn’t want to miss the wide expanse of Grand Canal, so I braved the chilly sea breeze and moved to open deck. And the view was breath taking. No wonder Venice is called Queen of Adriatic.

Two winged lions on pillars greet the visitors on their entry in St. Marco’s square. Winged lion was the symbol of Venetian republic.

Basilica at St Marco’s square is beautiful. There are 5 doorways adorned by mosaic. Interiors and exteriors are master pieces of artistic architecture.

The clock tower is a 15th century building. At the top of the tower there are two huge statues called 'The Moors' . The large clock displays the hours of the day, various phases of the moon and the movement of the sun.

Doge’s palace is a Gothic style building. It was one of the biggest civic buildings in Venice. One can find clover leaf carvings in most of Venetian buildings.

Rialto Bridge (or Ponte di Rialto , as it is locally called) is in heart of the city. It is stone bridge stretched on Grand canal. Rialto is the oldest bridge built on Grand Canal. It was the only bridge on Grand Canal till mid nineteenth century. It is lined with small shops and kiosks.

Gondola rides are expensive, but if you are a true romantic types and wouldn’t care less, then hop in one black shiny gondola and let the gondolier sing “O sole mia” for you. Bargaining exists in Italy too. Its more like Palika bazaar, you can bargain with the Gondolier and settle in for some few thousand liras. Yeah, it makes you sound too rich, but in Italy you are millionaire. A simple snack can cost you some thousand lire.

Next was the visit to Murano island. Murano and Burano are the hubs for the glass works. Murano cut glass is famous all over the world. Exquisite gold plated pieces were on display on shop windows. The artisans (maestros) produce amazing work of art within minutes for the benefit of the tourists, who wish to see the intricacies involved in making a small piece of cut glass.

By the time we came out of the glass factory, the evening dusk had engulfed the beautiful city. It was a magnificent sight from the water taxi. Sky was painted in various shades of red, yellow and orange and a tinge of grey. And on the shores was glittering Venice.

The streets sprang to life. It was the best time to explore the city on foot. Street singers and musicians played various musical instruments. Aroma of hot wine made the environment too heady. Small kiosks were full of souvenirs- the famous carnival masks, cut glass from Murano, the jester hats, mugs, paintings. The masks were the focus of my attention. They are very elegantly and artistically designed in ceramic/paper mache/leather . The history of masks dates back to 11th century. Venetians masqueraded for various purposes, but ultimate aim was to be anonymous in their deeds, be it good or bad. Masks and the famous Venice carnival was suspended in 18th century. But it was later resumed.

The night was falling and the air was biting cold. We returned to our hotel. I had a wonderful day. I had not explored the whole city, but I was already in love with it.