By Sanna Tayabali May 2019
Venice, or La Serenissima, is at once charming and entrancing. A maze of alleyways and canals, adorned by brightly colored buildings and flora-filled balconies, Venice was the perfect city to visit on the first full day of our trip. Something about Venice feels unreal - perhaps it’s the gondoliers dressed in white and black atop their sleek and curved namesake boats, or perhaps it’s the bridges. At every turn lies a bridge that looks as if it’s been plucked out of a fairytale, delicately perched over a canal with eager tourists marvelling from near and far.
Our day in Venice was busy, starting with a walking tour by local guides. The walking tour took us to the iconic spots in Venice - the gorgeous and immediately recognizable Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco with its incredible architecture (and of course its abundance of pigeons), as well as a tour of both the Doges Palace and Teatro La Fenice (the opera house in Venice). The history entrenched within a city of royalty and drama, evident in the Doges Palace’s weapons rooms and prisons and within the heavenly setting of the Opera House’s elaborately decorated theatre, a visit to Venice feels like a step back into the past.
Despite Venice being a premier travel destination, our visit felt relatively uncrowded. This allowed us to capture the city in all of its elegance. In the hours we had to explore Venice on our own, there was no shortage of things to see, do and experience. Large glittering green canals meandre the city, lined by cafes and restaurants, all offering a classic Italian meal. We settled for scrumptious handmade pasta, covered in smooth and rich sauces like carbonara, Bolognese, and alfredo. Despite being stuffed, there was one requisite food left for the day: gelato. As they say, “a gelato a day keeps the sad away.” We purchased gelato from one of the many stalls all over Venice, enjoying sweet and earthy hazelnut, and tangy lemon.
Venezia is a place to wander. It’s somewhat of a labyrinth, as each path seems to lead to another, slightly narrower path. And it’s wonderful. So much culture is tucked in to every corner, from the murano glass shops selling brilliantly colored glass creations, such as delicately made balloons or animal figurines, to the classic Venetian masks hanging from store walls that are reminiscent of a masquerade - every nook and cranny has something to offer.
Following a hearty dinner of lasagna, roast turkey and salad, it was time to see Venice at perhaps its most beautiful. Nighttime. A gondola ride at sunset was picturesque and surreal, as our gondolier hummed tunes that played in his gleaming white Air-pods whilst taking us through the city. Afterwards, we explored even more, inside souvenir stores, and chocolate shops that offered us luxuriously delicious samples, simply drinking in the godly nectar that Venice had to offer. By the time the day was at last done, we headed to the bus stop to commute back to our hotel in Mestre, content with our day and still bursting with excitement. We had only just started our trip, and it was already starting to feel like something we could never forget.
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