Rock-a-bye baby
On the treetops,
When the window blows,
The cradle will rock.
The above is a popular lullaby which takes us right back to our childhood even today; a precocious time when we equated safety and peace with being rocked gently to sleep in our mother’s tender loving hands. Staying in Venice gives you a similar warm and fuzzy feeling, and the experience of being surrounded by water on all sides throughout the day and night. This creates a comforting mental illusion of being gently lulled to sleep in a rocking boat even at night when our feet are firmly on land and our body warmly tucked in a soft feathery hotel bed. Visiting Venice is truly an experience unlike any other.
Venice, one of the most popular and charming tourist destinations in Italy, is known throughout the world for its unique city
View from a gondola of a beautiful Venetian building situated along the Grand Canal
architecture. It has no roads, just waterways or canals as they are called, with the largest being the Grand Canal from which smaller canals spring out. Venice is made up of more than 100 islands in a lagoon, but don’t worry if you don’t know how to swim! The main areas in Venice are well connected by The Vaporetto or the water bus that takes passengers from point to point along the Grand Canal for very cheap fares. Venice is well connected to other European cities by air, buses and trains. But, once you reach the main bus or train stations or even the airport, you will need to use the water bus to reach your hotel or other points within the city. While travelling to Venice, a useful tip is to avoid carrying heavy luggage because travelling light will be easy as you can lug your bags on to the motorboat and can sit back and enjoy your first glimpse of Venice, as you travel along the canal. Another thing to keep in mind is that you need to confirm with your hotel which water station is closest to it as Venice is dotted with narrow lanes and quaint bridges that are difficult to negotiate with suitcases. Getting down at the water station closest to your hotel is the easiest way to navigate in the city with your luggage in hand. But, once these minor points are taken care of, visiting Venice will be the most amazing experience you will ever have!
View from a bus station
The best thing you can do once you are settled in is to wander the streets aimlessly taking in the sights and sounds. Every building in the city is just beautiful to view. They all have quaint and pleasant-to-view architectural designs, colourful walls, potted plants hanging in their balconies overlooking the streets. Gondolas being driven by the natives can be seen at every corner in the canals taking tourists for a ride. Charming cafes dot the streets. No matter which one you decide to visit, the food is exceptional. One of the must-try meals is Linguini pasta with seafood, which is an absolute favourite here accompanied by a glass of red wine. Dessert when in Venice, is a must with every meal. The tiramisu served here is divine. Another must-try is gelato ice creams. No matter where you have them, they are all equally superb.
But Venice provides much more than delicious food for the stomach, it provides sustenance to the soul too with an opportunity to escape the fast-paced city life! And the best way to sit back, relax and soothe your exhausted mind is to take a very long gondola ride. Whether it is Hindi movies or English novels, the gondolas have been projected as romantic getaways for couples. But let me assure you, the experience is no less exhilarating or soothing if you experience it alone without a significant half. The smooth strokes of the boatman, the gentle movement of the waves, a view of some of the most beautiful buildings, all these will envelop you into a cocoon of your own, from which you will be loath to escape once the ride comes to an end. However cliché and touristy it might sound, this gondola ride is the essence of Venice and is an absolute must-do!
The places to visit here include St.Mark’s Square which lies in the heart of the city. Watching pigeons feeding in the square is a beautiful sight. The Basilica di San Marco situated in the same square is another architectural spot you must visit. The Basilica is absolutely stunning, especially at sunset. The cathedral houses the body of St.Mark and has a façade of stunning mosaics capped by portals. Entry here is free, so make sure you visit it. At walking distance from it, you have the Rialto Bridge, which is one of the most beautiful bridges of Venice and offers a stunning view across the Grand Canal. You will have to jostle for space among tourists to get a spot to stand and gaze at the panorama which lies beyond. Experience the moment and don’t reach for your camera! No picture can ever do justice to this epic sight.
Demonstration of blowing glass into artefacts at Murano island
The Bridge of Sighs is another must-visit spot in Venice. The historic significance of this spot is that it is believed that prisoners in Venice who were taken for hanging, used to experience it as their last view of the city from here, hence the name. Besides visiting popular spots in the city, one must take time out to visit the nearby islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Murano is known for its glass factories and you must visit the same to view the beautiful Venetian glass artefacts and jewellery. You cannot leave emptyhanded for sure! Also, if you visit with a group, you will get to enjoy a live demonstration and observe how the glass factory workers blow the glass easily into intricate shapes. Burano is known for its lace making skills and you will find shops dotted on the island selling laces and also dresses and bedspreads which have been embellished by the same.
Venice as a city is all heart. Intoxicating at every turn, it draws you in such that a single visit to this city is never enough. And as you experience your last gondola ride here and say goodbye to all the dear sights, you will make a fervent wish hoping that destiny will get you back here again to experience the feeling of being cradled close to a mother’s bosom, a feeling only this city can give you; an emotion you have forever craved since you left your childhood behind.
