Where I Have Wandered. . .

"The real voyage of discovery 

consists not in seeking new landscapes, 

but in having new eyes."

- Marcel Proust

Because I left a chunk of my heart in Venice I want to share with you some of my favourite photos, showing you details of that city that will steal your heart too, if you let it!

Hard to beat the first view of the city from a cruise ship...

Early morning shot of the rooftop of the Duomo... in the photo above you can see these domes to the right in the picture.

We passed by Piazza San Marco three times by cruise ship, coming and going... so got a good view of the city from up high.

We passed through this city three times on our vacation, twice as overnighters and the last time for a stay of 3 days.

So we became very comfortable, getting around to the sites we were keen to see...

On our first visit we took a tour to some of the outer islands... Murano (the island known for their glass) and Burano... loved the 'street' signs. They have lanes marked off with pilings to lead the traffic in an orderly fashion.

Burano is the most colourful of islands...

Everywhere you looked was a feast for the eye...

These outer islands were a great little stop on our way to our hotel which was right in the centre of Venice just about a 5 minute walk from Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square).

Hotel Dell L'Opera, Venizia was our place to roost 4 out of the 5 nights we spent in the city... and I was able to get a partial 'selfie' in the photo.

We got a great deal of enjoyment watching the gondolas slip by below our window. So delightful to hear the music for those willing to pay extra for their ride.

Nice...

Lots of red roofs...

Details on the top of walls...

Interesting Moorish details in the windows...

But even in Venice gardens need tending...

I was somewhat jealous of the size of this garden. Much more reasonably sized than my gardens here at home.

Loved this little house in the middle of a piazza... tall buildings all around it but charming and cozy nonetheless.

Colours were very earthy and warm...

The shopping was first rate for the wealthy... Versace bag caught my eye.

Love, love, love these shoes...

And of course, the glass from Murano...

The lemoncello bottles were appealing colour-wise...

And this gorgeous dress and coat set in the Gucci shop was so lovely.

Transportation was primarily on the water... the parking stalls were for boats...

Gondolas were everywhere...

Vaporetto (a water taxi) was the most economical mode of transport but you could hire a private boat to do your transfers too...

Love this parking lot of gondolas...

The vaporetti were not only economical but efficient and quick. I watched a young girl do the tying on of the boat to the jetties at each stop along The Grand Canal. She knew what she was doing, letting out the rope just the right distance to give us the space we needed to get on or off the boat.

In the late afternoon it was time to just go into St. Mark's Square and look, and look and look. Along three sides of the square you will find a small orchestra playing beautiful music, appropriate to the scene.

There are big lions beside the Basilica...

And people of all description wander about...

We 'set a spell' and just watched the world go by...

Looking up at the rooftops above the Basilica...

Listening to the bell...

 And mesmerized by all the details everywhere...

It is a very comfortable city, capable of luring you back time and again.

There were bridges everywhere but I enjoyed these two... the Rialto Bridge above...

and the famous Bridge of Sighs. If you are planning a trip to Venice do lots of research especially if you weren't paying attention in geography/social studies class.

The floors were of great interest to me because I love tile and inlaid tile and mosaics... captured a couple selfies here, gazing at just two of the countless floors we walked.

Be prepared to walk, and walk and walk.

And when evening comes it is time to pick a restaurant and enjoy the food... you earned it, you walked all day!

If any one of my photos says 'Venice', it is this one below...

The pink glass in the light stands on St. Mark's Square, the Ducall Palace in the background to the right and the banners inviting you to events...

I can almost hear the music that we heard one afternoon as we walked The Square...


Play the video and wander through the photos again... and see if you do not want to leave a wee bit of your heart in Venice.

Be well and stay in touch.

p.s. In just my Venice file I have 2300 photos so be grateful tonight that I didn't unload it all on you at one time!! Big Smile!!