Before we set sail from Italy we spent a couple of days in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Venice.
Our first view of the city was from the water.
The city is without a doubt beautiful, but did seem like a sad shadow of its former self, with only 60,000 people living in the historic centre. To put this number into perspective, it is only 1/3rd of the city's population in the 17th century, and only slightly above the 50,000 tourists that visit each day.
It is more an immense playground for the world to enjoy than a harbour city of exciting local character. But this just means you need to wander the quiet and peaceful alleys to find the hidden charm of this great aquapolis.
We didn't make it to the famous glass-making island of Murano, but did see many impressive works.
Also in the shops, one can find the classic Venetian carnival masks.
We tried them on and couldn't even recognise ourselves. Holy priceless collection of Etruscan snoods!
The City of Bridges has 409 bridges.
The Floating City has 117 islands
The City of Canals has 177 canals
As realist author William Dean Howells once said, "There are no Venetian blinds in Venice" We noticed this too, see.
This is why you finish your sandwich in Piazza San Marco!!
A non-standard photo of the Doge's Palace
P.S. Did you know that Venezuela is named after Venice?
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