The Romantic City of Venice

Venezia, known as Venice to the American, is one of the most unusual and romantic places in the world today. There you hear no car horns, alarms, or even squeaking brakes. There is just peace and quiet with a slight hum of the motor boats zooming by. You can be walking across a bridge where there are two lovers kissing and keep walking to the other side of the area and look back and they are still kissing. There is nothing to interrupt them, not even the slightest care in the world.

It is a maze. Around one corner you could run right into the Grand Canal where you can hitch a ride on one of the famous gondolas, or around the next corner you might come to a famous square like the Piazza San Marco where the cobbled ground is covered in pigeons. Think that you know the way? You'd better, because if not, it will be a twisting trip home.

Crossing the Rialto Bridge right over the Grand Canal, you can stop and listen, and the only sounds that you will hear are your footsteps, the quiet whispers of people's voices, or the hum of the motor boats that are whisking through the water below. A slight breeze crosses over the bridge and gives a outstanding sense of the natural and clean air that flows there. Across the bridge, you are in the heart of the city where you can take a narrow street called the Merceria that runs right through the city's chief shopping district and all the way back to Saint Mark's Square. The district is full of bustling people, mostly local residents, who are out for their occasional shopping, or have just gone for a stroll to get a couple of scoops of gelatto and just sit on a bench and chat with a friend.

Saint Mark's Square is the center of activity in Venice. You can see the Basilica of Saint Mark or the ...

... middle of paper ...

...da." The men on the barge just ignore their order to move, so they yell it again. This time the men on the barge just look over and give them a threatening look then keep unloading their gravel. After the third time, the older man on the barge drops his shovel, turns completely around and yells back at them, "Andarrsene, andare avanti," or go around.

A fight breaks out and the men now exchange more unpleasant phrases. Then the men on the boat start their engine, swing their boat around, and head off in the other direction. The workers calmly continue to unload their gravel.

When you want relaxation, culture, history, tradition, stimulation, and unique travel experiences, then Venezia is the destination of choice. After one night here, you'll feel the spirit of romance and adventure that lead the Venecians to smuggle the body of Saint Mark from Constantinople.