Venice

For a long time I had dreamed of Venice - it was a place I had on my list of '50 places to visit before....' - well, you get the picture. Even before Beadaddict, I had a longing for Venice.

Strange as it may seem, I remember my words when we arrived on Venetian soil (or water), so to speak - 'I don't believe I am here' - everything you might have read or heard about Venice - well, its both true and untrue; to me, its the most fascinating place on earth.

First of all - the seasons - good times to visit seem to be some time between February and September - though bear in mind the crowds are terrible beyond all reason in the summer months - and in the winter months, the crowds are beyond terrible and at that time you also get the high water (Aqua Alta) when you find everyone walking on boards above the pavements - take your wellies at that time of year - and if your forget, well, you can buy some of the fetching thigh high waders that everyone else seems to wear. You may be lucky in February and get good weather, and you might be unlucky in September and get some bad - its all part of being there - I have a vivid memory of going over to Murano once with Mum, the water pounding over the top of the Vaporetto (water bus) - Mum looking green and worried, and me trying to smile encouragingly and bravely at her 'this is nothing, oh, it happens all the time' (it doesn't); and no, in my experience, Venice doesn't stink in the summer - unless its from too many tourists.

The Vaporetto is the life blood of Venice - understand them and you have the key to civilisation in the city - buy a ticket according to your needs; no need to bother with the privately run water taxis which are dashing but ever so expensive. Unless, that is - there is a strike or there is an 's' in the day or fog on the water or the Vaporetto might have stopped for Latte somewhere along the way - as a fairly regular visitor, you are initially under the impression that this might only happen once a year, but there have been strikes the last three times I've visited - well, just have a contingency, that's all I can say. Truthfully, though, there is such a lot to do in Venice that you should do as the Venetians do; shrug, and go shopping - there is bound to be a Vaporetto along some time later.

The city is generally very safe - just watch your bags as you would in any city, particularly round the bus station - the only time we had any trouble is when once Mum had her handbag sneakily rifled for her passport which was then 'kindly' handed back to her by someone obviously looking for a handout for returning it - I tucked Mum behind me, grabbed the passport and was so suitably intimidating by asking for the police very loudly that the man just ran off (must have been very scary, then) - the main crime apparently is handbag slashing, but don't get it out of proportion - we often walk around in the middle of the night after a night on the risotto back to our hotel and feel very safe indeed - it just does not enter our heads - the place is well lit and feels just like home (with more water, obviously).

On shopping, Venice is full of touristy rubbish - as a shopper, look past this and look for the shops full of the good stuff - and just a look behind some of the tacky stuff (easily spotted) then interesting and unusual things are not far behind - Venice is a hot bed of creativity - glass, jewellery, masks, paper, leather handbags (usually a fairly good deal), clothes, and stray out of St Marks square and you will even find reasonably priced food and drink - try a Bellini if it is in season (and I will be blowed if I have ever figured out the season) - a wonderful local concoction of Prosecco - the local sparking wine and crushed peaches - ah, bellissimma - after a couple of those, you just won't care about the Vaporetto.

Glass beads are difficult to locate unstrung, in their raw state - however, you might consider purchasing ready made necklaces from shops - calculate price by each bead and purchasing like this might make sense - you may be lucky enough to find some beautiful antique beads - they are available if you look hard enough, but don't expect bargains with antiques - like anywhere in the world, they command their own price; in a couple of areas of the city there are antique shops with trays of beads (loose) which will cause you financial ruin if you do more than look, but they are interesting - see how much you can resist the temptation. It is worth investigating in terms of the pre-strung off-the-shelf modern necklaces whethere they really are Venetian - a lot of the cheaper end come from India or further afield! If you want Venetian/Murano glass then it should have a Murano glass sticker on the necklace or the seller should be knowledgeable - if it seems too cheap and too plentiful, then be a bit sceptical - not all Venetian glass is Venetian, even in Venice!

Once the Vaporetto is behaving itself, it is worth getting out and about to the local islands - Murano for glass, Burano for lace, San Michele for the cemetery (honest - though I have not managed that one yet!) - its worth trying to see through the commercial industry that is Venice and finding the many places that have stayed the same for centuries - a shady courtyard, a deserted alley; going back to the main island itself, St. Marks Square can be wonderful and fascinating - you may even find it relatively empty; one tip - unless you want souvenirs from the church or the Doges Palace, avoid opening your purse in this part of the city - drink in the history, and take your hard earned pennies elsewhere - the church is just amazing and the Doges Palace has paintings that literally take your breath away - just around the corner is the Bridge of Sighs.

To navigate your way round the city without too much bother all you need to do is periodically look up for the street signs that have arrows pointing in a particular direction and a sign that reads 'Per Rialto' or 'Per San Marco' (or other places) and these will show you which way to go to find these landmarks - study your map beforehand, be aware of where things are and you just cannot get lost (I think) - and lastly, for goodness sake, wear the most comfortable shoes you can find - because by the time you have navigated yourself out of being lost (!!) you will be glad you did.

Stephanie

A Selection from our Venice Photo Album Click on images to see more detail
A detail of the Doges Palace; note all the beautiful stones and intricate work - all, allegedy, borrowed on a permanent basis from conquered lands during the reign of the Venetian Republic (allegedly!)	Doges Palace, St Marks Square	Side view of the Doges Palace
St Marks Square - full of tourists! Note the metal trestles along the side of the building - these are the platforms that are used to keep people dry during Aqua Alta - an experience in itself!	Detail of the intricate mosaics above the church doors, St. Marks Square.	Beautiful golden mosaics above the doors of the church, St. Marks Square.
Tower, St. Marks Square.	One of the pillars at St. Marks Square - the famous lion of St Marks.	Second pillar, St. Marks Square - between these two pillars the Venetian Republic used to punish wrongdoers - it is said a true Venetian never walks between them!
The Bridge of Sighs; a visit inside the Doges Palace will take you inside this little bridge.	Gondolas, St. Marks Square.
Goldola and Gondalier, near the Rialto.	Rialto Bridge	The Rialto By Night
Looking across from the Vaporetto to St. Marks Square.	From the Vaporetto to the Salute.	The lighthouse at Murano - the first view of the island of glass!
On the bridge at Murano, looking down the canal.	Another view of the canal at Murano - in the far distance is the Lighthouse.
One of the many shops catering to the mass tourist market - but even in here you might find treasure if you look hard enough!	Creativity abounds in Venice - just look at this coral and glass piece for an example!
A flower shop	Handmade masks in all sorts of shapes and forms - these should scare the kids!	Mass produced masks