Visions of Venice | Two Days In Venice, Italy | Live Lovely Travel

Venice, Italy was one of the first countries I remember learning about as a kid in school. It was the fun and mysterious place where the Romans built the Coliseum and the country was shaped “like a boot.” There was also a magical city filled with water where people got around in long boats called gondolas. In real life, that is not far from the truth! While there are still over 400 gondolas in service today, over a hundred years ago the city had well over a thousand! 

Venice was one of the amazing places we saw on our honeymoon, and it was almost exactly the way I had pictured it in my head, with only a few adjustments for reality. One thing that surprised us was that most of the people we saw were other American tourists. In fact, it almost felt like we were in the U.S. because everywhere we went we met people from all over the states.

We arrived by train and then walked to our Airbnb, a short ten minute walk from the station. Because there are only canals instead of roads, being within walking distance of your arrival and department location was a must (especially when toting luggage). We chose this particular Airbnb because of its close proximity to the train and also because of its authentic Venetian style. 
I loved the Italian wooden beam ceiling with the venetian glass chandelier and the fabric wall paper surrounding the whole room. And of course, we picked a room with a view! The following morning we awoke bright and early to start our day. While in Venice, I wore red. The buildings are beautiful, but also very weathered. Thankfully, with the new underwater walls, the city is no longer in any danger of sinking, but centuries of saltwater and salty air have damaged the buildings. They cannot be repaired because the plaster just falls right back off and it can endanger pedestrians walking by. The biggest threat to the city is actually when the tide goes too low, rather than too high. This allows air to get into the foundation of the buildings, which are made of wood. While underwater they are fossilized and kept from erosion, but when exposed to oxygen, they can become weak and begin to rot. The best way to see the city is to get lost in it. There are so many windy walkways and some paths are barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through. To get around, you will see signs with arrows on the sides of buildings. We followed the Rialto signs to make it to the Rialto bridge, but they kept pointing us every which direction, including a few dead ends where canals blocked our journey. After exploring, we decided to sit for a short while. The Rialto Bridge could wait for us. Even though neither of us drinks coffee, we ordered a traditional Italian expresso. I’ve been told that expressos here are the absolute best, but to us it still tasted like coffee, even though Matthew poured in way too much sugar to help. 

Still, it is an expereince every traveller to Venice must try. The journey to the Rialto Bridge and Grand Canal started anew. And then we arrived! The grand Canal is the largest of Venice’s many canals and also the most populated. Shops actually line the middle of the bridge and it is a unique design. It is amazing to think that this bridge has been standing since 1588! I’m sharing this picture because I want you to see how busy it actually is. If you want a “Pinterest perfect” image, then you’ll have to arrive at sunrise or you’ll be squeezed into crowds like this one. I’m not going to only share perfect images because I want you to have a real picture of what the places I travel are really like. Real life is not always “Instagram ready.” But even with the crowds, it is amazing! Gondola rides are expensive at 80 euros for a 30-40 minute journey. After seven in the evening that price goes up to 100 euros! You can save money by sharing a ride with another couple or some friends. Event though it was expensive, it was a life goal list item we did not want to miss. Venice looks very different from the water. 
The building below was where Marco Polo grew up. It was one of the places we saw on the ride. Our gondolier was a great guide for local history and facts. Another stop on our list was the Libreria Acqua Alta. It has been titled the “world’s most beautiful book store.” Although I do disagree with that title, it was a very unique and fun place to explore. Books are kept safe from water damage by being kept off the floor with bath tubs and old gondolas. The big draw to this store is the book staircase outside. It is actually much smaller in person (a tiny courtyard where only a handful of people can fit at one time). Still, its a creative photo spot if you’re a book lover. Our final stop of the day was the Piazza San Marco. When you and your husband match unintentionally. After a full and tiring day of exploring, we decided to take a water taxi back to our place. While Matthew was getting a much needed hair cut, which he now recalls as the best hair cut of his life, I was out exploring the canals. Later that night we went out for a date night after a short rest. You can see our date night in another blog post that I will be sharing soon. The following morning we were up to explore some more before taking the train to Rome. Always make time to smell the roses.We grabbed a quick bite to eat before making our way to the train to Rome.