Next stop Venice, located in the Adriatic sea.

Venice is a series of Islands and home of the gondola, world famous glassware and stunning architecture. 

Once landing at Venice’s Marco Polo airport we took a water taxi and arrived in the city in the middle of the night, arriving at our stop we walked through the narrow streets and immediately noticed the beautiful buildings and features that can be found throughout the city. After finding our house and making ourselves at home we got some rest ready for exploring the city the next day.

Waking up early the next morning and opening the curtains I saw the water outside the window and now in the daylight could really appreciate how unique the city is, no roads and no cars the city is unlike any other place. 

First things first breakfast.

We walked to a local piazza and bar and spent some time watching the world go by before heading off to see some of the city’s main sites. 

We decided as it was still early to take advantage of the gondola that was just returning and once aboard where we were taken away from the general routes and shown some more authentic neighbourhoods where we passed the local music academy and could hear the students practicing as we floated by. After the twists and turns of the waterways, we slowly emerged out on to the grand canal where you could see the full hustle and bustle of the city’s morning traffic. 

After our tour we headed further in to the city and noticed there was a classical concert in one of the many churches so we booked our tickets for later in the evening. 

Reaching the Rialto Bridge, we stopped to catch our breath after all the walking before heading over and to the next section of the city which had many shops selling the typical carnival masks that are found in many different colours and designs, these are inspired by the famous Venice carnival. The Carnival ends on Shrove Tuesday, which is the day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday. We were out of season to avoid the crowds as the Carnival is a period of extreme tourism and moving round the city can be very hard.

Next stop a spot of lunch and a beautiful view to go with it. 

After lunch we headed to St Marks Square which is full of bars and restaurants with live music and home of the St Marks Basilica.

We took a seat and as Venice is the home of Aperol sprits we enjoyed a drink while listening to the life music. 

Aperol was born in Padua in 1919 but in  2011, Spritz has been added to the IBA as an official cocktail, initially listed as spritz veneziano. 

Next, we took a boat to the island of Murano famous for its colourful glassware.

We explored the island and enjoyed the beautiful houses and relaxed atmosphere before heading to the airport and ending our trip.

Venice is a must-see city, and I would highly recommend visiting, just ensure you check the peak times as at certain points of the year i.e. Carnevale (Feb) and summer can be very busy.