Venetian Charm

Mondays on the Move with Kate is a travel series following the adventures of Caldwell Travel’s Kate Godfrey as she explores the world and shares her experiences. She is currently on a 5 month European Adventure.

For years I have dreamed of visiting Venice and seeing the canals. My desire began by seeing images of the gondolas, canals, and bridges when I was younger. The concept of roads being waterways and transport being via boat were too foreign for me to understand; therefore, I simply had to see it myself. Venice is unlike anywhere I have ever been. The canals are picturesque, the gondoliers are plentiful and the city is in a romantic decay.

Venice can be a challenge. The roads are small and maze-like. At times, it can feel like you are a mouse in a labyrinth. Utilizing landmarks is difficult as you can’t see anything thanks to the five story buildings built only five feet apart from each other that run less than fifty feet before T-ing into another short and hopelessly narrow road. But what fun it is to get lost in the quaint Venetian neighborhoods! This island city makes it enjoyable to get lost, knowing that you can’t wander too far off, after all. Don’t feel bad getting turned around and ending up some where other than you intended – that’s part of the Venetian charm.

I love traveling to new places, exploring new cultures and getting a glimpse of life different than my own. Venice provided us with challenges in navigation but rewarded us with memorable views on nearly every bridge we crossed. The fact that Venice is comprised of 118 small islands all connected via small canals, raised bridges and larger waterways makes island life fascinating.

Venice may be a bit ‘overrun’ with tourists but there is still Venetian life in the calm and quiet neighborhoods to be enjoyed. We sat in Campo San Giovanni e Paolo and watched as the kids got out of school and came in the square with their parents to play until dinner. We frequented (and by that I mean almost daily) the bakery down the street for genovese, tortini or ravioli fresca. We enjoyed Italian gelato and sampled over 30 different flavors – all very delicious. The Venice that we found was exceptional and we came to fall in love with it.
An evening spent walking St. Marks Square (Piazza San Marco) and listening to the dueling orchestras was a highlight of Venice for me.
The canals, gondolas, bridges, gelato and so much more will not be forgotten any time soon.
Our time in Venice was simply unforgettable.