Europe, Italy


Get Lost In Venice

Europe Italy

We arrived in Venice, Italy with very little expectations. I had seen countless photographs of Venice and the canals before but I had no idea what to actually expect. I can truly say that Venice took my breath away more than any city we visited in Venice. Your eyes won’t know what to look at first but once they adjust, you will notice that Venice is striking. I felt weak in the knees when I first set my sights on the Grand Canal.

img_7201_opt
Grand Canal

Our first stop was Piazza San Marco and Saint Mark’s Basilica. It rained on and off all day but it didn’t stop us from exploring the city. Luckily, it wasn’t raining enough to flood the square. The piazza is so grand with its ornate lamp posts and gorgeous archways. We didn’t go inside the Basilica, mostly because the entire square is filled with tourists and vendors selling pigeon food to parents who for some reason, allow pigeons to touch their children. We were itching to walk away from the crowds and get lost in the maze of tiny walkways and canals that make up Venice.

img_7203_opt
Piazza San Marco on a rainy day
img_7206_opt
Piazza San Marco
img_7219_opt
Saint Mark’s Basilica

img_7236_opt-1

We headed to Libreria Acqua Alta di Frizzo Luigi and arrived right as they were closing for the day. This bookstore is awesome and I highly recommend a visit. Not only do they have a great selection of literature but in the back of the store, there is a patio with a tall pile of stacked old books. They make for a great photo opportunity. After the bookstore, we popped into a local sports club and got a drink. Everyone recommended getting a spritz, which is prosecco, aperol and soda water. Unfortunately, I am allergic to citrus and aperol contains bitter orange so Andrew had to enjoy the drinks for me. Despite not being able to try the drink, it was great to sit with the locals while observing all of the sports plaques lining the walls. I recommend getting lost in Venice. You can totally see all of the tourist attractions and still have plenty of time to just wander. I have never visited anywhere as whimsical as Venice and I am glad we took the time to explore the city without a strict plan.

img_7267_opt
Libreria Acqua Alta di Frizzo Luigi
img_7324_opt
Spritz
img_7355_opt
Venetian Arsenal

 

Contributed by Sigournee Grano
Sigournee is the co-creator of Roaming Love. She is a travel enthusiast, photographer, writer and wife.