Justine Shapiro explores what is arguably the world’s most stunning city, Venice. Situated in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea off mainland Italy, this city built on water is a maze of over 100 tiny islands linked together by a network of bridges. The way to explore Venice is either by boat or on foot – there are no cars in the city. Justine hops aboard a public water-bus, or vaporetto, that takes her along the Grand Canal to her evening’s accommodation, an elegant palazzo with amazing views over the city. Her sight-seeing begins at the epicenter of Venice, St. Mark’s Square. She marvels at the basilica, and its ornate mosaics that tell of how daring Venetians stole St. Mark’s body from the Orient and brought it to the city for prestige and honor. As Justine leaves the main sights behind and explores Venice’s backstreets she finds that it’s all too easy to become lost in the labyrinthine alleyways, although she also discovers this is a perfect way to stumble upon hidden treasures. No visit to Venice would be complete without a ride in a gondola; Justine gets a romantic ride and a cheeky insider’s view on the city from pin-up gondolier Gianbattista. Justine takes a ten-minute boat ride from Venice across the lagoon to the island of The Lido for some glamor. It is the setting for the annual Venice Film Festival and she lines up with other tourists along the red carpet hoping for a glimpse and a chat with some of Hollywood’s hottest stars. Next stop is Burano, a complete …

Leave a Reply