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Make Venice part of your Love Story


Founded in the 5th century and built on more than 100 small islands, this “Floating City” is an art lover’s dream. It has also been described as one of Europe’s “most romantic cities” and “undoubtedly the most beautiful city built by man”. Here, there are no roads for cars or buses; you have to take a boat or walk if you want to get somewhere. Here, no one is in a hurry. In fact, dinner is a several hour affair. Here, history will hug you like an old friend.

Of-course I’m talking about Venice, the capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region. The city attracts tourists from around the world every single year. It was also the backdrop to a love story for a couple of kids. It was 2009 when my then boyfriend and I boarded a plane for Italy. We first flew to Paris, where we caught a connecting flight to Venice. When we checked into our hotel, we were quite frankly, exhausted after more than 15 hours of traveling. In fact, we went straight to bed and slept for about 14 hours (jet lag is no joke).

The next day, we caught a train to Venice. From the train station, we made our way to a boat taxi to hitch a ride St. Mark’s Basilica along the Grand Canal. St. Mark’s Basilica is literally a walking history lesson. St. Mark’s Campanile, for example, has been the centerpiece of St. Mark’s Basilica since 1514 (though had to be rebuilt after it collapsed in 1902). Doge’s Palace and its hidden treasures has been one of the main landmarks of Venice for centuries. The 5-year-old in me wanted to set out and explore the city. My boyfriend, however, had other plans. He used what little Italian he knew to hire a gondolier to take us on a gondola ride along the Grand Canal. 

Seeing Venice while riding in a gondola was like a dream come true. I was literally floating through heaven. I was so taken back by the beauty of the city, that I didn’t notice that my boyfriend was holding a box in his hand. He snapped me out of my daze, by stating that he remembered something he had meant to ask me. And then he got down on one knee, opened the box to reveal a ring, and asked me to marry him! Tears quickly came to my eyes, as did applause from some tourists who happened to witness the proposal. I also noticed that my boyfriend had timed his proposal right after we went under the Bridge of Sighs (local legend says that lovers will be granted eternal love and bliss if they kiss on a gondola at sunset under the Bridge of Sighs). This was truly the most amazing proposal ever (I may be a little biased). And in case you are wondering, I did say yes.

Now 6-years, a wedding, and a child later, my husband and I are kicking around the idea of going back to Venice. In the few days we were there, we didn’t even scratch the surface to this romantic city. If you booked your International Vacation Home Exchange in Venice, you are in for a real treat. And I have a few suggestions. First, instead of riding a boat taxi, you can walk around Venice to see sights such as Rialto Bridge and the Scuola Grande di San Rocoo. Also, if you want a break from sightseeing, you can relax on the beaches of the Adriatic Sea. While you are in the city, be sure to have an authentic Italian meal. You will not be disappointed.

If you want to make Venice part of your love story, be sure to view this IVHE property in Venice. The following is one of many testimonials left by IVHE members staying in this Venice apartment:
The apartment itself is in Cannaregio - the best area of Venice we think. It's away from the tourist crowds but still very well located - difficult to beat. At less than 200 meters there was the very strategic Guglie Vaporetto stop which showed very handy.
In the Cannaregio area we found absolutely exquisite restaurants where mainly locals go.  Because location was so near the Jewish Ghetto we had the best pastries, bread, etc.  We had also lovely authentic little shops - excellent local wine-bars and gelateria at hand.
The apartment itself was very charming, comfortable and practical. There was a heat-wave when we were there, but the air conditioning helped us perfectly through.  Bedding is superb so we slept very well.
A lot of practical information and tips inside the apartment and a perfect communication with the owners were extra trumps for this jewel of an apartment.  We liked the area so much that we decided to buy an apartment ourselves in Cannaregio, and Marcelle and her husband gave us valuable advice!
Thank you to Travel Blogger Carla Roberts Pruitt @crobscarla for this post and photographs.  


1 comments :

  1. Venice is such a beautiful place! Would you like to explore more European cities?

    Check: http://lostinfashion.pl/?p=704

    ReplyDelete

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