When I was planning my first trip to Venice
a few years ago I dreamed of sitting on Piazza San Marco at twilight, sipping
on a fruity peach Bellini while I listened to a café orchestra. But my dreams
were squelched by an unfortunate spell of rainy weather. Where were the sunny
skies I’d envisioned for my Italian holiday?
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Rainy Day in Venice (2010) |
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High Water, Acqua Alta, in Piazza San Marco (2010) |
The second time I went to Venice the weather
was much more agreeable. And the finale of our tour with Insight Vacations began
with a late afternoon cruise through the city’s canals by gondola, an
opportunity to view this unique city from a different perspective.
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A Wedding in Venice |
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The Bridge of Sighs... |
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... and a Crowd of Admirers |
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Venetian Gondoliers |
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Cruising the Canals of Venice by Gondola |
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Some bridges are low... |
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... and others are very low. |
After a delicious farewell dinner at Bentigodi in
Cannaregio, we boarded water taxis for a cruise along the Grand Canal. Standing
beside the driver as our boat sped through the open waters of the Venetian Lagoon, I felt like I was part
of an exhilarating chase scene in the movie, The Italian Job. (A set designer must
have arranged that sunset.)
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The Venetian Lagoon |
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Sunset Over the Venetian Lagoon |
As we entered the Grand Canal our boat
slowed to the posted speed limit. Then we drifted along through a dreamlike passage
of medieval churches and renaissance palazzos, under the broad stone arch of
the Rialto Bridge, and on to Piazza San Marco. (For more Grand Canal photos see
this earlier post.)
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Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal |
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Cruising Down the Grand Canal |
The atmosphere on Piazza San Marco was
enchanting. The floodlit campanile
soared into a sky of cobalt blue while the basilica was shrouded
in ghostly scaffolding. We took our seats at Caffé Lavena, once a favourite
gathering place for composers like Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. The
orchestra played Strauss waltzes and the audience sang along to their
favourite songs from The Sound of Music. And instead of that Bellini I’d planned on
having I ordered an Aperol Spritz, my new favourite Italian aperitif.
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Piazza San Marco at Twilight |
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The Campanile, or Bell Tower, of San Marco |
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Caffé Lavena |
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Caffé Quadri on Piazza San Marco |
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The Caffé Lavena Orchestra |
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My Aperol Spritz |
What made this day really special for me
was sharing the experience with my daughter. And finally I could cross a
magical evening in Venice off my Bucket List.
Next: Insight Vacations Treasures of Italy
Related Posts:
George Clooney's Grand Canal Wedding Cruise
"A" is for Aperol
Venice, La Serenissima
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