Getting lost in Venice  is so much fun!  You can wander for days along the 2000 alleyways and not cross all of the 400 bridges, The streets are bustling with locals carrying on with their daily routine. With ease, they navigate the steps of the bridges pushing  baby carriages and shopping carts while visitors struggle on the same stairs with  burdensome suitcases and  cameras.  Under colorful laundry,  children play in the side streets and squares of the 6 districts; the Cannaregio District has housed the Jewish Ghetto since the 16th century.  Shopping at the central market or local stands is followed by  socializing  at one of the charming cafes over coffee or gelatto  Strolling  in the evenings before a late dinner affords the  opportunity for more socializing and for showing off babies and pets.   

Traffic jams along the Grand Canal include vaporettos and gondolas, fire and police boats, merchants with their wares  ambulances and an occasional funeral procession. Skill and patience are needed to navigate the waterways. 

Exquisite architectural detail abounds. Many medieval palaces and government buildings now house museums  with ornate decor;  one facility even provided mirrors for  properly examining the ornate ceilings without injuring your neck. La Fenice Opera House, which  took 8 years to rebuild following a devastating fire in 1996, now offers intensive self-guided tours.  St. Marks Square shares its basilica, palace  and belltower with thousands of  fearless pigeons.

Of the many islands in the vicinity, Murano, famous for its glassblowers, is best known. However, I prefer  the quieter island of Burano with its pastel houses; it is home to commuters and lacemakers and fishermen alike   Also worth  a  2 hour train trip is  the city of Ravenna, noted for its 4th century mosaics.

Visiting Venice makes me  feel as if I have stumbled onto a magnificent movie set in which I am the leading lady. It is truly one of my favorite destinations.

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