1. Venice Continues

    August 15, 2011

    The first time I saw Piazza San Marco was after midnight. Neat rows of tables and chairs lined up the edges, while the centre of the square was rather deserted. There were a few others enjoying the night at San Marco, but it was nothing compared to the daytime hustle.

    San Marco at night

    Venice is famous for its canals, Piazza San Marco, Rialto bridge, Murano glass. Yet none of these things fully explain what it is that captivates so many visitors of this city. Let me try to explain it more fully.
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  2. Hello Venezia!

    August 14, 2011

    It happened rather suddenly – one evening we decided to go for a vacation. And by “go” I mean “fly”, because I would not settle for anything less than Venice. The perfect time seemed in June, which was a little less than 2 months in the future. Out of the three weeks I had for the trip, one would be spent in Venice, the rest – visiting other highlights of northern Italy.

    As I found out while booking travel and accommodations, it’s not uncommon for some to book their Italian vacations half a year in advance. That’s rather unusual for me, and the lack of affordable hotels in the city left me puzzled (they were all booked). Eventually I had a revelation – why not rent an apartment? Long story short we found one that cost only €100 per night and was located in a beautiful area in Cannaregio. Good luck finding a hotel in Venice for that much. Somehow the thought of renting an apartment for a vacation overseas made me feel like a seasoned traveller, even though I still had not a single visa stamp in my passport.

    Our arrival was not without minor annoyances. My partner was “randomly selected” for a full body scan at the security check point in YYZ. That’s one thing off his bucket list! Our Airbus was set to depart at 10pm, but ultimately the boarding only started at 11pm. That part is a bit of a haze in my mind, which is probably a good thing.

    Good buy, T.O.

    Good buy, T.O.

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