Venice, founded more than 1,200 years ago, is a city like no other—a mosaic of 118 small islands stitched together by more than 400 bridges and laced with about 150 canals. There are no roads here–no cars, no traffic–only winding pedestrian lanes and the music of hurried footsteps.
The Grand Canal, nearly 2.5 miles long, curves through its heart like a ribbon of green glass, lined with centuries-old marble and mosaic palaces (palazzi) once owned by merchant princes, that arise directly from the water.
Gondolas, the city’s sleek, elegant and iconic boats, stretch about 36 feet long and are hand built from eight types of wood, each one slightly asymmetrical, leaning just enough to the right to glide straight–perfectly balanced under a single oar (and yes, there is no such thing as left- or right-handed gondoliers!). Gondoliers, the city’s licensed historical storytellers, still wear their striped shirts and ribboned straw hats, carrying centuries of skill passed down through generations–a family member teaches you as there is no school!
In St. Mark’s Square–the city’s jeweled crown–the basilica’s Byzantine domes shimmer with gold mosaics, the campanile towers 325 feet, and the bell tower rises like a guardian over the lagoon. Across the waters lie Murano, where glassmakers have breathed molten glass into fiery works of light and art, and Burano, a lace-maker’s haven where every home is painted a different hue, and lace-makers stitch filigree out of the air. What an amazing treat to visit during our anniversary and to breathe in the history, harmony and shimmering reflections of millennia.
Fantastic photography!