Venice

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Venice? I’ll take a shot in the dark and guess that you said, “Water”.

That’s what 99.9% of people would say. But there’s so much more to this city than just the canals.

The food, for instance. Venice is where you’ll find the best pizza and ice-cream in the world. Don’t believe me? See for yourself:


Look at the size of that pizza!


And the variety of ice-cream!

Is your mouth watering yet?

Everyone has eaten these foods before, and most people love them. So it’s worth going to Venice just to try them made the authentic Italian way – it’s so much better!

Other things to do while in Venice – apart from eat!


Take a gondola ride
There are no cars in this city so if you want to get anywhere, you have to walk or take a boat. The classic gondola ride is quite expensive (starting at 80 euros for 40 minutes) but for just 50 cents you can get on the traghetto, a commuter gondola-ferry that crosses the Grand Canal. Bargain!


Visit Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square)
For a spot of culture, go to Piazza San Marco while you’ll see Basilica di San Marco (St Mark’s Basilica, above), Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) and Torre dell’Orologio (Clock Tower). The piazza is huge and notorious for its pigeons, so watch out for birds suddenly flying in front of your face! And don’t buy a coffee from any of the cafés on the piazza – one espresso can cost 11 euros.


Go shopping
You won’t find any malls or department stores in Venice. Instead, you’ll notice many markets and small shops such as antiques shops and bookstores. Venice is known for its glass and lace, and there are loads of market stalls around the city selling glassware [such as the masks above] and a plethora of lace vendors on Piazza San Marco.


Tackle the bridges
Try and walk over every bridge in Venice. I bet you won’t succeed; there are 409!