Of canals and bridges - Venezia

Oh Venezia! One of my dream cities to visit in Europe, and I can't believe I'm here! It's a city surrounded by water, places linked by probably hundreds of canals and bridges. You can either get around by water bus or by foot through the bridges. The moment we arrived, I was already captivated by the beauty of this island. I guess one reason why I instantly fell in love with Venice is associated with my love for the water and beautiful scenery. Everywhere you look is just so dreamy and magical in Venice. We stayed in an inn just a few steps away from Ospedale station. We chose this place to avoid dragging our luggage and stuffs up and down the bridges of Venice. Well we succeeded in doing so, but to our surprise when we got to the inn there was no one to assist us personally. It was like an airbnb type of accommodation. We rang the doorbell and a man spoke through the intercom, informing us of our room number and that he would see us tomorrow. He spoke really fast with an accent that I wasn't able to follow everything he said. The door opened and a stairway welcomed us. I was shookt and got to my usual "praning" mode and asked my mom to stay outside and keep the door open while I check on the place in the fear that we might get stuck inside if we both go in together. I went upstairs, tried to remember the instructions the owner gave and finally saw my name signage in our room door. Well that was a relief! Next dilemma is how to bring our luggage up the stairs! There were like around 15 to 20 steps and it was just me and my mom. With teamwork in around 10 mins or so, we brought everything up! Finally got to settle down in our room and get some rest! We started roaming around the city by foot as I can't really wait to explore! We passed by several bridges and canals and everywhere is just so picturesque. We had lunch at a local pizza and pasta place and my mom ordered the best clam pasta I ever tasted in my life! I had bolognese which is also good, but I always end up liking the order of my mom better haha We then went on too St Mark's Basilica and met with my aunt and uncle. Checked on some stores in the area then finally off to explore the canals this time by a gondola ride! It cost 100 euro but it was worth it as it gives a quick tour of the city in a very cool and unique manner. Of course we took hundreds of photos, our gondolier was also kind enough to show us around. Learned afterwards that he was actually a Fil-American! Born and grew up in Bacolod city! What a small world. After the gondola ride we just roamed around a bit more, and finally called it a night. The next day we bought Alilaguna tickets to visit the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello. Our guide was so amazing as she can speak several language! English, Spanish, German, French just to name a few! At first I thought that the audio was pre-recorded but turns out we have an actual guide in the boat! It's a timed tour so we had to mind the time but we were able to chill and enjoy the vibe of the islands. My favorite is Burano, an island filled with colorful houses and known for lace products. We also got to try their local delicacy which is like a baked pastry stick, forgot what it's called. We were also able to see how Murano glasses are made in the island of Murano. It was cool and fascinating as everything was handmade. From the shaping of the glass figure to putting it into the heat. In Torcello, we visited a church and got time to pray and rest. It was cool to see actual residents travelling by waterboats and just chilling in local shops - it was like a scene taken out of a movie. After the island tours, we're back in Venice in no time. As it was already late in the afternoon, took the opportunity to take hundreds of photos by Piazza San Marco overlooking the grand canal. I didn't want to leave as the view was just really jaw dropping! On our last day in Venice, we went inside St Mark's Basilica and Doge Palace. We almost got lost inside Doge Palace, the prison area seems like never ending. There were a lot of beautiful and interesting art pieces in the palace too, felt like you're transported back in the past. To cap off the day, we had some gelato and just sat down to admire the beauty around us. You've been a dream, Venice. Grazie Mille! Arrivederci alla prossima!