Venice

You can never have enough of Venice, I realised after my fourth trip to this jewel of an island. This time, I didn’t want to return and rightly so…..

People ask me about itineraries in Venice, places to see, places to stay, places to eat and all I can say is that the best itinerary in Venice is not to have one at all! It is to experience the sights and smells of Venice, to melt in the shadows of the crumbling houses, to just be in the moment wherever whenever you are……

Venice, at first sight, is a labyrinthine mess of alleyways, serpentine canals, moss coloured or jade like waterways and small quaint shops with equally small doorways selling priceless glassworks and crystals along side cheap masks with equal gusto. But soon enough, you realise that there is a structure and a pattern to this mess and your eyes are drawn to the artfully peeling paint of the flats above which merge seamlessly into the canal waters and their ever so smooth reflections of the gondolas gliding past. Of course, it does rest for a fleeting moment or so on the sinewy shoulders of the handsome gondola man in his unique striped jersey and hat, but that is a different story.

Hence, to see Venice in its full glory, we walked away from the hustle and bustle of the heaving and thronging St Mark’s square into the least crowded direction where you can peer into the most intriguing doors, colourful windows. We walked on, narrowly avoiding a football which appeared from thin air, kicked in utmost style by a Messi wannabe, almost instantly followed by a blood curling scream by a big Italian mamma, the boy’s mother, who swore at the boy and apologized to us in equal fervor before disappearing into the mass of clothes that were hung out to dry from her balcony. Ducking into the nearest cafe, we sipped expresso, chatting happily in our very scant Italian to the locals who were more than gleeful and happy to correct our language. A long long lunch followed at a non descript hole in the wall trattoria with amazing wine as a bonus.

BURANO- A PHOTOGRAPHER’S PARADISE

Embarking on a ferry to Burano, I was in seventh heaven. Burano, one of the top places for photography was always on my bucket list and it was due to come alive soon. The village appeared as if some playful kids had splashed different colours, all bold, vivid, stark, over the houses. Burano was a fishing village and the houses were coloured differently so that businesses were easy to identify for the sailing folks. You can never have enough photos in Burano, that’s for sure. Of course, due to the mishap earlier in Venice, where my camera lens decided to take a tumble in the canal, I was left with no choice but to take pics with my Iphone, but someday I hope to return and hopefully soon.