VENICE, VENIZIA,GRANDILOQUENT!

An erstwhile factory -now a 5 star Hilton hotel

Piazza San Marco

After leaving Vienna we headed southwards towards Italy. Italy is the land of the Romans. The most famous being Julius Ceaser. I could hear ", Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears". I could think of the fantastic Italian food, olives, olive oil, "All Roads lead to Rome", "When in Rome do as the Romans do”,” Rome was not built in a day". There was a continuous reminiscence of all the proverbs I had learnt about Rome! I had to firmly stop that thought process so that I could come back to earth and Italy on date, not back in History!

Rome, Italy IS what made world history. It seems as though everything began with Rome or Roma, as the Italians call it. Italian cars, food, art, sculptors,painters,fashion,you name it and Italy has it.

The Alps continues and the scenery of the countryside changes and soon one can see nothing but vineyards, miles and miles of it. Not even the compounds of individual houses are spared of vineyards. Perhaps most of the wine in the world is made in Italy!!

Our first stop was at Assisi. We went to see the old Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The approach to the Church had sunflower fields on both sides of the road. True to their nature, they were all turned around to face the sun. It was a beautiful sight to see whole fields of giant sunflower facing in one direction. The Basilica was started in the 13th century, and has Gothic architecture. The tomb of St. Francis is in this Church.

After Assisi, we went onwards to wonderful beautiful, romantic Venice. I had always been fascinated by the knowledge that there was this city, where there were no roads, and all streets were actually canals. What would it be like to live in houses right next to canals? What would it be like to not be able to take a walk? All these intriguing thoughts were about to find their answers- finally.

We were staying on land...away from the main city of Venice. We had to go across to Venice on a boat. Near the place where we got on the boat, there were a whole lot of shanties where one could buy trinkets and loads of masks. Venice is also called the "City of Masks"! There were masks of all designs, beautiful, colorful, glittering, and some were even evocative of fear. There were masks of jokers, Lucifer and evil looking people. One could have one's pick. We were given only five minutes to shop there. Strangely, almost all the shop keepers were from Bangladesh!

Approaching Venice

Onwards to Venice or Venizia as it is locally called. This city is situated on 118 islands of the Venetian Lagoon. It is criss crossed by almost 150 canals and 400 bridges! There were so many bridges and destinations were always reached by bridges. One did not get directions to turn left or right, but were told the number of bridges that one had to cross. Yes indeed, there were roads too, and that was a bit of a disappointment, yet it was  reassuring too. I could not think of only travelling on a boat all the time. In Venice there are narrow lanes and alleys. As there are no cars the alleys are comfortable to walk in.

Gondolas

In the canals all that one could see were gondolas. They were quite big, painted black with a bit of gold paint and all had an oarsman called a Gondolier. All the gondoliers were typically attired with their hats and striped t -shirts. Becoming a Gondolier is not an easy job. There are only a limited number of people who are granted a license to be a gondolier and these  people have to  be well acquainted with Venetian history, be familiar with languages, besides being skilful in handling a gondola in the narrow canals. Skill  in keeping the gondola steady is really necessary, as most tourists keep on moving in the gondola, taking pictures, changing places, rocking the boat, literally! There was a parking place for the gondolas and all the Gondolas were parked systematically. The pattern and colours have been standardised and they look very beautiful. We went for a gondola ride with the gondolier serenading, as he took us down the canals and under those fascinating bridges. It was as expected, a very exhilarating journey. Imagine-sitting in a gondola, gliding around the narrow canals, going under numerous bridges, looking into beautiful mansions by the canal, and a handsome Italian serenading-it was sheer BLISS!!

There is a "Bridge of sighs" at Venice. Romance has nothing to do with it.This bridge is between the Court and the jail. The convicts would be taken over this bridge to the jail, and the view from the window of the bridge was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. It is expected that they would sigh at the sight of beauty and freedom that they would soon not be able to see! The bridge name, was given by Lord Byron in the 19th century. 

Venice is really a very touristy place, as is to be expected. There is no other place on earth like Venice. All transportation is done on Gondolas. There was unloading of goods, and people and everything that happens in other places on roads with lorries and buses, was all happening on the canals on gondolas!

Masks

There is Piazza San Marco  or St. Mark's Square, where there is a huge plaza. The Basilica of San Marco is also located here. Napoleon was said to have called it the Drawing Room of Europe! There are a whole lot of shops which sell more masks, lace and absolutely exquisite lace umbrellas. All the Designer shops are to be found close by in Rialto, which is a pretty commercial place made more beautiful with its fantastic Rialto Bridge.

The food in Venice was simply amazing. We had a great evening eating at a typical Italian restaurant which boasted of a lot of famous people having eaten there.

We also visited a workshop where they demonstrated to us, how Murano glass is made. In a few minutes a beautiful horse was crafted out of glass. Venice is famous for its ornate glass-work, known as Venetian glass. It is colourful, detailed and precise. Factories have been removed from Venice, only demonstrations are given at big shops selling Murano glass. It was quite fascinating and made us all buy the really expensive stuff, as it looked truly gorgeous and perfect!

Venice is a city of the very rich people. It was a rich city state as there was a lot of business with the East due to its proximity to the Adrian Sea.The Venetian Carnival is a famous annual activity and the masks are worn at this carnival.The carnival is a time for celebration and there is no distinction amongst people, as all wear masks.

We went to the lagoons and visited Burano, a  small town famous for hand made delicate lace. There are canals here too and the houses are all painted very colourfully in different colours. One interesting story about this is, because houses were not numbered and the menfolk after drinking would not be able to recognise their houses, the women came up with this ingenious method of painting their houses very brightly and colourfully, to make sure that their drunk husbands came back to their own houses.

Burano-Lace shops

Burano is  a beautiful small town filled with shops selling lace. One could see old ladies painstakingly making lace, which was very intricate and also very expensive!

Going across the lagoons, seeing the paths laid out in the sea so that boats did not have misadventure, and there was systematic  continuous flow of traffic, was quite amazing! They are like highways and paths are actually laid out in the water.

Buildings, churches, sinking islands with their sinking nunneries, people training to be gondoliers, just like people learning to drive was quite an interesting and different view from the boat.

Beautiful hats, lace umbrellas,  Gondolas with their serenading gondoliers, devastatingly handsome Italian men, canals and huge mansions- Venice was too beautiful for words. 

Venice has been the venue for a lot of stories, the most famous being  "The Merchant of Venice". A lot of movies have been shot here immortalising the beauty and grandeur of this unimaginable place, linked up by canals and bridges! "Everone says I love you", "Death in Venice" come to my mind easily. All my Indian friends would remember, Amitabh Bachhan and Zeenat Aman in "The Great Gambler" singing "Amare mio, Do lafzo ki hai dil ki kahani" on a gondola?

Venice is all about wealth, beauty, romance, intrigue, masks,beautiful Burano lace, delicately made colourful  Murano glass, people going about in Gondolas, serenades, bridges,  and delicious food!

A city never to be forgotten. Going once is not enough. It is a place which will take your breath away by its sheer grandeur and stature. There is no other place on earth like Venice!