Viva L'Italia - Marvelous Venice, Venezia

 Venice was our first destination in Italy. After successfully acquiring a SIM card (with internet access for check-in on facebook, my favorite) from TIM in Rome Fiumicino Airport, we took the flight to Venice. It was very exhausting to fly all day long. However, everything was going well since we arrived in Venice, the City of Water.



  Undoubtedly, most people know Venice. We've seen it on TV, movies, books, etc. While I had a firsthand taste of the city, I was shocked. It was so unbelievable that there is a city with so many canals and bridges, and no car. Most important of all, it's extremely beautiful and romantic that made us forget our fatigue.

  Hotel Ca'd'Oro, a charming and cozy hotel, is where we stayed in Venice. Thanks to the detailed map guide on the hotel official website, we found it without much effort.

Ponte di Rialto:
The most famous bridge spanning the Grand Canal in Venice. The bridge was full of tourists during our visit. It's in walking distance from our hotel, so we took water bus from the stop here most time. My aunt joked that we passed by here so frequently that she could hear "Rialto, Rialto" anytime.

No doubt, I was jogging in Venice.

Piazza San Marco:
Napoleon calls the Piazza "the drawing room of Europe". Today, the Piazza has St Mark's Basilica, nice cafes with orchestra performance, pigeons, and people worldwide.  My cousin and I paid for the ticket to climb up to the top (by elevator) of St Mark's Campanile to relish the wonderful panoramic scenery of Venice.

My cousin Yuhsuan with a lovely boy who tried to attract pigeons with the bread  in his hand (but in vain)

Panoramic view from the Campanile

Murano:
One of a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy, well-known for its glass making. My cousin Minmin bought a pair of earrings to her sister.

Glass making

Strolling in Murano (scorching)

Burano:
Another island in the Venetian Lagoon. It is known for its lacework and brightly coloured homes We had lunch in Riva Rosa Ristorante on the island. I love their Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia. 

Lunch in Riva Rosa

Colorful houses in Burano

  In a word, Venice showed us a totally different way to built a city. Its elegant decay conquered lots of tourists including us. I think it is a perfect place to propose for lovers :).