Every time I leave Venice I experience an odd sort of melancholy with a feeling of dread that I may never come back. I once sat for an afternoon in the living room of an elderly aunt whom I had never met before that day; when it came to leave it was with a lump in my throat that I told her goodbye for I knew I had been with a kindred spirit, albeit for a very short while. Almost anyone who has walked across the bridges of Venice has a similar emotional connection, for Venice is magical. Continue reading Venice Enchanted
Category Archives: Venice
Museums: Which Ones Can You Skip?
I look forward to nothing more than revisiting my favorite museums in Italy and finding new ones to explore but I am the first one to engage in inappropriate behavior if I have to share my space with too many people; I mutter under my breath, I give dirty looks to anyone lingering too long by the signs I’m trying to read, and I passively-aggressively stand in front of anyone who has broken my unwritten rules of behavior. So I feel your pain if you’re dragged to the museum or just go because it’s there when you’d rather be hunting down some gelato. Maybe I can help.
If you call in sick while your travel companions are at the following museums, you will not have missed much, and the following recommendations are based on my very humble, very unprofessional opinion, with no offense intended toward these fine institutions:
Christmas in Italy
Christmas in Italy is a wonderful time to visit for many reasons, but don’t expect that you will have the whole place to yourself. Au contraire! You’re not the only one who would rather travel than go through the trouble of decking your own halls but the experience far outweighs any little inconveniences you may encounter, be they crowded airports, crowded piazzas and museums, or the cold weather.
Christmas Decorations
I know you’ve heard it before, but Italians just have a flair for style which is usually understated and never overbearing. In big cities and small towns lights are strung across the streets, evergreen garlands are draped over doorways, and the churches are adorned with poinsettias.
