This past weekend I traveled to one of the most amazing and romantic cities in the world. My boyfriend is currently working over there to support our troops and he had a long holiday weekend hence my making the trip for 5 days. Fortunately, USAIR flies direct to Venice from Philadelphia. It was well worth the 8 + hours of travel to get there.
It was a magical place and anyone who is lucky enough to visit should do so and take in all the sites they possibly can while visiting.
We started the morning in Vicenza on Saturday. In the afternoon we traveled up the mountain to Montecchio Maggiore to see Romeo and Juliet’s Castle. There was this wonderful old man inside a doorway…he handed us the key and we were able to go up inside the tower and explore all on our own. To view the landscape of Italy from a 1,200 foot elevation is surely a sight to behold.
Following that Castle, we walked up the mountain past the vineyards and headed to another Castle which was redone into a beautiful restaurant and bar surrounded by outdoor seating an area for open air shows and music. They often cater to weddings there as well and I could certainly see why.
I sat for a moment and enjoyed some of the home made wine from the city of Verona which is nearby.
The end of the day was followed by a wonderful dinner of pasta and drinking Prosecco. Later we headed down to the square in Vicenza where friends and lovers meet to drink Sangria, dine and listen to the sounds of the city around them.
On Sunday, we woke up to a picture perfect day to sight see in Venice Italy. It’s convenient by train or by bus, however we chose to drive down there, park in the square and begin our journey through Venice…
The best way to see Venice is by foot. Plan on doing a lot of walking because you won’t want to miss a thing. There are literally hundreds of little streets and alleys leading to quaint shops, pastry shops designer clothing, artists’ crafts, jewelry and of course shoes. You can smell the Italian pastries in passing as you walk by some of these beautiful store windows.
Glass jewelry is abundant by local artists and to see the craftmanship and artistry is a sight filled with beauty.
We made our way through Rialto Square and headed down to St. Mark’s Square which was yet another mystical place filled with tourists from all over the world. The painted architecture was something you only see in books and paintings. It was very surreal walking through the square and looking up at the beautiful arches, painted walls and sculptures.
The Gondola rides down the canal can be quite expensive but you can always catch a Water Taxi as we did and enjoy the views for a small fee. Rates are for the time you are on the water, not the location to which you are going.
As the sun began to go down across Venice, we dined at a wonderful cafe along the canal…Ristorante Florida. For 14 euro, we enjoyed the most savory lasagna to start, followed by delectable Calmari and finished with a Salad. That’s how they dine in Italy. This way, should you feel full toward the end of your meal, you have already enjoyed the best part of it which was the main entree.
I will forever hold the memories of this truly magical international romantic getaway in my heart for all time.
To enjoy all of my photography from this wonderful little weekend getaway visit mindyktravel.shutterfly.com
Arrivederci!
This weekend, the Baltimore Ravens played the Kansas City Chiefs. There was definitely Raven excitement in the air all through Baltimore.
