When Paula and I were in Venice we were captivated by the amazing array of Venetian Masks available for sale. The workmanship and attention to detail is quite extraordinary and they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and styles. And because this is not an item that you want to jam into your suitcase you will find that most stores will arrange to ship your chosen mask home. So what is it that inspired the Venetians to wear masks in times gone by. I wouldn’t mind betting that it was a cover up for when they were getting…
Venice Archives
A Short History of the Venetian Mask
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009 at
7:04 am
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Carnevale in Venice
Monday, August 13th, 2007 at
6:07 am
I came upon this video on youtube.com and I thought that the piece was really done well, so I have included it here for your enjoyment. The clip is about Venice during Carnevale and the music fits very well with the clip.
A Large Ship Berths in Venice – The Sea Princess
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at
1:47 pm
We were trying to cram in as much as possible in the short time we were in Venice. While we were walking around the streets, taking in the sights, smells and sounds we noticed a large ship that towered over the buildings. The ship could be seen from many parts of Venice so we headed over to have a look. It was quite a sight and we watched as little boats came to and fro loading up produce. After standing for a while watching all the activity, we headed back to the main part of Venice and across San Marco…
A Gondola Ride Up The Canals of Venice
Tuesday, May 15th, 2007 at
12:10 pm
To quickly orientate ourselves with Venice we went on a walking tour. Part of the walking tour included a ride on the public gondola. We thoroughly recommend that you do this walking tour. Our guide pointed out the different styles of architecture in Venice as it had developed over the years, showing the influence in style of whichever political sphere of influence Venice was under at the time of building. We also visited a church that had magnificent tombs and paintings by Giovanni Bellini and Titan. All to soon it was time for us to take a trip on one…
We Get Tattooed in the Streets of Venice & It Rains in Venice
Friday, May 11th, 2007 at
1:00 pm
As we were leaving the Doge’s Palace it started bucketing down with rain. We sheltered along with all the other tourists waiting for the heavy rain to stop. The amazing thing about this is that the water rose to about calf level in a matter of minutes. And when the rain stopped, the water level subsided almost as quickly as it had risen and all that was left were a few puddles. So we headed of back across the square towards the hotel. We took our shoes off and scooted through the puddles like little kids. A lady approached us…
The Doge’s Palace – Palazzo Ducale
Friday, May 11th, 2007 at
12:13 pm
This is the stairway to the Doge’s palace which was the seat of government in Venice for many years. The Doge was the leader and Chief Magistate of Venetian society who was elected by the council of 41 who themselves were chosen by a convoluted system. In 1268 new regulations were introduced for the elections of the doge and these remained in force until the end of the republic in 1797. The object was to minimize the influence of individual great families. The process was very complex: Thirty members of the Great Council were chosen by lot; the number was…
History Lesson – Across the Square to the Basilica di San Marco
Friday, May 11th, 2007 at
10:32 am
Our hotel was very close to St Marks Square so it was just an easy stroll to take in the sight of this majestic Basilica. The Basilica di San Marco (Saint Mark’s Basilica) church in Venice began in 829 (consecrated in 832) as an ecclesiastical structure to house and honor the remains of St. Mark that had been brought from Alexandria. St. Mark became the patron saint of Venice, replacing St. Theodore. His attribute of a winged lion became the official symbol of the Venetian Republic. San Marco Basilica was built beside the Palazzo Ducale or Doges’ Palace and served…
First Days in Venice
Friday, May 11th, 2007 at
9:39 am
We arrive at the hotel and are taken to our room. Uh oh, this won’t do. They have given us a double bed, well no this definitely won’t do, we had specifically booked a twin room. So off we go down to reception to see if another room can be found, and sure enough there is a room at the top of some rather steep stairs, almost like a ladder, with a heavy gold colored rope adorned with red braid, with which to haul ourselves up. Lots of fun and good exercise. The view from this room was over some…
Welcome To Our Travel Blog
Wanda and Paula are friends and business partners that love to travel. We developed this website to share our experiences, what we've learned over the years and also to provide reviews on hotels, airlines, restaurants and anything else travel related.
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