"Truly a City of Beauty and Romance " a Venice Travel Page by mrclay2000

From the moment you arrive, whether by car or train, the living image of Venice removes everything you thought you knew of the city from photos and guidebooks. There is mystery and romance and flair in a sprawling but local society of majestic and lesser churches and hotels nestled amid the hundred-odd isles which compose Venice.

On the other hand, the deeper you penetrate the more you come to realize something a little askew about Venice. The resting gondolas are meant to be viewed as postcards. The gondoliers are worse than used car salesmen. There are generally more tourists here than locals regardless of the season. For all its wealth and renown, once the Mistress of the Mediterranean, there are only four superb vistas and they all figure from the Grand Canal: the view eastward from Rialto Bridge, the view eastward from Accademia Bridge, the views from the edge of the Piazzetta and balcony of San Marco, and the overall view of the city from the campanile of San Marco.

On the first hand, what city anywhere can compare with Venice?