"beauty and history" a Venice Travel Page by rkearns

venice is an artist's paradise and inspiration. the buildings are very very old, ramshackle, colored, with shutters and potted flowers outside the windows, just like you see in the photos.. the waterways give away a bit of a stench. there are bridges all over and most of the walkways are narrow enough to touch with both hands outstretched. because of the makeup of the paths, it's really easy to get lost in venice--but fear not: you are on an island! the food in italy is soooooo good, if you're tired of pizza and paninis, try florentine steak! yum!

gondolas are as expensive to own as cars. they ARE the cars of venice. each person seems to add his own style to his gondola. this was one of my favorites. i never took a ride, because, well, venice should be seen on foot!