Venice: The Floating City

For a millennium, Venice has provided inspiration for artists and writers. This coveted city is made up of 118 islands linked by 453 bridges. Each corner of town exhibits individual architectural magnificence, the city combining as one to form a spectacular theatrical stage set.

Beautiful churches adorn the banks of the Grand Canal as she snakes her way through the city. This main artery is at the centre of a myriad of canals running throughout the town.



The lifeblood of Venice is its tourism, a magnet for over 12 million visitors a year. Catering for this influx of visitors, the cities population of 70,000 people continue their daily lives, working the bars, cafes and restaurants.

Despite all this however, it seems that Venice is slowly sinking at the rate of approximately 2 inches every century. Terrible floods in 1966 caused much doom mongering and many people feared that Venice was about to be taken off the map.

The threat to remove funding for vital restoration projects gave serious cause for concern and prompted an urgent response to save the city. It was feared imminent flooding could completely destroy the city; preventative measures were high priority.

The efforts of the past two decades have had considerable success. Reduced pollution, shipping and the restoration of natural sandbanks have all contributed to the cause.

The first settlers of Venice were those fleeing the Barbarians around 400 AD. To create solid foundations for their buildings they drove timber into the mud and began creating a community for their people.

The city's emblem, the winged lion, derived from Saint Mark the Evangelist. The first significant church of Venice was built in the ninth century to house the relics of Saint Mark, and his emblem was soon adopted.

Venice’s trade brought great wealth and prosperity to the city and for many centuries it continued to grow. The city thrived on its colonies and invested its riches wisely. Churches and palaces became commonplace, as were museums to house many newly acquired works of art.

For the past couple of centuries however, the obvious lack of development space meant the city found it difficult to advance further. Wars with Turkey were a drain on the resources and so Venice was content to consolidate.

Despite this, Venice does not rest on its laurels. Every visit offers something new, a fresh experience to take home. Each region of the city has an individual charm, giving the sense there is always something special around each corner.

Italy Vacation - Get Away to Enjoy The Romance and History

Italy Vacation – A Walk with Michelangelo

For great vacation ideas, I highly recommend Italy! Here are a few things that you should ‘know before you go’ because Italy is very different from many of the places that you may have traveled to before.  In the US, anything goes but this is not so in Italy.  Knowing these things before hand will help you have a more successful trip.

 Traveling to Italy
When you are getting ready for your trip, think about what medications you need to pack and how much of each medication you need.  You can’t always find your medicines in Italy. Drugs that are common and easy-to-find here, may not be available in Italy. Make sure that you pack yourself a kit with all of the medicines that you may need for both on the plane and while traveling.  Remember to pack over-the-counter medicines too. Leave all medications in their original containers!

Dinning Out in Italy
While you are in Italy remember to drink only drink bottled water NOT tap water.  In an Italian restaurant it is good to know that ‘what you order is what you get’. There are not a lot of extras like salad, soup and choice of potato that automatically come with every meal. There are not many special requests in restaurants in Italy. They frown on changing your mind when your order comes and also on sending your order back. It is always safe to order spaghetti.  Use a spoon and fork to twirl your spagetti rather than cutting it.  Cutting your spaghetti is bad table manners in Italy.  Do not wait for your check if you are eating out either.  You need to ask for your check to receive it.  Remember to tip with cash in Italy.  If you are looking for fast food in Italy, try a pizza shop, or pizzeria.  Most of the restaurants in Italy are sit-down restaurants with several different courses. And no one, absolutely no one eats dinner before 9 pm!

Site Seeing
Some of the sites and attractions in Italy are absolutely breathtaking and you will want to remember them forever.  There are rules for some of the places that you travel to such as taking pictures.  Not all of the places will allow you to take pictures (especially museums) and if you are allowed, you are probably can’t use a flash. It’s always safe to buy postcards.

Clothing
Italians love to dress up – everyday, everywhere. Leave your shorts, tank tops and flip flops at home. If you plan to visit the Vatican, the dress code is very strict. No bare shoulders, no bare legs. There is a booth selling paper clothes for anyone who forgets the Vatican dress code! So dress up in Italy and get ready to have fun!

Home Sweet Home
Travel is great isn’t it? And when you get home you organize all your pictures and souvenirs. And you think, “wouldn’t it be great if I could find a beautiful Italian Flag to remember my vacation by that doesn’t cost too much to add to my whole vacation experience?” Well, I’ve found a great site that sells great looking flags for not a lot of money and their shipping is super fast – www.FlagWave.com