Venice is beautiful during the spring and was an ideal setting to snap a few photos as I took a walking tour of this exciting city. As a popular tourist destination, it’s best to explore the city early in the morning before the crowds stream in or late in the evening after they’ve left for the night.
Naturally, I hit the major attractions, first stopping in St. Mark’s Square to tour Doge’s Palace as well as the exquisite St. Mark’s Basilica. As a lover of modern art and a dog lover, The Peggy Guggenheim Museum was not to be missed. The museum has some fine pieces and Ms. Guggenheim is buried here along with her dogs. And what’s a visit to the city without stepping over the Bridge of Sighs or marveling how the gondolas navigate Venice through its series of canals? All must-dos, when visiting Venice.
While the famous attractions are amazing and beautiful, one of the best ways to enjoy the city is to stay off the beaten path. Venice is comprised of 117 islands formed by 177 bridges and connected by 409 bridges. It’s difficult to get lost and you can still see some wonderful sights, discover unique architecture and sample delectable cuisine from lesser known restaurants.
For an all day excursion of exploring the city, comfort was the key. While it was certainly warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, when visiting Venice it’s important to remember that many of the churches including St. Mark’s Basilica have dress codes. Shorts and tank tops are generally forbidden. So with that in mind and wanting to have a little Italian flair, I chose to pay homage to the gondoliers by sporting a nautical striped top by Ralph Lauren Black Label over white flat front Gucci pants. Hook rope bracelet from Universal Gear and Daniel Wellington watch helped to stick with my nautical theme. Knowing I was walking all day, white sneakers by Prada finished off my look.
Although I enjoyed touring the city, I wasn’t going to leave without doing some shopping. A little retail therapy is always on the agenda when traveling. Of course I popped in to some of the more famous named boutiques such as Prada, Gucci, Zenga and Hugo Boss. Many of the luxury brands are well represented but I also hit some little Italian stores that had some really terrific merchandise as well.
After a day a full day of touring the city and shopping for some Italian bargains (I did picked up some fantastic shirts for myself as well as a beautiful leather purse for my mother), stopping to grab a spritz before dinner was a nice way to wind down the afternoon.
