Have you ever been to Venice?  If not I suggest you go.  After a quick flick round the cheap flights websites, I found a return for £215 from Stansted to Venice in July for ten days.  Maybe a bit more expensive than say Stansted to Genova, where you can pick up flights for as little as £25 but you won’t regret it.  

Due to its geographical position Venice has always been and continues to be high maintenance just to keep it standing.  Part of the charm of Venice is that the Venetian people have always realised how beautiful it is so when it comes to the buildings, rather than ‘English style, 60’s Tower Blocks, knock them down and start again’, they restore.  [Mind you I’m rather glad they don’t restore 60’s Tower Blocks]!

Back to the Venetians, they restore their buildings to look like they did when they were first built but at the same time improving the structures. 

Although traditionally Venice was founded in 421 AD, it wasn’t until the 12th century that it was noted as a very important city due to its fortunate strategic position with the rivers between the Po and the Piave and its head at the Adriatic Sea.  It was the equivalent I guess to jumping on an aeroplane nowadays, maybe not quite so quick, but a really good way to get around and to do business.

One such building recently restored is ‘The Gritti Palace’. Fifteen months and £36.5 million has seen this most prestigious hotel restored to its former glory.  The likes ofWinston Churchill, President De Gaulle, to actors Garbo, Chaplin, Bogart and Bacall, the list goes on to modern day Cruise, Kidman and Springsteen, all have experienced it’s splendour.

Don’t forget to take in St Mark’s Square and Basilica, ‘Juliet’s’ window,  the famous clock tower, the Bridge of Sighs, oh and you must take a trip in a Gondola.

Venice oozes style, history, romance and excitement.  It really keeps your attention, you can’t stop looking whichever way you turn your head.  Get back to your hotel eat something like a bowl of Risi e bisi, a local dish of rice and peas, wash it down with a glass of Breganze, a local dry / sweet white wine.  I guarantee by the end of the day you will be pleasantly exhausted when you drop into your beautiful typically clean, crisp white linen bed sheets.

Buonanotte!

This post was written by Suzi who writes for http://www.dailygossiper.co.uk/ about general interesting things that she likes.

Note: Photos courtesy of Gizelle Marie