Sometimes you get the opportunity to visit a place that you’ve heard so much about, seen so many photos and dreamed about. You think that in no uncertain terms that it can live up the expectations but the minute that you take your first footsteps you know it is going to be everything that you were hoping for and more. That’s exactly what happened when we stepped on the boat from the mainland to the islands of Venice. There was just something in the air – the sunset, the grand canal, the architecture…We could have stayed on the boat forever watching Venice unfold before us, but then it was time to disembark and to start wandering. The narrow streets, the bridges, Gelato shops, the canals – it was picture perfect and everything we had expected Venice to be.Once the sun had set we headed to Cafe Florian, one of the oldest Cafes in the world. We sat outside, drank Coffee, Wine and ate Gelato. Music played gleefully and the lights of Piazzo San Marco twinkled in the slightly flooded square. It truly was perfection.

Then is was time to head back to the mainland to our hotel – we slept quite lightly that night as we were keen to get back on the boat in the morning! Morning came quickly enough and then we were back on the Canal. Venice quite literally sparkled in the sunlight. We arrived early in the morning and it was still very quite except for the Delivery men carrying their heavy loads yelling “Attenzione!”. We spent the day enjoying the sights and sounds. Saint Marks Basilica, the Bridge of Sighs, the Gondolas with their white and blue striped poles and the Rialto Bridge. Up and down beautiful bridges. We even got a chance to see Murano Glass being made – so very beautiful but deeply expensive. As were the toilets at 3 Euros a time!We ate lots of Gelato, always helpful to keep cool and Pizza for sustenance complete with litres of water as it was so very hot at over 40 degrees. We pottered in and out of shops, picking up a few gifts for people back home.Our time in Venice will stay with us for a very long time – it is definitely somewhere we’d like to go back to spend more time there to soak up the atmosphere and culture – definitely to eat more food! If you get the chance to go to Venice, go! Go with all your heart and enjoy every single moment.