V is for Venice

venice_iko_2001092

I’m writing a book about Marco Polo for middle grades, so naturally I’m also learning a lot about Venice, a place I long to visit.

Here are some awesome shots of the Grand Canal that runs through the middle of the city.

Venice is called the “City of Romance” so it sees a lot of out-of-town weddings!

It’s also called the “Queen of the Adriatic.” It is well-known around the world for being surrounded on all sides by water. The city appears to float because it is set upon wood pilings atop 118 submerged islands in the northern end of the Adriatic Sea. The only way to get around the city is to cross the 400 foot bridges or sail the 170 boat canals. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to live in such a place. Do kids learn to swim right away? Because, you know, aqua alta (high water) happens!

aquaalta

Click for more Aqua Alta!

Besides Marco Polo, the famous playwright and lover, Giacomo Casanova, was born in Venice. And so was one of my favorite composers, Antonio Vivaldi.
Of course, you can’t think of Venice without picturing Gondolas. Gondolas are to Venice what the Eiffel tower is to France. These symbolic boats have been transporting Venetians through its narrow waterways for more than 1000 years!

Today only three to four licenses are given to Gondoliers. They have to endure a rigorous training and exam to legally row one of the beautiful boats. Who knew there was so much to rowing?

Gondola_Gondolier_Grand_CanalIf you go to Venice, be sure to check out the famous Rialto Market. But don’t touch the produce or fish! It’s considered extremely rude. Aren’t you glad I warned you?

frutta-e-vedure

tripadvisor.com

rialto-fish-market

travelpod.com

It must be heavenly to buy fresh food like that every single day. From what I’ve read, if you want to see the real lifestyle of Venetians, you have to visit this market!

So what do you think? Are you ready to travel to Venice with me? (Tweet this.)


A to Z blog hop at Patterings.


Comments 2

    1. Post
      Author

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.