Bucket List Travels...

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Floating City. Save money by buying a 1-, 2- or 3-day pass. The theater onboard is entertaining, especially during commuter hours. Pets, bikes, trunks, furniture, groceries, the kitchen sink – if you can carry it on, it’s welcome. Meanwhile the view outside is . . . Venice.

Explore the Fish Market – Conveniently located only a one-minute walk from the famous Rialto Bridge. Since 1173, local fishermen have brought their daily catch here, including octopus, writhing eels, giant swordfish, squid, prawns, tuna, softshelled crabs and much more. A place full of energy, life, and fishmonger characters.

Marvel at Venetian Architecture –Venice is a unique city that’s been built up layer upon layer over many centuries. You can witness many different architectural styles such as early Romanic architecture, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassic, and Byzantine.

Get up Early for St. Mark’s – Early morning is a wonderful time to experience Piazza San Marco. Captivating. Serene. Simply splendid. Other preferred times: under the moonlight or in the fog. If you’re not careful you may get goosebumps. Before you sits St. Mark’s Basilica (tour the inside for free), the Doge’s Palace (sign up for a tour), and the Clocktower (venture inside), with the columns of San Todaro and the winged lion standing guard. It’s easy to see why Napoleon called it “The drawing room of Europe.”

Walk – Grab a coffee or cappuccino and start exploring off the beaten path. It may seem counterintuitive that a city built on water is very walkable, but it is. No cars. No blaring horns. No motorcycles to dodge. Just endless beautiful passageways to wander. And gentle church bells as a soundtrack. Getting lost in Venice is a delight.

Visit Murano – In 1291, the glassmaking industry moved from Venice to Murano to avoid fire risks and to enforce strict control over glassmakers. So valuable was the glass trade that any glass master who tried to leave the Republic of Venice faced a death sentence. Today you can still see glass artisans at work blowing glass and molding it into exquisite shapes.