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"Venice Never Quite Seems Real, but Rather an Ornate Film Set Suspended On the Water." ~ Frida Giannin

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 I was fortunate enough to visit Venice for the second time in two years  during July 2016 and this time it didn't rain the entire time!  I was there for five days following a Mediterranean cruise that left from Venice and visited Greece as well as Croatia.  I've never been really excited about the thought of visiting Venice and wasn't overly impressed with this incredible city after my first visit but definitely fell in love with this area that is like no other during my second visit!

Here is one of my very edited HDR images that I took two years ago when there was a slight break from the rain that happened most of the time I spent there:

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Going on a Mediterranean cruise was at the top of my bucket list at the beginning of the summer.  When I started to do research into this trip I realized that leaving from Rome, Athens or Venice were some of my options.  I chose to leave from Venice for two reasons.  I thought it would be easier to get to the cruise ship and I plan to spend some time at whichever port I chose to leave from.  I was most drawn toward Venice as Rome and Athens seem like a really large cities to me.  I was traveling solo and felt more comfortable in a smaller city like Venice versus Rome. 

For those of you who are interested in a Mediterranean cruise leaving from Venice it costs 45 euros to get from the Venice airport to the port.  I gave the driver a €5 tip which I could tell he was quite shocked!  I was unpleasantly surprised when I exited the ship one week later and learned that a water taxi was my only option to get to my hotel.  The water taxi cost me €80.  I didn't let it bother me too much as there was no choice at that point. 

I stayed at a wonderful hotel right on the Grand Canal that had a balcony and an amazing view.  The view was so incredible I had to drag myself out of the room to go do things as opposed to just watching the action on the Grand Canal.  The sunrises and sunsets were not a disappointment either!  The name of the hotel I stayed at is called Hotel NH Collection Venezia Palazzo Barocci.  This hotel is in the San Marco area of Venice.  I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to stay on the Grand Canal.  The location was great as I could walk everywhere I wanted to go, the breakfast was good, the Wi-Fi was reliable and the beds were comfortable.  The staff was also very friendly and accommodating!

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Here are a few of the views that I've experience right from the balcony in my room at my hotel.  I feel that I got very lucky with the beautiful sunsets and the good weather.

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Venice-1603004_960_720I could see the Rialto Bridge from my balcony as well.  It was unfortunately under construction during my stay there.  I thought this was one of the best places to take photos during my previous stay in the city:
Venice-1603004_960_720There are small canals everywhere throughout Venice and you will almost always see boats and gondolas in them during the day:
Venice-1603004_960_720Here I am enjoying the view.  The one bad thing about staying at a nice hotel for me is that it's hard to lead is that it's hard to leave it!

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Here I am enjoying a gondola ride.  The price was €35 for one half an hour.  I never realized that a single gondola costs at least €30,000 and up.  It is also not easy to become a gondolier.  Those who are interested in becoming one go through a very strict screening process and spend years and many euros learning their art.

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One thing I will mention about Venice is it can be a little bit more expensive to eat then other parts of Italy.  My lunch that you can see below cost €45.  I think I was paying for the view as well!
IMG_3295the view: 

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"It's so easy for me to get caught up in the feeling of a city like Venice, where everything is just beautiful color and gorgeous buildings that are so peaceful. You can roam around and get lost in the labyrinth." ~ Nanette Lepore 

The above quote is exactly how I felt when I when I left Venice this time.  I rarely want to visit anywhere a third time but I think I may make an exception with Venice!

Thank you so much for visiting my little corner of the world world wide web.  I would love to hear about your experiences in Venice or if it is a a place you would like to visit someday.  Please feel free to leave any comments or questions.  I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

~Michelle

This post is part of:  The Weekly Postcard: 

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Travel Notes & Beyond

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