Venice

The train ride from Naples to Venice is quite long. I believe it took almost 10 hours. Having left early in the morning, we arrived in the City of Canals - "Floating City" or "Queen of the Adriatic" - in late evening. On the way, I had an interesting conversation with a mother who was travelling with her daughter. They were from Budapest and extremely anti-American, yet very pleasant to talk with. I wonder what their feelings would be if they witnessed today the evolution of the relationship between the countries.

The next morning, I eagerly walked to St Mark's Square. This is probably one of the world's most famous public squares. On many occasions, when I visited a famous building, plaza, or other attraction, I was often disappointed upon arrival. But such was not the case with this renowned entity. I was particularly drawn to the large mosaic located very near the main entrance. What I was looking at was unbelievably attractive, but I was to learn that it was only one of 30 mosaics within the building. These large mosaics make the interior of Saint Mark's sparkle with golden light, especially when the sun filters through. In the central dome is the mosaic depicting the Ascension, and I understand that it is the most celebrated mosaic within this basilica. It shows Christ ascending into heaven, surrounded by angels and the 12 apostles below him. The gold background and circular layout make them seem to float in the air. It is almost 1,000 years old!

The second item that I was especially interested in was the famous Bridge of Sighs. It is only a five-minute walk from Saint Mark's Plaza, so I set out to see it soon after leaving the Basilica. I have been told that couples who go under in a gondola would kiss. I guess that's very similar to our habit of kissing under mistletoe. Nevertheless, the name comes from a legend that prisoners would sigh as they crossed the bridge, catching their last glimpse of Venice before imprisonment, since the bridge linked the Doge's Palace to the prison across the Rio di Palazzo Canal.

I next wanted to take a short boat ride to Murano, which is a narrow island within the Venetian Lagoon. This has been a centre for glassmaking since the 13th century. It is famous for its numerous artistic glass creations. In the 13th century, the Venetian government relocated the furnaces to Murano for safety — the furnaces posed a fire hazard, and Venice was largely wooden. Interestingly, while the glassmakers had several privileges that allowed them to own property, marry into Venetian nobility, and pass on their craft, they were forbidden to leave Venice to keep their secrets.

I also wanted to visit the island of Lido, Venice's main beach island, which has sandy shores along the Adriatic Sea and is popular for swimming and water sports. This is very different from what the historic centre of Venice offers to tourists. I'm not a beach type of person, but I enjoyed walking around the island and taking in what it had to offer, particularly the view of Venice from this vantage point.