Venice

Viewed from above Venice appears to be an orange-coloured gemstone resting on a sheet of blue glass; or a large palatial apartment suspended at the centre of a lagoon that has been domesticated by man’s ingenuity, and in which you move around either on foot or by motorboats and gondolas in an ambience of timeless charm. The so-called ‘Serenissima’ (a metonymic reference to the city) is pervaded by this tamed yet at times rebellious water, by ghostly silence and architectural wonders, by time that elapses yet seems not to pass. The whole town emanates an adventurous spirit with long-lasting passion that will bewitch and hypnotise you with its air of permanent drowsiness. Yet it seems like there is a perfect balance between the past and the future, which guards the secrets and mysteries of the present. You cannot but love Venice for its sophisticated complexity, for the endless surprises staring out from the facades of the Canal Grande or in Piazza San Marco, or otherwise lurking in the shade of its numerous bridges that provide both a physical and emotional union between one sensation and another. Meander through the narrow streets that somehow penetrate into the lagoon. It is not only Venice itself that is a living picture postcard, as you will instantly see from a visit to the enchanting lido and the surrounding islands famous for being guardians of legends and treasures. In short, this is a gem to discover, behold and admire.