Venice in March was a dark, cold, foreboding, beautiful labrynth of mystery, discovery and calm. I can’t believe how much I still miss it’s canals. I also can’t imagine this tiny piece of earth being overrun by tourists in the summer. I’m not sure that I would have enjoyed it so much if we’d visited during a busier time of year.

I usually miss a destination as soon as I leave but after over 2 months at home, I’m still missing Venice’s foggy mornings and those buildings – those buildings that hold centuries of secrets. In general, Italy stole my heart, as most new places do, but I’ve never experienced history like this – at least I’ve never let myself.

While in Venice, we took advantage of a free walking tour that took us through most of “the fish” – the shape of Venice when looking at a map. We learned how Venice was founded, how its citizens got clean drinking water, the history of some of the homes and even recent efforts to preserve the city’s buildings. It was truly fascinating and at only a 20 euro tip at the end for both of us, it was a steal. I know that similar tours would have gone for three or four times that much per person.

In addition to our free walking tour, we also did the Doge’s Palace Secret Itineraries Tour where we heard about the famed Casanova and how he escaped the Doge’s prison with the aide of a priest. I don’t care if the story is true or not – it’s just fun to imagine if it is!

When in Venice, try so save some time to visit Murano and Burano, just a short vaporetto (water taxi) ride from Venice.

Have you ever been to Venice, Murano or Burano? What was your favorite part about this famous city?