Venice, Italy Lives up to its Hype
Venice is one of those rare cities that lives up to all the tour book hype. I’ve been lucky enough to visit 3 times, yet I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what this ancient city has to offer. It’s not for lack of trying, either. Each time I’ve been there, I spend 12 to 15 hours a day exploring. This tiny, labyrinthian town has so much worth seeing!
Mindful Travel
Believe it or not, despite being a total shutterbug, I actually find it quite easy to put down the camera and just *be*. I like to be a mindful traveler. I like to enjoy my companions, make friends, and experience new places with all my senses.
Venice Possessed Me
That said, Venice is so striking that I had trouble putting my iPhone away! I became obsessive. I wanted to snap pictures all day. I wanted to remember everything. I wanted to take it all in. I wanted to pour over my photos at our B&B at night instead of sleeping.
Such is the effect that Venice, Italy had upon me!
What about you?
Have you ever visited a place that blew you away with its beauty, history, and/or culture?
Follow me on Instagram & I’ll follow you back!
I’ve gone from turning up my nose at the idea of cell phone pictures, to being an avid iPhone photographer, which is why my theme for the 2014 A to Z blog challenge is Instagram Travel Photos. If you are on Instagram, I’d be delighted to follow you. Simply follow my photo feed (@TuiSnider) on Instagram and I’ll follow you back!
For more, check out my collaboration with Morgan Dragonwillow. Morgan used my iPhone photos to accompany her poems in a book called Wild Woman Waking. Check it out!
What is the April A to Z Blog Challenge?
Each April, people from all over the world participate in the April A to Z blog challenge, and you can too. It’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to meet other bloggers. To play along, all you do is make a blog post for each letter of the alphabet during April, then use the blog hop linky to visit as many other bloggers as you can.
My A to Z Inspired Book: Unexpected Texas
I’d like to thank everyone who commented on my blog during the A to Z Challenge last year, because it convinced me to take the self-publishing plunge. On March 2, 2014, I released Unexpected Texas as a paperback and eBook and it quickly became an Amazon Best Seller!
Check out other A to Z blogs below:
Check out the other participants of the A to Z Challenge
Tui Snider is an author, speaker, and photographer who specializes in North Texas travel, cemetery symbols, and haunted lore. As she puts it, “I used to write fiction – but then, I moved to Texas!”
Snider’s best-selling books include Paranormal Texas , Understanding Cemetery Symbols, and 100 Things to Do in Dallas - Fort Worth Before You Die.
Snider has several more books in progress, and enjoys connecting with writers and readers all over the globe through social media, her newsletter and her website: TuiSnider.com.
You really can’t go wrong with Venice! Beautiful photos, wish I was there.
Love your theme for the blog challenge, definitely a blog to bookmark.
Look forward to seeing where else you will take us.
Thanks for the daydreams!
Ok, Tui, I’ve followed you on Instagram. Although I don’t know how to search for people there…color me confused! Anyway, yes, love gondolas and Venice and Italy!
Hi Corinne! Thank you for following me on Instagram. I have been checking every couple of days to make sure that I am following all my new followers, so hopefully we are mutual pals on there now. :D
Hey Tui,
Your article made me want to jump on a plane and head to Venice. So nice to meet you and I am looking forward to hear more about your adventures. Thanks for commenting on my blog.
Cheers,
Shelagh
Hi Shelagh! I’m always in the mood to visit Venice. Not sure when I’ll get the chance again, but I will jump at it when I do. :D
Venice is so lovely.
Donna On Palawan @ Quintessential San Diego From A to Z
We used to visit Venice quite often but we’ve not been back for many years now. I think the time is coming to return and lose ourselves in the maze of alleyways and enjoy all that Venice has to offer. It really is a beautiful city.
Oh I loved Venice! Although it was a bit overpriced for our tiny backpacker budget I really enjoyed just walking around and getting lost. I especially loved the island of Burano. Unfortunately we didn’t splurge for a gondola ride BUT I did that way too many pictures of them. Great post for G!
Oh, I haven’t been on holiday for sooo long.
I would love to go to Venice, especially to visit the Libreria Alta Acqua – no. 1 on this list – http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/08/28/10-inspiring-bookshops-around-the-world
…and then I’d visit the rest of course :P
I am so confused, did I post my comment? Love Venice Congrats on your book, will share with friends in Texas. #AtoZchallenge stop Mine are just GOURDS at http://4covert2overt.blogspot.com/
LOVE < LOVE< LOVE Venice! Fantastic pics and congrats on Unexpected Texas. Was impressed by your comment on another blog and decided to swing by ! #AtoZchallenge stop Mine are just GOURDS at http://4covert2overt.blogspot.com/
This place is on my bucket list. I’ve always wanted to go (and plan to some day), but a part of me is afraid I will never want to leave. Then again, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, now would it?
Thanks for the post. I’m packing my bags.
Hi Randa, You will love Venice! And, yes, you will probably want to stay. I know I did! I think it would be a blast to have an extended stay – like 3 months – in a beautiful ancient city such as Venice. OK… I’m gonna go pack, too! :D
I am so glad this was my first stop! I’ve been to Venice and have a picture of my view sitting in the gondola. You are so right – what a labyrinth. Such beauty and history. I loved this – and need to get back to Venice!
Hi Cristina! Thank you for dropping by. Yes, it was hard to zero in on just a few photos from our trip to Venice. My husband has been there many times in his life, starting from when he was a boy, but my first trip was on our honeymoon 3 years ago! Like you, I don’t just want to go back, I *need* to go back! :D
I’m so jealous! Venice has long been on the top of my must-see list.
Paris captured me that way. I could wander that city for years just soaking in the atmosphere if I had the chance.
Hi Chuck, I hope you get a chance to visit Venice. It is well worth it! I have only been to Paris once. It was a long time ago, but I would love to return. It definitely has a certain atmosphere that is very seductive to creative types like us! :D
Venice is awesome, I only spent a day there but it was amazing.
I love Italy. My dream is to live there some day.
Hi Linda! Thank you for visiting my blog. I, too, love Italy and yearn to return. I would love to have an extended stay of several months, at least. :D
My daughter recently visited Venice. She loved it… although she also said she got somewhat claustrophobic there… surprised me.
I love the images here, Tui, and since I love to be serenaded I know I would really enjoy the experience. Have you been to the Venetian in Las Vegas? I love seeing the couples getting married on the gondolas there.
Your posts are awesome… absolutely awesome!
Hi Julie! I’ve not been to the Ventian in Las Vegas, but I’d love to check it out. I can see how Venice could be claustrophobic. There were some alleys that were barely wide enough for me to slip through! Oddly, I didn’t get claustrophobic there.
On my first trip to Venice, as my husband were walking around the city after dark (when it is much quieter and most of the tourists have gone) we heard someone singing opera in their apartment building. She had a beautiful voice, and it was really magical to hear, even though it wasn’t specifically for us. :D
Hi there :) Lovely theme, lovely post! I have never been to Venice, even though it is not terribly far from where I live in Hungary. I did visit Rome multiple times though, and as cliché as that is, I totally fell in love with the city. Then again, I am an archaeologist, so it kind of makes sense. And I do love “mindful travel.” I sit around a lot in places and watch other tourists pass by. Once again, Rome has some great spots for that.
Cheers!
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary – Tales of colors
MopDog – The crazy thing about Hungarians…
Oh yeah! Some places are cliché for good reason. I felt that way all over Italy. Rome is delightful, and Florence is rich with history, too. One of my favorites places in Rome is the Colosseum. It was easy to get swept up, imagining what it was once like. Kinda scary, too! :D
Italy is on my must-see list. I’m so jealous! Your photos are gorgeous. Thanks for the kick in the butt…I definitely have to go there soon.
Hi Holli! Oh – you will love Italy. I really want to go back but am not sure when the chance will arise. Of course, most of my travels are like that! :D