World famous for its canals and gondolas, romantic Venice, Italy, is made up of 122 islands, 150 canals, and 400 bridges—hence its name, the “City of Water.”

When Ocean City’s Dave Fuschillo and Lisa Rossi traveled there for a two-week vacation in April, they returned with memories and images to cherish forever.

Join Lisa as she reminisces about this beautiful but imperiled city, which some experts say could someday vanish into the sea.

Hands down, what was the best part of your journey?

The whole experience was like a dream. We found the history fascinating. For a period, Venice was one of the wealthiest and most powerful cities in Europe. And even though it is in gentle decay, part of that wealth and grandeur remain. There is art and beauty, music, and good food everywhere. I thought we should see Venice sooner rather than later, because of its uncertain future. The city actually is sinking, and sea levels are rising.

How about the people? Were they friendly?

Venetians in general are very friendly and accommodating. Everyone was gracious, with a smile and a friendly greeting. We try to be good travelers—polite, not too loud, and tried to speak the language with simple things like hello and goodbye—so perhaps that helped. It was also a pleasure to never be rushed out of a restaurant or a café.

Tell us about the food—this is Italy, after all!

The food was excellent almost without exception. It was fantastic to be able to sit outside and eat most meals, night or day. We had lots of fresh seafood, simply prepared. Most of the wine bars and cafes have up to a dozen snacks (cichetti), which you simply point to and say how many you want. One bar would have sushi, and the bar down the street had grilled squid.  One of our favorite cicchetti, which we ate outside standing up along a quiet canal around sunset, was a baby onion marinated in vinegar underneath a sardine wrapped around a salty plump caper. It was fun and economical to eat the way the Venetians do. You get to sample so many different tastes, and hang out with the locals.

And the shopping?

Abundant and opulent. I think it is the jewelry capital of the world. There are several, several stores on each block, so prepare to be overwhelmed. Things are expensive, especially with the American dollar being weak, so don’t expect many (or any) bargains. My advice: shop around and find one special thing to splurge on! 

What was the best attraction of all?

St. Mark’s Basilica was truly amazing, and well worth waiting in line for. The Grand Canal was exhilarating and wonderful. Think of a grand avenue of any major city; wide, bustling, with throngs of people, and commerce and trade being conducted, and you have the Grand Canal (the aquatic version). We especially enjoyed taking side trips to the nearby islands of Murano (known for its glassmaking factories) and Burano. We went to two beautiful churches in Murano, along with a museum devoted to the history of glassblowing. It was a little off the beaten path, and people really live there, whereas the local population of Venice is declining. So there was a sense of neighborhood and community. We also had a wonderful lunch there, so it has a special place in our heart! 

Burano was a little farther away, but well worth the trip. It is a small fishing village, famous for its lace-making and brightly colored houses. It also has a bell tower that leans to the same degree as the tower in Pisa. It was great to wander around the streets.

Would you do anything differently?

We wouldn’t change a thing, but I think we had beginner’s luck. The weather was warm, but it was still very early in the season, so while parts of the city, like St. Mark’s Square, were crowded, the rest wasn’t so bad. We had the distinct impression that Venice in high season was like July 4^th weekend at the shore, every day. We didn’t encounter one glitch.

How did you get there?

We flew from Philadelphia to Frankfurt, then to Marco Polo Airport in Venice. We found pretty reasonable airfare on our new favorite travel site, www.kayak.com, which searches travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, as well as the airlines’ own websites.  From Marco Polo, which was new, small, and beautiful, we took a local bus to Venice for about 2 Euro each. We then took the vaporetto, Venice’s water taxis, to the stop closest to our apartment. 

Any travel tips?

We do recommend traveling lightly. Vaporetti are crowded, streets narrow, and there are lots of bridges, which are no fun to lug big suitcases up and down! Public transportation is reliable and heavily used. And Italy is a very trusting place; you buy your bus or vaporetto ticket and get them stamped in machines before you board, but very rarely does anyone ever check your ticket!

Will you go back?

Absolutely. We would go again tomorrow, if possible.