This is a guest post by Veraz

Ah, Venice! What a marvellous melange of art, culture, architecture, all reasons to visit the city, just once in your life, if only once. From its Medieval architectural wonders, its location, its Carnivale, it’s glorious foods, its ambiance, it is not a place you should miss in your life. If you have died and missed visiting Venice, you have missed the most romantic city in the world. Tourists flock to the city in droves, all hoping to absorb the beauty and romance of it all. The summers fill Venice with its tourists; the winters fill Venice with the mist from the sea. The pigeons remain. It is quieter then, when the mist rolls in.

My first time in Venice, we stayed at a hotel very close to the Rialto Bridge. It was in the days before the tourists actually came in floods like the sea does to Venice. It was May. There was a view of the Grand Canal from our window. The hotel was styled in the old traditional Venetian way. Old charm and elegance would describe this hotel, a little dusty in its age and withered beauty, with its high ceilings. I remember the room was dark; I remembered a darkness, with faded silks and tapestries, reminding one of times past when elegance had been the rule of Society. A gentle light flowed through the old arched windows. This was no longer a luxury hotel in Venice with its tattered beauty. Perhaps, it’s been renovated since then. I can only guess. I never went back because I never like to look back, as always, I wanted to look forward and to discover something new about Venice each time I returned.

From the window, I would watch the busy traffic on the Canal, the classic gondolas, the vaporettis. A gondola alone, black and sleek, bobbing on the water waiting for passengers. I heard music, the conversations of Italians, the motorboats, a cello playing its lonely chords. Young children ran through the narrow paths, laughing and shrieking with delight in their childish games. Waiters were setting up tables on the terrace, busy with their chores of laying out the silver and crystal. Colorful flowers, Murano glass souvenirs, fresh fruit and always the abundance of the sea that surrounds Venice.

The Piazzo San Marco was empty in the mornings, shrouded sometimes in fog from the sea. Except for the pigeons, a lonely hurried, traveller or businessman, rushing with urgency to their unknown destinations, the Square lay empty in the early morning hours. Someone alone, smoking a cigarette, thinking about something or other, I don’t know. I would sit in a café with the walls of frescoes, inside, in those early days of spring because it was too chilly outside. Handsome young waiters in white jackets served pastries and tea with a silver tea service to me. They treated me like a princess. Ah! A cup of tea or coffee back then was only a dollar. They served with an elegance and a style not known in my own city.

My days were spent, walking around the small streets along the canals, discovering small shops selling flowers, fresh fish from the sea, souvenirs, and designer clothes. Of course, I saw all the tourist sites, the Doges’ Palace, the Bridge of Sighs and I imagined the sufferings of its prisoners, and I shivered with the awfulness of it all. I gazed up at the vaulted ceilings of churches in silence, in awe of the power of man, inspired by God to build such temples of worship to him.

That was Venice to me in the old days. I’ve been back many times to the city of Venice, staying at various hotels in Venice. It’s renovated now. The crumbling beauty seems to have disappeared. The sea creeps higher silently, its power invisible and frightening and limitless. It is possible to disappear in Venice in the summers now, surrounded by the millions of tourists who now visit the city they should not miss, for just once in their lives.

What I did not really like about this show though was the off center cinematogrpahy that for some reason left me a bit disjointed as to where he was in Venice. I have walked pretty much all of Venice, Italy and remember most of the streets but some I just could not make out.

Also this is just me being picky but some of the show was in Burano which in my opinion is outside of Venice. Yes it is where almost all the residents of Venice live but still this does not really represent the city.

The shots of the food, the wine and all that great stuff wanted to make me board a plane that night and head for the city. Unfortunately I can not afford to do that at this time but it sure makes me want to strive for hat level of ffeedom.

All in all I thought it was an excellent representation of the city and Anthony did a superb job of explaining the real Venice that many tourists overlook.

Here is just a short listing of some of the more notable places to stay if you are so inclined to truly pamper yourself. Who is to say that you need to spend an entire week in one of these hotels? Most people spend at most one or two days in Venice anyways and since you are here, go wild!

Hotel Cipriani
Giudecca 10, Fondamenta San Giovanni
041-520-7744

http://www.orientexpresshotels.com

This hotel has been serving guests since 1993 and has been one of the most luxious places to stay ever since then. Since this hotel is on the island of Giudecca it is very isolated from the rest of the city and has some unique features such as lush garden that you can visit and let your problems drift away. Also since this hotel has an Olympic sized swimming pool and other great amenities you will not be bored if you choose to just sit and relax and soak up what this hotel has to offer.

Hotel Danieli
Castello 4196, Riva degli Schiavoni
041-522-6480

http://www.luxurycollection.com

One of the most famous hotels in the whole of Venice. This hotel has been featured on several travel shows and been a home to many of the travel celebrities such as Samantha Brown. This hotel is just right next to the Palazzo Ducale which is home of the Doge of Venice and is just in the center of the St. Mark’s Square. You certainly will not be too far from all the action if you choose to stay here.

Hotel Des Bains
Lido Lungamare Marconi 17
041-526-5921

http://www.sheraton.com

This is the hotel that the famous writer Thomas Mann stayed in when he was in Venice. Having a salt water pool you need not fret about swimming if you are allergic to chlorine besides this hotel has access to a private beach which is sure different than many other hotels and villas in the area. You can count on having your every whim satisfied while you stay in this hotel as this place prides itself on impeccable service.

Hotel Kette
San Marco 2053
041-520-7766

http://www.hotelkette.com

A fairly large hotel with 63 rooms this is not your average place to rest  your head. You are surrounded in an opulent and luxurious setting that makes you feel like you are one of the elite residents of Venice. This hotel certainly will remind you of “old Venice” as it is decorated just like an old Venetian palace.

Staying in Venice for most is usually a one or two night affair. For some these hotels will be far out of reach because you will most likely have to give up an entire month’s salary just to stay for a night. However if you really want to just live a little then by all means look these hotels up and see if you can afford to take a night at one of these destinations.