See Venice And…..

Posted by admin on Sep 12, 2011 in See Venice and ...... | 8 comments

For years I have heard many differing opinions of this city. Some express the view they never want to go there again and some say it is the most fascinating place and a never to be forgotten experience. I am firmly on the side of the latter! A chance conversation with some old friends about birthday outings led me to this place in Northern Italy and as you know I am always on the search for inspiration for our Jazkids designs. Where better to go than Italy. Shops abound with exquisite leather goods and exclusive fashion items. I for one will be happy to “shop till I drop” !

The airport just outside of Venice is a fairly nondescript building and the approach by ferry appears disappointing until it dawns on me that Venice is just one of many small islands in the midst of a large lagoon on the edge of the Adriatic Sea. Usually I research where I am going but for some reason I embarked on this journey fairly ignorant of the geography of Venice. Maybe it was that ignorance that led me to the discovery that I had entered a place which filled me with a sense of amazement and wonder. The ferry makes its way to several islands where many Venetians live as not many actually live in the city itself. The price of everything is jaw-dropping from a cup of coffee to entry into the many museums and galleries.

We eventually get glimpses of the church spires and the domed shape of the Basilica and as we get nearer to the city I am overwhelmed with a feeling of pure amazement. There in front of us was the sight of ancient shabby buildings, bustling waterways and thousands of tourists! This is probably what is so incongruous about Venice. For me the jostling and at times pushy tourists could not take away the sheer sense of history which is Venice.

Our hotel overlooks the lagoon and is directly behind the famous St. Marks Square. All through the day and night the church bells can be heard resonating all over the city. The hotel itself is an old Venetian palace once lived in by wealthy merchants and renovated some years ago. Very little structurally has been altered and I felt as if I had stepped into a scene from Romeo and Juliet. The flooring was made from large flagstones and the walls were adorned with ancient paintings. Enormous Venetian glass chandeliers hung from the ceilings. Beautiful wood panelling completed this wonderful ambience and I could hardly wait to get to our room. I was not to be disappointed. The room was full of antique furnishings with nothing matching which added to its charm. As I opened the shutters and looked out I could see down to a narrow canal along which gondoliers were gently steering their crafts towards the entrance to the lagoon. This was all I imagined Venice to be. I could hardly wait to get out and explore ! Something inside told me I had discovered a place which was in its way timeless.

After a surprisingly good night’s sleep I awoke refreshed to the busy sounds of the city as workers made their way to work. But unlike any other city the workers take to the water using an astounding variety of boats. Our breakfast was taken in the roof-top restaurant with yet another heart-stopping view of the city. Just to the side of the hotel was the infamous Bridge of Sighs. It looked fairly incongruous as it was covered in modern garish blue boarding as it was being repainted but one could still imagine the feelings of the desperate prisoners who trudged over it to enter the prison all those centuries ago.

As our time was limited we decided to waste no time that morning and purchased tickets to take the ferry which made its way up the Grand Canal. The extraordinary fact about this city is that you cannot help but come across a place which has cropped up in tedious history lessons at school or names from a Shakespearian play which had to be painstakingly learnt for exams . Imagine my thoughts when there, spanning the Grand Canal, was the sight of the Rialto bridge. Scenes from the Merchant of Venice come flooding back. Even the ever-present crowds of tourists could not take away the charm of this ancient bridge. A bustling market takes place on the bridge every day which in itself is fascinating to see as just about everything is on sale from trinkets to cheeses! Noisy vendors shout to one another and tourists cram the bridge to barter for presents to take home. One sight I will keep in my memory for ever is the incredible view of the bridge lit up at night and the many outdoor restaurants along the sides of the Grand Canal. A magical scene.

My next day was spent browsing along the numerous winding alleyways gazing at the shop windows. Everything was there from exquisite designer fashion to Venetian curios. Getting lost in these alleys is a frequent occurrence and I eventually found the famous chocolate shop where one can buy beautifully crafted Venetian masks made from delicious Italian chocolate. It was next to this shop I spied the most adorably chic baby shoes and exquisite bootee socks. Italian designs for children’s clothing are legendary. The sight of these little shoes and socks inspired me to search for footwear to add to our collections for Jazkids.

I regretfully had to leave Venice the next day and as we crossed over the lagoon I looked back at the spires of the city and felt as if I was leaving a dear friend. I promised myself that I would return as soon as I could. Memories of that wonderful place will remain with me but my wish to see and learn more about that ancient and fascinating place will not diminish. My task to source baby socks and bootees has been successful and we have an exciting new range that can now be viewed on our new website www.jazkids.com