Winter made me fall for Venice, I am well aware of this. But regardless of how,  the fact is, I did indeed fall in love with Venice. The irony was, I was dragged into the city back in 2022 by my parents. I had actively resisted it, for the main reason of it being too generic, it was unattractive to me. Further to this, the opinions of those around me had infused mine. And those opinions often if not always echoed sentiments of annoyance with the city.  In conversation, it took on a similar nature to that of Rome, you either love it or hate it.  And without stepping foot in the city, I had declared it wasn't for me. 

 

There in lies the lesson I suppose, one we have been told many times over. don't judge a book by its cover.

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I cannot speak for the version of Venice that is overcrowded, with heat bouncing off the walls, and an overwhelming warning for pick-pockets, but I can speak for the essence of the city I felt in a season contrary to those factors.

 

Drenched in centuries of wealth,  excluding the origins, this it held a charm equal to what I could imagine the roaring 20s excluded. 

A maze within it's on right, it could make you feel as if you were held, but also suffocated depending on your mood. Stepping outside of the labyrinth of the city, and finding the board walks and open spaces, it was a breathtaking experience to say the least. The allure of this city is in the details and wonder of its engineering, met with the overwhelming beauty of stone buildings, churches and bell towers nestled amongst canals, and a wide open waterway. As for me, standing on the boat across the main cancal with the sunsetting, watching the light of the churches on the lagoon, I stood their in an awe I cannot articulate.