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Category: Italy

Venice took my breath away

Venice took my breath away

My loved ones describe me as practical and realistic. I view places and situations through this lens, often leading to many how and why questions. My camera lens, however, helps me see and enjoy the beautiful, the old, the funny, and the different. In Venice, there was much to enjoy, appreciate, ponder, and wonder about. Known as the “City of Canals” or the “Floating City,” Venice is picturesque and fascinating.

Tourism in Venice

The canals of Venice’s historic quarter make it one of the most visited places in Europe. Last year, 20 million travellers visited Venice, which has only 50,000 inhabitants. To mitigate the impact of overtourism, city officials have implemented several measures. In 2021, they banned cruise ships from docking, limited tour group sizes to 25 people, and introduced a fee for day visitors.

We ended our holiday with a short visit to this beautiful historical city. We arrived at St. Lucia Venice train station on a hot Sunday afternoon. Our accommodation was about 2 kilometres away, and although I love walking, this walk was almost too much for me. Tourists crowded the streets, and we had to navigate through the masses with our luggage, sweat streaming down my back. Carrying my packed suitcase and backpack over the many canal bridges, each with numerous steps was particularly challenging. I was grateful that Charl handled the navigation.

Venice start preparing for the tourists in the early morning

Waking up early in the morning as a city awakens, excites me. In Venice, the inhabitants had prepared everything very early for the new day. The aroma of freshly ground coffee and pastries hung in the air. Seabirds screamed excitedly at the fish market. Traders unpacked supplies from their mobile stalls. Boats on the canals brought in goods for shops and restaurants while removing rubbish. All this must happen in the early hours because, during the day, tourists on gondolas fill the canals.

Gondolas on the canals

Gondolas are a historic and traditional part of Venice, offering an iconic way to explore the city. In the 17th and 18th centuries, gondolas peaked in popularity, with an estimated 10,000 in Venice. In contrast, only about 400 are primarily used for tourism these days.

Early in the morning, we saw gondoliers preparing the boats for the day. Becoming a gondolier requires over 400 hours of training over six months. Besides mastering gondola manoeuvring and lifesaving skills, they also learn foreign languages and Venetian history and culture.

St. Mark’s Basilica

The Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica) is the cathedral church of Venice and, along with its square, is the most famous and beautiful landmark in the city.

According to tradition, Mark founded the church in Egypt and was appointed bishop of Alexandria after serving with Peter in Rome. People believed he died there as a martyr. Eight centuries after he died in AD 68, the Venetians brought his body to Venice. The city’s ruling class wanted St. Mark as the patron saint of their economic status, so they arranged to smuggle his body out of Egypt.

Murano die glass island

We visited Murano, the glass island, by taxi boat. Glasswork is an ancient art form, and it was one of the most significant commercial industries of the Venetian Republic for centuries. In 1291, city authorities moved the glass furnaces to Murano to protect the city centre from fire risks and to safeguard trade secrets about the production process. This relocation also allowed the glass masters to exchange skills and techniques, elevating the art form to new heights.

We attended a demonstration where we saw artists working and blowing glass using centuries-old techniques to create beautiful ornaments. Afterwards, we visited an exhibition showcasing the most stunning works of art.

The Venice Carnaval

Vendors sold masks for the Venice Carnival at most stalls and markets. This event is renowned worldwide for its beautiful costumes and masks. The celebration lasts ten days in February, during which people dress up and participate in organised parades or simple processions on the streets.

The Carnival traces its origins to the Middle Ages and continued for several centuries. People abolished the tradition in 1797 but revived it in 1979. It attracts around 3 million visitors annually.

Venice is one of Italy’s most beautiful cities

The Floating City, with its winding canals, striking architecture, and beautiful bridges, is undoubtedly one of Italy’s most stunning cities. The statue of the white hands in Venice left me with a message. They symbolise the need to build bridges and overcome differences. Each set of hands represents a different human value like love or wisdom.

If you enjoy travel, Venice is worth visiting and experiencing. However, I recommend choosing the time of year for your visit with care and travelling as lightly as possible.

Regards

Emsia

Our first ski holiday in Livigno, Italy

Our first ski holiday in Livigno, Italy

This winter is our fifth one in Switzerland, and we still can’t ski. We have long since come to terms with the fact that we can enjoy the snow in ways other than skiing. Since all of Zander’s friends ski during the winter months, we needed to create an opportunity for him to learn.

Livigno, little Tibet of the Alps

We settled on Livigno in Italy, a location conveniently accessible to us, especially with the train that transports cars through the Alps. Often referred to as the Tibet of the Alps, Livigno earns this nickname primarily due to its high altitude and climate. The region experiences lengthy and chilly winters characterised by substantial snowfall. During this season, the valley’s streams and lakes freeze, adding to the picturesque winter landscape.

The region provides numerous opportunities to revel in the snow. On both sides of the town are mountains boasting ski slopes and exquisitely crafted snow parks. During our visit, it was evident that preparations were underway in Livigno for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. They will host the snowboard and freestyle competitions. During our visit, we never used our car. The central area in town is car-free, and in the ski season, free bus transport is available for visitors.

The town, decorated in festive colours, offered excellent opportunities for duty-free shopping. In addition, the Christmas village with charming wooden stalls had an array of handmade gifts. We stayed close to a bakery, and I relished the simple pleasure of strolling through the snow each morning for freshly baked Italian bread.

Livigno is popular among South Africans

Livigno enjoys popularity among South Africans, evident in the many Afrikaans conversations overheard on the streets. Charl and I smiled when a man admitted to his wife in Afrikaans, “I now realise that I am far too overweight and unfit for this type of activity.”

I visited Livigno as a young adult with a group of South Africans for a ski holiday. Progress was slow for me. It took me until the fourth day to navigate on skis, execute turns, and stop without tumbling. Nevertheless, the satisfaction of mastering a new skill left a lasting impression.

Zander learned to ski

Zander thoroughly enjoyed his mornings at ski school and quickly mastered the skills. At age 15, Zander was the youngest in the group. At this age, only your parents worry about risks. I was amazed at how rapidly the ski instructors taught the young children to ski. They were fearless and could ski down the slopes with excellent technique within a day or two.

After lunch, Zander practised his newfound skills on the ski slopes near our house. Charl and I took different cable cars up the mountains, exploring various routes. There’s a satisfying feeling when your boots crunch on the freshly groomed snow, and you can gaze down at the village with its snow-covered roofs and frozen lake from the heights above.

Every sport has its share of injuries. We have, unfortunately, witnessed several skiing accidents. However, the well-trained emergency services responded promptly to aid the injured. My heart almost stopped beating when, on the third day, Zander mentioned attempting a black route.

A friend cautioned, “In the fine print of travel insurance, they state that they do not cover accidents on black routes. If you get injured, they transport you to the nearest hospital in St. Moritz, Switzerland. It is one of the oldest and most expensive ski resorts in Switzerland. We used to jest that if you get hurt on a black route, you better hope someone tows you to a blue or red route. Otherwise, you might need to sell your house to pay the medical bill!”

Centrale ski school

On Tuesday evening, the ski instructors from the Central Ski School, where Zander was enrolled, hosted a show on the slopes. I, too, attended the same school 25 years ago. I can vividly recall the New Year’s Eve show with the gentle falling snow. In their recent presentation, they delved into the history of skiing and demonstrated various snow activities. In addition, they acknowledged the countries of origin of the course participants. Our excitement soared when they acknowledged South Africa We enthusiastically joined fellow South Africans in cheering for our home country.

Lots of snow

We experienced beautiful sunshine for most of our holiday. However, a few days before Christmas, it started to snow, creating a picturesque snow basin that draped the entire town.

Fortunately, the municipality was well-prepared, deploying bulldozers to clear the streets and trucks to remove substantial snow masses.

Aware of the hazards posed by melting and freezing snow in the cold weather, they diligently covered the roads with salt to prevent slippery conditions. Concerns about the journey back arose as we lacked chains for our car tires, making snow driving perilous. To mitigate the risk, we opted to return home a day earlier. It was a wise decision. The drive back through the Alps was already challenging.

Livigno guarantees an exceptional experience that I wholeheartedly recommend. Zander is delighted that he acquired a new skill and looks forward to future skiing adventures with his friends.

Regards

Emsia

Beauty and tranquillity on Lake Garda

Beauty and tranquillity on Lake Garda

We live in a busy world full of challenges and change. Our body and soul need silence and tranquillity. We need time to catch our breath, make sense of everything, switch off and be present to enjoy the beauty around us. A change in our environment often does wonders.

When we stopped in front of our holiday home near Lake Garda in Northern Italy, it looked like just the right place to quiet the mind.

The accommodation had a large porch surrounded by purple bougainvillaea. The cicadas in the surrounding olive groves provided background music. Early morning and evening, the church bell played the most beautiful tune, encouraging the local donkey and peacock to add their musical contributions.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, located between the Alps and the Po Valley. The high mountains, picturesque villages and lush nature contribute to a beautiful picture. I admired the well-tended gardens, lawns and many historic stone buildings that adorn the shores of the lake.

Swimming in the lake was a tranquil experience. The water is silvery clean and very refreshing. Families played in the water with a ball or rowed on a SUP or kayak. The sun sparkled on the water, and we could see the pebbles on the bottom.

We explored the area and visited the different villages by the lake.

Toscolano Moderno

The village closest to our accommodation was Toscolano Moderno. This village dates to Roman times and was an essential centre of paper production. It has a port from where boats took the paper to Venice. In the past, noble families lived here. Remains of beautiful villas surrounded by numerous lemon groves and lushes gardens full of purple bougainvillaeas testify to this.

Limone

The most beautiful village for me was Limone. Limone still has the atmosphere of a village, whose main activities until the last century were fishing and olive and lemon cultivation. We visited Limone on market day and were able to experience first-hand the sale of lemons and other local and handmade products.

The town of Limone stretches along the shores of Lake Garda and has stone houses tucked into the mountain slopes and decorated with plants and flowers. Many places overlook the lake, and you can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Garda if you are prepared to climb the stairs leading to the terraces.

Salo

Our last visit was to Salo, the largest city on the western shore of Lake Garda. I read that Salo has the longest promenade in Italy, and we joined the other visitors in going for a walk.

There are numerous cafes and restaurants, and we just sat down for a while and watched the world go by.

The narrow roads in Italy

The narrow roads in Italy challenged us. With a stone wall on both sides of the road to town, we just hoped for no traffic in our direction. Sometimes we were lucky, but other times Charl had to drive for long distances in reverse to make way for workers rushing to get to work on time. We have concluded that there is a huge difference between Italian and Swiss drivers!

One of these paths that passed close to our accommodation forms part of a Camino path. The many walkers encouraged Zander and me to venture part of the road between two churches. The views over the lake and many shade trees on the route created a pleasant experience.

Thunderstorm

One night a thunderstorm caused a spectacle in the sky above the lake. It was stormy, we heard glass breaking, and the wind turned over the potted plants on the porch. The sunbeds and umbrellas ended up in the pool. A dad tried in vain to find his children’s toys that they have left outside. He commented with a smile that they would have to do a treasure hunt the following day.

The next morning, a calm descended, and the sun shone brightly on the lake as a sign that the storm was over. I am sharing our holiday photos below.

I am grateful that we could experience the tranquillity of Lake Garda. As children, our family went to Hartenbos during our summer holidays to experience peace and a change in environment. For me, Lake Garda is the European form of a Hartenbos holiday.

regards

Emsia