...Venice becomes eerily beautiful! * People like to joke that Venice is one giant tourist trap!

Short answer: Don't!  To anyone but local Venetians themselves, Venice might as well be a labyrinth. Built over an archipelago of 118 islands linked by bridges, the city is a real challenge to accurately navigate that one might as well purposely wander around and trust in the gods to find the way back home.  * A few random turns and we find the infamous Bridge of Sighs (in the far background). Local legend has it that it was called so as this was the bridge leading to the prison from the Doge's Palace, and convicts were known to "sigh" as they got one more glimpse of the beauty of Venice before being incarcerated.

Nothing quite prepares you for the spectacle of seeing the interior of the Basilica of St. Mark for the first time. A symbol of Venetian majesty, wealth, and power, the Basilica has also been referred to as the Church of Gold . * And for good reason! This was probably how the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (then Constantinople) looked like before it was defaced and converted into a mosque.

The Doge was the highest official in the once Most Serene Republic of Venice ; having total control of the city-state and its global empire for over 1,100 years .  * And like most European royal families, the Doge lived in style!

At the height of its power, the Republic of Venice was THE major superpower in the world. Insanely wealthy due to its prime position as conduit between Europe, North Africa, and Asia, Venice has been lavishly decorated by its rulers and inhabitants throughout the centuries to showcase its grandeur. And in this city-state, the social, political, and religious worlds revolved around the Piazza San Marco.  * From the Lagoon, the Piazza can be accessed via the Piazzetta di San Marco , which contains the famous Lion of Venice (left) , symbol of St. Mark the Evangelist, and Statue of St. Theodore (right) , a warrior saint venerated by the Greek Orthodox Church.

After enduring my penchant for picking museums, beer halls, cathedrals and war memorials to visit on this trip, it was finally time for Monicca to get to her dream honeymoon location! The island of Venice is mythical in its beauty, fame, and grandeur. Once THE superpower in the medieval world (for over 700 years - think today's USA), Venice is every bit as charming and awe-inspiring as it appears in all photos showing its magnificence.    * The only way to and from Venice is via water transportation (water-buses, water-taxis, speedboats and gondolas).