Only half hear my husband when he says that going to Venice would be a mind-blowing experience because of water. I just look at him and shrug – how can water be such a big deal? Okay so people move around in gondolas, wear this red or blue-ribboned sombrero and serenade you with romantic ballads. Surely that happens in some part of the city, but what about the lovely churches with their enormous museums with their original paintings from the 14^th and 15^th centuries, historical buildings, and how about the much photographed square, the San Marco De Piazza, where I’d heard pigeons come and eat corn from your hands? Well…I saw that he had a point about the water.

Sure I walked through the museum, gaping open-mouthed at the beautiful frescoes and paintings and the Ca Pesaro with its fascinating collection of Venetian paintings, including contemporary works. But it was the water that had me gasping.

Imagine entire city submerged within 15 feet or more of the Adriatic Sea, actually and the only means of transport from one place to another, even if it is to buy veggies every other day, is to take a boat – a gondola is used mainly to navigate smaller bylanes which may have shallow waters of just five to ten feet. And no, for those wondering the city does not have any kind of stench because of water.

Gliding through water

In the evening I decide to explore the waterways, and board the Grand Canal Boat Tour at the Plazza San Marco with a group of five foreigners. But the trip on a smart vaporetti done up in leather upholstery, and wooden inlay work, is a good way to learn about the city for a first timer as it introduces you to the evolution of Venice’s important streets, palaces, churches and bridges. Luciana, out hotel in white capris, dark glasses and a tee, serves us a glass of Prosecco wine, light champagne like wine, which is very pleasant.

The weather changes rather quickly in Venice, and I hear everyone warning each other about carrying an umbrella. The ride to Murano Island is less than 20 minutes long, and we get down at the entrance, and are ushered by many gentlemen into the main factory. We watch the workers deftly cajole, seduce and mould glass into tiny animals like cats, horse, and dolphins. But it’s just all are nothing; the real work is on chandeliers.

Burano island, my next stop and again by a water taxi, is windy, picturesque and very green. There are tourists everywhere, and all the tiny shops crammed, check my jowl side by side, are selling lace tablecloth, lace pocket fans and umbrellas, hand-woven tapestries, lace curtains and lace jewelry pouches. Lots of people earn their livelihood by creating some of the lovely article here.

If you’re the kind who’d like to take a bit of Venice back home, try and skip the tourist spots, and just walk around the city in a pair of sturdy sneakers. The streets are lined with interesting little shops that sell everything from colorful glass butterflies, wooden cats, porcelain dolls, Venetian masks, wooden puppets, stationery, baby shoes, and designer wear; sample some of the delicious pastries and the cheese.

If you are a first-timer in the heart of Venice island, there’s one thing you just can’t avoid – getting lost I did a couple of times, when I went in search of the best pizza, and came back dizzy. Unlike other cities, this one is set within a labyrinth of bylanes that open and end onto bridges, the pizza or the Grand Canal. So, even if you’re armed with a map, do carry the address of your hotel, and a phone number if you can, as back-up. You can recognize the tourists, mostly Americans, poring over the local map, from the locals in Venice – the locals never get lost!