I'm gone but haven't forgotten Venice yet.

I know I already sorta said my goodbyes to Venice, but it is still with me, and I almost feel like I need to go back there (my Italian home). I was there long enough to finally kinda get the hang of it, or at least as much as a traveler there for three days could. My biggest tip/item to remember that I never saw written anywhere: grab the free map from the hotel desk and literally draw your route on it. You will still get lost, but not as badly as without it. Don't pay attention to street names unless it is a last resort; first use churches and the little canal bridges as your guide. Example: You know you are going the right way if there is a church and small square one street on the left after the bridge. Draw your route as many times as you can on that map, and then ask for another free map. I kinda feel like a genius for thinking of and doing this, but hey, call a duck a duck! ;)
Venice is really cool at like 8 in the morning. The tourists are not out yet, but the Venetians are. Deliveries are being made, shops are getting ready, and people are filling the corner coffee bars for a morning cappuccino (the only time Italians drink it). My hotel room was above and adjacent to shops, and I liked the sound of the Venice getting started in the morning: hand trucks rumbling, streets being swept, whistling delivery men...besides the vaporettos, the only boats out and about are making deliveries of fruits, vegetables, paper, removing the garbage...boats, hand trucks, and shoulders do it all.

Sides of beef and pork being delivered to a butcher

Construction workers dumping the refuse from a demolition

trash collection being brought to the side of the canal

Things are expensive here - it makes sense when everything is brought in by hand. The food is not cheep at all, so make sure you eat well to make it worth it - find a non-tourist vaporetto stop, one where only three or four people are getting off and on at, and wander the back streets until you come across a restaurant and eat there. If St. Mark's, a museum, the train station, or the like is nearby, don't say I didn't warn you (it will still be overpriced and it won't be that great - think food at Disneyland). Or use the map tip and go off of a recommendation. And don't buy the first set of earrings or scarf you see that you like. Chances are very high you will see the exact same item a few canals over for less. If you don't see your item again for a better price, go back to the original store and snatch it up!  There are masks everywhere (worn during Carnival in March). If masks are what you are after, the unique, locally made ones are over 50 Euro. The Chinese ones will be cheaper if you hold out long enough.

Murano and Barano are charming. A short 10 minute vaparetto ride will get you to Murano, and a relaxing, great-chance-to-take-a-snooze-while-resting-your-feet 30 minutes more will get you to Burano. They are also really touristy on a smaller scale...be patient, expect it, and buy yourself another gelato.  And as I previously recommended, keep looking, and if you don't see your treasured keepsake in another store for a better price, go back to the original store and snag it up. Souvenirs aside, they are cute communities and a nice change of scenery if Venice is getting to ya.

Murano is known for it's glassmaking:

grocery shopping with mom

...while Burano is known for its lace making and colorful houses:

The next time I am in Italy, I will stop in Venice.  I will stay for at least three nights.  I will continue my explorations where I left off.  I will remember, and add to those memories.

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