One Winter Weekend

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A fter breakfast they set out to see the sights.

Naomi had read plenty of guidebooks on Venice before they had left, taking meticulous notes in a small notebook to carry in her purse, but nothing could have prepared her for the reality of the city.

The narrow stone side streets felt almost like hidden passageways, beckoning to visitors with the promise that they might lead to some secret location. Even with the winter chill, the canals were a sight to see, with gondolas gliding past and colourfully attired gondoliers calling out to each other as they went. Everywhere there were strings of Christmas lights and oversized decorations for the upcoming festivities.

Wandering through the streets and over the stone bridges that crisscrossed the canals, Naomi felt like she was melting away into another time and place entirely. Shop windows with signs in Italian and English advertised blown glass, Venetian masks, and leather goods. They stopped to browse in a few shops and when Naomi admired a hand-blown glass Christmas ornament, Max promptly bought it for their tree back home. She eagerly pressed her face to the windows of other shops, admiring the handiwork within even though she couldn’t decipher most of the signs.

There were plenty of other tourists about, but as she strolled hand in hand with her husband, Naomi was starting to feel like it was just the two of them. Max seemed happy to find plenty of streets that could be walked rather than toured by boat, and he was starting to relax.

Italian music drifted from shops and trattorias as tourists entered or exited, holding the doors open just long enough for the sounds and smells within to escape onto the street. There was an intoxicating blend of spices, perfumes, leather, food, and wine in the air, and it fueled Naomi’s excitement at seeing the city.

According to her guidebooks, one of the must-see attractions in the city was the Piazza san Marco, or St. Mark’s Square, which was bordered by several attractions: St. Mark’s Basilica, the Doge’s Palace, a historic clock tower, and a bell tower of impressive height, the tallest building in the city. Naomi had planned ahead and booked a multi-attraction ticket and tours, so they could take in all of the sights in one day.

She had no intention of missing out on anything so magnificent; after all, who knew when they might be able to take a trip like this again?