The Sights & Sounds of Venice

Venice was an interesting experience and one that would stay with me forever. The amalgamation of culture and modernity in one little city amuses me so much. If I ever get to visit this city again, I would love to come during the Carnival of Venice, a festival where people come together dressed up in decadent Venetian costumes and masks for a parade. It is said that about 3 million visitors visit Venice during this time.

Here are some pictures of the Carnival of Venice…

 http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/365-photos/costume-ball-venice-italy/

The 18th-century costumes of guests add to the opulence of the Ballo Tiepolo, a Carnival ball held in Venice's Palazzo Pisani Moretta. The palace, originally built in the 15th century, sits on the Grand Canal.

http://weheartit.com/entry/10681636

http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photo-of-the-day/carnival-venice-cafe/

http://worldalldetails.com/Pictureview/1714-Carnival_in_Venice_Venice_Italy_Masks_24.html

http://www.art.com/products/p13572791-sa-i2494357/bruno-morandi-small-dog-in-carnival-costume-venice-carnival-venice-veneto-italy.htm

Oops, I didn’t mean to sidetrack! (Sorry, couldn’t help but post those pictures!) Back to where we were…here are some pictures we took on our trip to Venice. Enjoy!

Vendors selling their wares (bags, toys etc.) by the streets.

Colorful pastas for sale!!

Marigold?

Us by the Grand Canal.

Some shops sell real cheap glass accessories. Not too sure if they are authentic Murano glass or are they simply of inferior quality...

Mask shops are everywhere.

Taking some time to enjoy the view...

It was raining on the day of our tour...so we took shelter at a nearby restaurant and sang a rain song to chase away the bad weather! Thankfully, the skies cleared up and we could continue with our tour.

During a bad downpour, the streets will be so badly flooded that people have to walk on tables to get around!

Piazza San Marco.

For the shopaholics!

Intricate masks made of metal parts.

Trying on a mask to see if J still recognized me. Of course he did!

Do you see the mask with the long beak? That's a Medico della Peste Mask, which also means the Plague Doctor Mask. In the 17th century, this mask style was adopted by French physician, Charles de Lorme, as a precautionary measure while treating plague victims.

This store had one of the widest varieties of masks!

To identify an authentic Venetian mask, flip to the back of it and make sure that you spot a certificate of authentication. This authentic Venetian mask even has the signature of its maker. 

Venetian masks vary in texture and material. And prices can range from a dollar to hundreds of dollars per mask! Our main concern was whether the mask could withstand the rough handling of the bag checkers at the airport if we checked it in. The sales lady of the store we got our mask from assured us that the masks will not break and can even bend for a better fit! I tried bending the mask I happened to be holding and was amazed at its durability. The secret material used is paper mache. 

There were way too many masks to choose from and we were initially attracted to the lace appliqué ones. But those we realized were mass manufactured. Besides, the ones we initially shortlisted had beautiful lace designs but poor quality plastic gems. So we continued our hunt and finally found a beautiful black and gold mask with intricate detailing and swavroski crystals that was hand-made by a mask connoisseur with many years of experience. It's a pity I don't have a picture of the mask we bought but the three masks in the middle (of the picture above) look very similar to the design we bought.

I absolutely love the taste of meringues! Got myself the pink one to accompany me on my train ride to Milan.