I originally was cautious about my visit to Venice because I had heard nothing but the worst about the city - that it was smelly, crowded, and touristy. I knew that I had to see it, especially since it faces the danger of slowly sinking into the sea, but I didn't expect to fall in love with the place. There was also a huge storm that was forecasted to arrive during our stay, so by the time we arrived I had written off really experiencing the place and tried my best to look forward to watching movies in our hotel.

However, I woke up before the alarm was supposed to go off to a clear and sunny morning. I checked the forecast and saw that the storm was now supposed to arrive at 1pm! I headed out as fast as I could to catch Venice at its most photogenic. Maybe it was the unexpectedly nice weather, but I felt the magical quality of the place as soon as I stepped outside. I loved watching all of the workers get ready for the day as I made my way towards St. Mark's. I also took a ton of amazing pictures as the walkways were not crowded yet. I was truly in awe. Each bridge, alleyway, and canal was different and waiting to be explored.

St. Mark's square was also incredible, especially in the early morning when the famous cafes were still setting up shop. The open space of the square is really impressive, especially compared to the narrow alleyways of the rest of the city. The wealth of the old Doges impresses even to this day. I wandered around some more after taking in the square and waited for my friend to wake up and join me for a look inside St. Mark's Basilica. The church was opulent and one of the most memorable cathedrals we visited on our trip. It reminded me of pictures that I have seen of the Hagia Sofia.

We then took one of the waterbuses for a ride around the city, which I recommend for anyone, especially if you cannot afford the price of a gondola. Although the speed and the noise of the waterbus was not as romantic as the gondola, we still had an excellent time viewing the city from the Grand Canal.

After our trip around the canal where we even got to see the parking lot (I loved discovering the logistics behind maintaining this city), we wandered around in the alleys for a few hours before the storm arrived in earnest and we had to head back to our hotel. Although I would have loved even more time to poke around the city I am glad that I was able to see what I did. Getting up early, even if for me it was an accident, was the best way to experience the city. I can see why other people have gotten frustrated if they did not make it a point to get up before the cruise ship crowds inundate the place. But as for me, Venice makes it to my personal top list of World Heritage Sites.