VENICE - ITALY Built entirely on water by men who dared
defy the sea, Venice is like no other place in
the world. No matter how many times you have seen
it in movies or TV commercials, the real thing
is more dreamlike than you could ever imagine.
Its most famous buildings, the Basilica di San
Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, seem hardly Italian:
delightfully idiosyncratic, they're exotic mixes
of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles.
Shimmering sunlight and silvery mist soften every
perspective here, making it easy to understand
how the city became renowned in the Renaissance
for its artists' rendering of color. It's a place
full of secrets, inexpressibly romantic, and at
times given over entirely to pleasure.
Venetian magic can still linger when
you retire for the night, whether you're staying
in a grand hotel or budget find. Many Venetian
hotel rooms are swathed in brocades and glitter
with Murano chandeliers, and even in the less
grand pensioni you stand a chance of finding antiques,
Oriental carpets, and a canal view. No satellite
TV to keep you company? Just open the window and
listen to the gondoliers' serenades or watch the
ebb and flow of city life in the campo below. There are hotels in Venice catering to
all tastes and price ranges. Deluxe and upscale
hotels are often filled with antiques and art
collections and retain much of the feel of the
past, with coffered ceilings, frescoes, stucco,
and fireplaces in the best rooms.
