What to do in Venice, Italy – Part Five

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Take a Gondola ride in Venice, it’s a must!

You can haggle for the price of riding a gondola in Venice and you can also determine the length of your ride as well (which will inevitably affect the price). But seeing the city of Venice by boat, and not on a crowded water bus, is a requirement to truly experience the city. Plus, gondoliers will tell you about the city and point out historical buildings (part of their training) and they most likely will sing for you as well.

To give you an idea of the price for a gondola ride – a 30 minute ride is about 80 euros.

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The modern day gondola design was developed in the 19^th century. In the early 20^th century, gondolas had small cabins on them for passengers to sit in and more then one rower.

Gondolas are hand made and made up of 280 pieces of 8 different types of wood. Gondoliers are trained in not only rowing, but languages, and knowing Venetian history. My first ride in a gondola, it was rowed by a third generation gondolier!

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Tip for riding boats in Venice – Taking a private water taxi is well worth it as well. With a private water taxi you do not have the crowds of people. You can also haggle a bit on the price.

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Like the above photo of gondolas in Venice, Italy? Click here for Monica Goslin Photography to purchase a print and see more photos of Venice!

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–> See previous posts for tips on when to visit the Doge’s Palace, why you should go up the Bell Tower in St. Mark’s Square, and find more travel tips for Venice, Italy!

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–>See previous posts for information on visiting St. Mark’s Basilica, when to visit the Doge’s Palace, why you should go up the Bell Tower and more travel tips on Venice, Italy.

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Getting Lost in Venice, Italy

Other then the main sights of Venice, it is certainly worth it to wander around and get lost (just make sure you have a map for when you do lose your way). You will see more of the city and get away from the crowds if you wander off of the beaten path.

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Even the locals get lost in Venice – I went to Venice for Carnival one year and the hotel ended up being overbooked, but they kindly found a new hotel for me and the doorman set off to show me how to get to the new hotel. After taking a few left turns and crossing a couple of bridges, I realized he was lost. The doorman of the hotel asked a few locals for directions, even a few tourists pitched in, and everyone would look at the map and suggest a different route which always included crossing a bridge. In the end we found the hotel but needless to say anyone can get lost in Venice.

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See more photos of Venice, Italy by Monica Goslin by clicking here.

What to see in Venice – Part Four

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4 – Rialto Bridge – Another must see location in Venice! It is always extremely crowded but obviously worth the visit. For my first visit to Venice, 9 years ago (wow! How time flies!), the bridge was crowded but I remember the stores having more original products (and I seem to remember food stands with fresh fruit as well), this time around it was much more touristy. The bridge creates a steady stream of foot traffic, so if you have kids keep a tight hold on their hands.

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- A brief history of The Rialto Bridge – The Rialto Bridge is a foot bridge that crosses the Grand Canal. In 1255 a wooden bridge was built, with a movable section for tall ships to pass through, and two rows of stores were added to either side. The wooden bridge was damaged in a fire and collapsed on two different occasions before a stone bridge was considered and finally built and completed in 1591. So today you walk across a bridge that has stretched across the Grand Canal and provided goods and stores for over 400 years!

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*The photo in this post shows a group of tourists taking to the Grand Canal and passing under the Rialto Bridge via surfboards?! A new fun and inventive way to see Venice! — Purchase this photo as a print or see more at Monica Goslin Photography by clicking here.

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What to see in Venice – Part Three

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San Marco Square – you can’t go to Venice and miss this central square. From the square you visit the main attractions of Venice:

(To read about St. Marks Basilica or the Bell Tower in St. Mark’s Square read previous posts).

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3 – The Doge’s Palace – The beautiful Gothic palace in Venice is a must see.

The Doge Palace that you see today was constructed in the 14^th century with some reconstruction after a fire in 1577. The palace was not only the ducal residence but also held political meetings and institutions of the Republic of Venice.

The prisons are right next to the palace, separated by a canal. You can visit a small portion of the prison cells by walking on the bridge that connects the palace to the prison. This bridge was built in the 16^th century and was named by Lord Byron “the Bridge of Sighs.” It was Byron who suggested that the prisoners sighed as they crossed the bridge and entered their cells and left their freedom behind.

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- Fun Fact – Legend states that if you kiss under the “Bridge of Sighs” at sunset while riding in a gondola you will be granted everlasting love (insert scene from “A Little Romance;” if you haven’t seen the movie you should!).

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Tip for seeing the Doge Palace – A visit to the museum takes at least a couple of hours. I recommend you make your visit in the late afternoon as the museum is open until 7pm in the summer (open until 5pm in the winter). Tickets are about 16 Euros. The ticket office closes an hour before the Palazzo closes.

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* To see more photos of Venice, Italy click here for Monica Goslin Photography for stock images you can buy! — If you like the photo of the Doge’s Palace in this post you can purchase it from the Monica Goslin Photography.

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What to see in Venice – Part Two

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San Marco Square – you can’t go to Venice and miss this central square. From the square you visit the main attractions of Venice:

(To read about the famous bell tower in St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy – read the previous post).

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2 – St. Mark’s Basilica – The Basilica dominates one end of San Marco Square and the outside is just as elaborately decorated as the inside.

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Quick history and fun facts about St. Mark’s Basilica:

- The church was originally the chapel of the Doge until 1807.

- The Byzantine mosaics have lent a nickname to the church – “Church of gold” or “Chiesa d’Oro”

- The church construction dates back to the 9^th century with of course many reconstructions and additions. Most of the mosaics are attributed to the 13^th century although the exterior mosaics are mostly from the 19^th century.

- The horses are bronze replicas of the originals which are in the St. Mark’s Museum. The original horses are from the mid-13^th century.

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What to know when visiting St. Mark’s Basilica – Allow for a good amount of time to visit the Basilica which is free to enter but can have a long line/wait to get in.

*Make sure your shoulders are covered ladies. For those with bare shoulders you can buy a papery poncho at the door for a Euro, otherwise you are not allowed in! This dress-code for churches and cathedrals is standard practice in Italy and Spain and most other European countries.

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Photo tip – To get that golden light on the front of St. Mark’s Basilica be at San Marco Square about two hours before sunset. Early morning golden sun will be on the opposite side of the square.

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- Like the photo featured in this post? You can purchase the photo of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy as a canvas print, framed photo, or print. Click here for The Monica Store!

* To see more photos of Venice, Italy click here for Monica Goslin Photography for stock images you can buy!

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Visiting Venice, Italy

Venice, Italy is one of the most popular travel destinations. Whenever I think of Venice I think of the movie “A Little Romance,” one of my favorite films. The city really is the epitome of romance with its Gothic architecture, the canals, bridges, grand villas, and gondolas.

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When to travel to Venice – This past year was my first time visiting the city in the summer, my other visits have been in the winter and during Carnival. I must say I would stick to keeping Venice as a winter travel location as the summer draws even more crowds; plus the heat is unbearable and shade is hard to find as there are so few trees in Venice.

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What to see in Venice, Italy – Part One

San Marco Square – you can’t go to Venice and miss this central square. From the square you visit the main attractions of Venice:

1 – St. Marks Campanile – the bell tower on San Marco Square. You can take an elevator up to the top where the five bells are located and get wonderful views of the city and on a clear day you can see the other islands including Murano. Ticket price is 8 Euros (as of summer 2011).

A little history of the bell tower in Venice – The tower dates back to the Romans and was repeatedly worked on and reconstructed after several fires, damages from an earthquake, etc. In 1902 the tower completely collapsed into ruble! It took ten years for the tower to be reconstructed in its original form.

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- Fun Fact about the bell tower in Venice – Each of the five bells was wrung for a specific purpose: to announce the beginning and end of the work day, to announce noon, to mark a session of the Senate as well as to call members to meetings, and to announce executions.

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The next post will be about St. Mark’s Basilica with fun facts, photo tips and more!

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– To purchase the photo featured in this post of Venice, Italy visit The Monica Store by clicking here!

** See more photographs of Venice, Italy by clicking here for Monica Goslin Photography for stock images you can buy!

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Swedish Design

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Where to shop in Stockholm, Sweden

Swedish design is impeccable and recognized for being innovative, well thought out, and environmentally conscious. Walking around Stockholm you will see wonderful window displays, carefully laid out products, and well planned stores (see the photo above for one example!). I recommend stopping into a variety of stores and just having a look at how everything is set up, even if you don’t buy anything.

These are just a few from an endless list of amazing stores in Stockholm, Sweden! I plan to go back and do more research on this front (one day)!

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1- Designtorget – A fun store with contemporary yet functional items from notebooks, cups, placemats, and more all designed by well-known and up-coming designers. Click here for the Designtorget store website. There are six Designtorget stores within Stockholm, one located right in the Old Town.

2- DesignHouse – A store full of contemporary classics with a twist. DesignHouse Stockholm has clothing, porcelain, and more. There is a Design House store located on Norrmalmstorg square. Click here to see the DesignHouse Stockholm website

3 – Svenskt Tenn – This store is full of houseware, fabrics, and furniture and elegantly displayed. The store was founded in 1924 with a focus on pewter but widened its product range in the 1930’s. The store has a partnership with Josef Frank, a Viennese architect and designer. One of the most recognized products is the elephant pattern fabric which is not only adorable but a vintage design from the 1930’s, and which you can buy by the meter or in the store as it has been used to make a variety of products from aprons to bags and even trays. To see the famous “elefant” pattern at the Swedish store click here.

For the official Svenskt Tenn store website click here.

4- H&M – Of course stopping into an H&M store is a must.

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For a useful list of store to see and visit in Stockholm click here for the official tourism website list. 

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** To see more photos of Stockholm click here for Monica Goslin Photography for my stock photography website where you can buy prints, canvas photos, and more!

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The iconic Swedish horse – The Dalecarlian Horse – Dala Horse

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Travel around Sweden and you will see replicas of a small wooden horse lining shelves in stores and ready to become your souvenir.

The official name of the little stallion is “The Dalecarlian Horse” or “Dala horse.” The horses where originally carved as toys for children and based on the trusted and reliable farmstead animal. The toy horse grew to become the symbol of Sweden.

The earliest reference of a sale of the Dala horse is 1624!

The horses are painted today with traditional patterns and still made by hand from pine.

The smallest wooden horse can be found in most stores in Stockholm and sells for about forty US dollars. – You can see the horse pictured on the flags in the photo above.

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Carl Larsson – Swedish painter and interior designer

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About Carl Larsson:

-       Carl Larsson was a Swedish painter and interior designer in the late 19^th century, early 20^th century.

-       Larsson was admitted into the Royal Swedish Academy of Arts at the age of 13 and by age of 16 he gained recognition for his drawing talents. Larsson worked for a few newspapers as a caricaturist and as an illustrator for books and magazines. Larsson moved to Paris in 1877 where he met his future wife, Karin (also an artist) at a Scandinavian artist colony just outside Paris.

-       Carl Larsson and his wife had eight children.

-       Larsson’s family became his inspiration – he painted many family scenes from the kids playing dress-up to family picnics.

-       In 1909 a German publisher created a book of Larsson’s drawings, which became one of the publishers bestsellers and helped to increase interest in Larsson’s work.

-       Carl Larsson also created many murals for public buildings and schools.

-       Midvinterblot – one of the murals in the main hall of the central staircase in the Nationalmuseum was completed in 1915 and is actually a very controversial painting. The painting is based on a Norse mythology of the Swedish king Domalde who sacrificed himself in order to prevent a famine. Larsson considered the work to be one of his best. Critics thought the painting might have political undertones or lacked historical authenticity and therefore it wasn’t until 1997 that the painting was finally accepted and installed in the museum! (The photo above is of one of the murals in the National Museum in Stockholm, Sweden where you can see some of his paintings as well).

-       You can visit Carl Larsson’se house in Sundborn, which is now a museum. The town is quite a distance from Stockholm however, and not a feasible day trip from the city (as I found out). So my next trip to Stockholm will surely include a visit to his house! For the link to the Carl Larsson house museum in Sundborn click here.

-       Carl Larsson’s work is very detailed and rich in color and it shows Swedish traditions from the clothes to the design and customs (such as Christmas celebrations with the girls wearing the wreaths with candles on their heads). Larsson painted a lot of scenes of his family in their home, so you see traditional Swedish painting and architecture (many of the rooms were designed by Larsson himself).

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What to see and do in Stockholm – Museums Part TWO

These are museums you shouldn’t miss while in Stockholm. The key is to pay attention to opening hours. I was surprised to find that even though summer days are longer in Stockholm (light until about 10 or 10:30pm) that museum hours were still short, typically 10 or 11am to 5pm. I did find it a bit difficult to get to everything in a few days, but if you have 3 days, make sure you get to see these museums:

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1 – Skansen – This is an open-air museum with examples of houses and farmsteads from all over Sweden, similar concept to Williamsburg in the U.S. This is a great child friendly activity as the park has a zoo, is out doors so kids can run all over the place, and offers a lot of entertainment.

Tips for visiting Skansen:

-       The park is full of different houses that you can visit and enter to view traditional home and décor or see craftsmen at work in the glass studio, bakery (stop there for excellent taste samplings of Swedish breads), pottery, furniture making and more. To see the houses you have to get to the houses before 5pm.

-       The park itself does not close until 8pm (the main entrance is still open until 8pm, other entrances close at 4pm).

-       After 5pm when the houses close go visit the zoo and eat at one of the restaurants.

-       Check the list of activities and performances – I recommend seeing the folk dancers who wear beautiful traditional costumes.

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2 – Nationalmuseum – The National Museum hold Sweden’s largest collection of art. The museum has a collection of work by Carl Larsson and the main entrance hall is decorated with murals by the artist, as well as the upper floor murals by the staircase. (Read more about Carl Larsson in another blog post coming soon!). The museum also has an excellent museum store.

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3 – Nordiska Museum – If you are interested in traditional crafts, furniture, and costumes, this is a must see museum. Allow for a couple of hours to visit the museum which has a great collection and I highly recommend the museum café as well! Pop into the museum shop for a souvenir – great books on fashion and a nice collection of children’s toys and books.

* Tip – Recommended day itinerary for Stockholm -  The Nordiska museum is close to Skansen and the Vasa Museum. In order to economize your time I recommend going to the Vasa Museum just when it opens, then going to the Nordiska Museum (including lunch in the museum cafe) and then spend the rest of the afternoon and evening at Skansen. This is a feasible itinerary for a day in Stockholm but you do have to watch the clock to make sure you get it all in.

Read about the Vasa Museum in “Stockholm – Museums Part One”

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4 – City Hall of Stockholm – This building is supposed to be spectacular, and I say supposed to be because I unfortunately did not make it to City Hall on my visit. The City Hall has a red tower that has lent to it becoming a distinctive landmark, built in the early1900’s. You can only visit the City Hall with a guided tour.

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** To see more photos of Stockholm and the outdoor park of Skansen, click here for Monica Goslin Photography for my stock photography website where you can buy prints, canvas photos, and more!