Venice captivates with its magnificence: canals, gondolas, bridges, buildings, timeless wonders

Gondolas line the canals of Venice, offering rides with serenades and views you won't see anywhere else.

SAVOR THE SIGHTS, SOUNDS OF ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ELEGANT CITIES

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

"The Carpe Diem Kids"

VENICE MAY be sinking inch by inch, but her allure rises each year.

 So popular is the classic Italian destination -- with its gondolas,  piazzas and bridges -- that the city started charging an entry fee -- a so-called tourist tax.

Bruce Keller and Christene "Cookie" Meyers enjoy a ride on the canals of Venice.

It is aimed at the influx of day-trippers to discourage crowds a bit.

We found on a recent return visit, that Venice still captivates with its magnificence. the crowds are increasing, but so is our fascination with this unique and beautiful city.

We happily paid the fee of five euros, which allowed access for the day to Venice and the minor islands of the Venetian Lagoon.

Repair is constant with Venetian Gothic architecture typical of Venice. Dozens of aging buildings reflect Byzantine and Islamic influence, reflecting Venice's vast trading network.

Venice indeed captivates with its magnificence. Our most recent Venice visit was between two Mediterranean cruises, and we wanted a day in a city which holds wonderful memories for each of us.

Venice represents the paradox of modern tourism as residents of this lovely city, and many other cities and islands, protest the influx of cruise ships and tour buses. They're tired of the crowds and all the inconvenience and damage that comes with the invasion of thousands of extra people. Yet, local businesses rely on the tourist trade, and we are tourists.

Water taxis are the way to see the most of Venice's magnificent architecture. Public transportation is also available on the larger vaporetti which run like ferries.

No more so than in Venice, where Napoleon entered in 1797. As he sipped a cognac in San Marco Square, he deemed it "the best drawing room in Europe."

We paid a fortune last trip for a gondola ride on the Grand Canal, but who can resist a gondolier singing snippets of Bizet and Puccini? Gondola rides run various prices, but figure at least $75 for 15 or 20 minutes of glorious viewing -- plus an aria! 

THE CITY'S public transport is the popular vaporetti -- water rides for the masses. They are much cheaper than private water taxis and move on frequent intervals along the Grand Canal. They also take visitors and locals to Lido, Murano, Burano and more.

A waiter serves bread and wine as a prelude to dinner on the Grand Canal. Venice waiters are among the world's best, true professionals who take pride in their profession and often serve well into old age.

VENICE IS a wonderful place to enjoy some of the world's great food and drink items.  We dropped by Harry's Bar, made famous by Ernest Hemingway, where the Bellini cocktail was born. We sipped this enticing blend of peach juice and prosecco. For appetizers at a cafe nearby, we ordered carpaccio, also born in Venice. You'll pay more to dine in one of the crowded restaurants of Piazza San Marco, but you won't have a better view of Venetian life. We enjoy the panoply of people visiting the city: lovers holding hands, teens with backpacks, businessmen in beautiful suits, parents with strollers, shoppers stopping for a coffee with canvas bags of bread, fruit, cheese, meat and wine. 

Italians love their bread, and dip it in olive oil -- with or without balsamic vinegar -- and sometimes a pinch of salt. We enjoyed sweet red peppers for a picnic, with a jar of mussels and slab of smooth, satisfying asiago cheese, asiago, named after a quaint nearby village. 

WE RETURNED TO  Venice's famous Peggy Guggenheim Museum Collection to admire her  personal collection, which includes favorite pieces by Picasso, Pollock, Calder and Dali. 

We wandered into her sculpture garden, and admired temporary exhibitions. all different than the ones we saw two years ago. The "art sharp" socialite was the daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, and inherited a half million dollars after the death of her father aboard the Titanic. She invested it in art.

You'll likely arrive by gondola or water taxi to Peggy Guggenheim's Museum with its world class collection.

We ended our day at the museum's enchanting sculpture garden with works of Arp, Duchamp-Villon, Fazzini, Giacometti, Holzer, and more. May we return, again and again, for who could grow tired of Venice? Samuel Johnson said when one tires of London, one tires of life. I'd say the same of glorious Venice. 

The architectural influence of England can be seen throughout the Falklands.  

UP NEXT: From the charms of Venice, and a train trek through the mountains of Italy and Switzerland, we head south to the famous islands off the tip of Argentina. We take readers to Islas Malvinas, the Falkland Islands, and explore the controversy. northeast of the southern tip of South America, the Falklands are made up of two main islands, East Falkland and West Falkland, plus 200 smaller islands. The influence of England is everywhere, but the islands have been contested and are known in Argentina as "Islas Malvinas." Prime fishing and delightful penguin viewing are among its attractions. We focus on Stanley on East Falkland. Meanwhile, remember to explore, learn and live and catch us weekly for a fresh spin on travel, nature, family, performance and more: www.whereiscookie.com