November 2025

This place tugs at my heart and I remain true to the promise I made to myself that I would one day set foot again on this romantic region of Italy — this time, to witness the sights and sounds with open arms, mind, and heart. What could possibly make this second visit so much more worthwhile than to do so in the lovely company of two long-time friends from secondary school back in our Southeast Asian hometown. We have been friends for decades, but have not really spent time together after we moved to America. One of them resides with her family in Northern California while the other, in Washington state. In celebration of our milestone birthdays this year, we decided to meet in Italy, and I was chuffed that Venice was one of our destinations.

The Italian locals held protests starting the summer of 2025. Therefore, my friends and I were uncertain whether to push forward with this holiday. However, with an abundance of caution, we all signed up for STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) program so that we can receive email updates and alerts from U.S. embassies and consulates while traveling abroad. My two friends were not convinced that it would be safe to travel, so we asked other friends who have either just returned from Italy or are sill holidaying there. In the end, from what our other friends were saying, we understood that the news that we were seeing on TV, social media, and the internet were, per usual, not quite accurate and rather blown out of proportion. Additionally, we did not want our booked non-refundable flights to go to waste.

This was my second visit to the City of Canals. The first one was twenty-three and a half years ago. Venice left a remarkable impression on me back then, and brought back good and not so good memories. So, this time around, I was determined to make incredible memories.

Piazza di San Marco

Venice, like any other major cities in Europe or around the world, has somehow caught up with the times, especially in terms of technology. However, its history dates from early medieval times and that old-world charm, in my opinion, endures. Prominent structures like the Palazzo Ducale and the Basilica di San Marco are among the few testaments to that. Venice is part of the UNESCO Heritage and it attracts millions of visitors every year.

We alighted at San Marco vaporetto station and our accommodations was a short walk from there. We treaded on cobblestoned roads, luggages in tow, as Siri helped us navigate through the crowd gathered around Basilica di San Marco which is our destination on day one of exploring Venice. We were cutting it close to our pre-booked tour and had just had enough time to check in, drop off our luggages, and quickly freshen up at the hotel before heading back out. There was a crowd, but it was not as awful as Rome’s or Florence’s which we visited earlier in the week.

Upon leaving the Basilica, I noticed that part of Piazza San Marco was barricaded. As always, my curiosity took over me. So, off I went to get as close as I could to what looked like a podium being set up. Through the wire barricade, I asked one of the men wearing reflective vests, helping to set up what were they preparing for. Thank goodness he spoke English! He politely informed me that the Università Ca’Foscari was holding their graduation ceremony there the following morning. I must confess that I find that very exciting — imagine marching to your own graduation ceremony at the historic Piazza di San Marco! My own graduation’s venue could not possibly compare! Anyhow, to my friends’ surprise, I was hell bent on witnessing part of the ceremony, haha!

On day two, we had plenty of time to kill prior to our pre-booked Gondola ride, so we decided to check out the oldest cafe in Venice, the Florian, just off Piazza San Marco. The atmosphere in and around the piazza was starting to buzz. Families, students, their friends and tourists were out and about for the pre-graduation ceremony coffee and breakfast. Some were walking around carrying wreaths of flowers. I happened to see someone wearing it on his head like a crown and a lightbulb in my head turned on, reminding me of Ovid’s poem which mentioned “rest on your laurels”, haha. I may not be of Roman descent, but it seems I have a tiny vault of ancient Roman literary works in my brain.

Perhaps what tug at my heart about this place is my love of history, Baroque and Renaissance architecture, the arts, sumptuous cuisine, and warm people - all of which Venice, with its alluring canals, has to offer.

Visiting in the summer would be tough not only because of the throngs of crowd, but also because the canals emit an unpleasant smell during warm weather. So, I’m really glad that my friends and I were visiting in November.

The canal network played a big part in the history of Venice and it is still the easiest way to navigate in and around this medieval city. It is amazing how the locals have adapted well from one generation to another through the centuries.

The beauty of Venice, as I have experienced, was that you could venture out anywhere on foot and, even if you could not seem to find your way, you would always end up discovering nice spots like quaint shops, cozy cafés, chapels tucked away from the hustle and bustle of markets, museums, etc. This was the last stop on our Italian getaway and we did a lot of catching up, talking about the good old days when we spent our adolescent days falling in love, getting heartbroken, losing loved ones along the way, and growing from lessons learned.

I started penning Flights of Wisdom in college as I reflected on my high school and college days and holding the thought that connection with people is the most important treasure one can ever have — building connections and relationships have been central to my growth. I am profoundly grateful for nurturing friendships with people near and far that remain timeless, honest, and genuine — a rare treasure indeed! And how does one make a connection? You communicate in whatever form you prefer. You make time for people. Talk even to strangers. My friends were surprised that often strangers talk to me throughout our trip and some tell me about their personal life after having just met me. I joked about having a sign on my forehead that says, “Tell me everything”. I truly believe that some people sense when you are genuinely interested to hear what they have to say and that is all you need to keep the conversation going. I speak to fellow travelers and locals alike whenever I travel. Perhaps I should write about those encounters at some point. In the meantime, cheers to friendships!

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For more photos of Venice, go to Captured Images - Venice
Watch more videos of my travel in Venice

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