Hi, it’s Ana here! I recently went to Venice, Italy and wanted to share with you my travel journey. Travel journals are a great way of capturing the memories of the trip- you can save your musem tickets, photographs, napkins in which you scribbled on- everything that reminds you of your journey.
I have my own travel journal, one of our illustrated brand notebooks. For today's post I made a digital one but I hope to inspire you to keep a real one- I promise you, it will be worth it!
Day 1
We are approaching Venice on the train and the lagoon looks calm, coloured a gentle shade of blue. We embarked on a train in Paris this morning with a quick stop in Milan. European train travel carries with it intrinsic glamour reminiscent of an by gone era when people dressed up for dinner every day.
It’s early September and it’s hot in Venice. My suitcase is full of romantic dresses, couple of shirts and tailor shorts and a tweed jacket for evenings. I’ve got flat sandals and two pairs of heels (be it kitten heels) for the evenings. I also packed my travel journal, camera and a tiny notebook for jugging down thoughts and notes.
Day 2
There’s a smell of coffee coming through the open window and we venture outside, looking for breakfast. We are in the Canareggio, former quarter of butchers and bakers. The smell of pastry and fresh coffee leads me to a nearby cafe. Coming from France, I’m no stranger to sweet breakfasts and occasional weekend croissants but Italian cornetti is in a league of its own. Sweet, flaky pastry filled with vanilla cream- I devour one at the counter and take two more just for myself. They are both gone within the next 30 minutes.
But for all the beauty around me I feel a little lost in- what I think- is the gentle glamour if the city. I’ve just returned from summer of sailing racing dinghies, full of memories of adventures and sailing milestones. I love the fast, aggressive pace of sailing boats and I'm still feeling fuelled by adrenaline. I swapped my wet suit for romantic dresses and sailing boots for Chanel mules and and for a little while, the city feels like an uncomfortable coat, too tight and structured when all I want is to experience the expanse of the Atlantic again.
And then I notice them- the boats. They are everywhere. Old school, glamorous Riva motorboats, glamorous skin polished wood and silver fittings, city water busses, sailing yachts in the marina across St Marco square and even a tiny sailing club with it’s fleet of racing dinghies hugging the side of St Giorgio Maggiore.
And suddenly, I feel like I belong here. The city feels at once familiar and unknown, making me experience being on the water from different perspective. Until now, it was fast and sporty but here it's charming and romantic, and full of old world glamour. It feels so different yet so perfect. My Chanel mules make perfect sense now.
Day 3
Everyone is so chic here. Women are stylish in simple, well cut dresses in classic colours. Their style reminds me of classic Italian movies; plethora of full skirts, white shirts and cigarette pants. Later in Rome I see much more Versace style bling, but here in Venice, quiet luxury reigns supreme.
Men are stylish too, so effortlessly elegant in their loose linen shirts, chinos and sunglasses. One morning we are sailing to Burano island when I catch a sight of a motor boat passing us by. A man behind the wheel is wearing white loose shirt with rolled up sleeves and aviator sunglasses. A little girls next to him holds a pink backpack on her lap. “What a way to travel” - I think and I can really see myself living here where part of city life happens on the water. I can see myself in a white shirt behind the wheel of a Riva motorboat, exploring silent corners of the lagoon.
Day 7
I’m standing at the back of vintage Riva motor boat, wearing white dress with full skirt and tan, leather accessories. As I adjust large dark sunglasses (Jackie O, one of my favourite models by Ryan) I reflect on the lifelong connection I feel I forged with Venice. She dazzled me with her hues and her architecture, she made fall in love with the way of life, the boats and her subtle wshipers- of elegance and grace.
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