The Venetian island of Burano is famous for its multi-colored houses and for its lace. It's time to get your camera out, if you haven't already.

A short boat ride takes us from Venice to Murano, where they make some of the most beautiful glass in the world.

Marika takes us to the piazza where Marco Polo supposedly lived. But which house is it? She asks a local. The name of the square is Corte Seconda del Milion. Il Milion is the Italian name of the book, The Travels of Marco Polo.

Everyone has heard of St. Mark's Square, but Marika gives us some interesting tidbits of information and then takes us to a see a very special staircase.

Even if we have never been to Venice, we all know a gondola when we see one, but let's find out more about this elegant Venetian symbol.

Marika takes us to see a special statue, a fish market and two famous bridges.

In Venice, the concept of "streets" and "roads" is totally different from most other places in Italy, so there are some new words to learn that apply almost exclusively to this wonderful city. Marika does some show and tell to help us get the picture.

Marika shows us a famous bookshop in Venice. It's in a critical position with respect to the water level, so special precautions are taken to protect the books when there are high tides. Fascinating!

Marika takes us to Venice where we have a look around through her "eyes." We start out near the Doge's Palace.

Ancient culture merged with "modern" culture, especially after Constantine created the new capital of the Roman Empire, Constantinople. Near Matera in Basilicata, even caves built into the rock face became churches. The frescoes on those walls are quite stunning.