Venice

Can you imagine a city where the streets splash and shimmer. Instead of cars going vroom vroom, you hear the gentle lap-lap of water against colorful buildings. The houses look like they are growing right out of the sea, painted in happy shades of pink, yellow, and blue. Long, quiet boats glide by, looking like smiling bananas on the water. It’s a magical, watery world. I am Venice, the city that floats.

Long, long ago, people needed a safe and special place to build their homes. They found little islands in a big, sparkling lagoon and had a super clever idea. The ground was soft and squishy, so they took big, strong wooden posts, like giant tree trunks, and pushed them deep, deep down into the mud. They did this over and over, building a strong floor under the water. It was like building with giant blocks. Then, on top of this strong floor, they built their beautiful houses, palaces, and churches. That’s why I don’t have roads for cars. My streets are shimmering canals of water, and people travel everywhere in long, graceful boats called gondolas. Friendly gondoliers push the boats along with one big oar and sometimes they even sing beautiful songs.

Today, my watery wonderland is full of joy and music. I love it when people visit from all over the world. They laugh and smile as they ride in my gondolas and cross my little arching bridges. Sometimes, we have a big party called Carnival. Everyone wears sparkly masks and amazing costumes and we dance and celebrate together. I am a special city built with teamwork and bright ideas. I love sharing my watery home and showing everyone that even the trickiest challenges can lead to something wonderful and beautiful. I am here to remind you that with a clever idea, you can build a dream anywhere.