Woke up this morning finally feeling refreshed. We’ve been getting up early almost every day for either a tour, or to get on the road to our next destination. With no real agenda for the day, we slept in, and barely made breakfast. We are glad we made it in time though. since (a) we had pre-paid for it and (b) breakfast was on the patio, overlooking the Grand Canal and Basilica di Santa Maria (on the south side of the Grand Canal). We are staying on the north side, where most of the action is, so can walk to most everywhere.
The main things to do in Venice are shop and site see. On the top of the site seeing list is St. Mark’s Square (San Marco), which was only a 10 minute walk for us. As expected, the square was packed with tourists, many from the numerous cruise ships that arrived in the port overnight. The square is beautiful, to be sure, with the square itself, the Campanili (tower) and church itself (St. Mark’s Basilica) forming a visual triangle that is quite impressive. Since both of us really enjoy European architecture, but care less about the churches and interiors, we opted to just explore the square and the exterior.
Getting around Venice is both easy (everything is walking distance) and complicated (there are innumerable alleyways and tiny streets, but only a few lead to bridges over the canals). We definitely managed to get lost a few times, but eventually made our way to wherever we were going. We still don’t have our clothes from our Air France flight, so two of our most important stops were at H&M and Zara for some basic clothes. We also treated each other to anniversary gifts (year three is traditionally leather) at Furla.
Venice is also a great city to eat and drink. Since we were out and about and only really had one day to explore, we opted not to have a long, sit-down lunch. Instead we got some “to go” pasta from Dal Moro’s. Although there was a long line (great Trip Advisor reviews), the line moved quickly and the pasta (mushroom alfredo and Bolognese) was amazing. It’s served in a container like Chinese take-out and you can just eat as you go! Our next stop was at Harry’s bar, an old Hemingway hang out and creator of the bellini champagne cocktail. Harry’s was a hang-out for many famous visitors over the years and has become an institution in Venice. Very touristy and expensive, but worth it for a drink to say you’ve been there.
After walking around some more and resting for a bit, we took the traditional gondola ride along the canals. Our oarsman/driver/guide gave us a quick history of Venice, as he guided us through the canals and under the bridges. As we entered back into the Grand Canal, to drop us off, a storm started brewing, pushing the Grand Canal back into the smaller canal that we were in. Our gondolier was really straining against the current (we thought we’d have to get out on a random patio), but managed to push through and get us back to our hotel safely.
Once back, we relaxed with a couple of Aperol Spritzes (the “official” drink of this trip so far) and then ate dinner at the Gritti Palace Restaurant. Like all things in Venice, it’s pricey, but the setting is great and the food was delicious (beef ravioli with bone marrow broth and saffron sea bass). Overall, we loved Venice, but it’s a two day stop – max. Say you’ve been there; hit the highlights; stay somewhere nice and immerse yourself in the history of the city – but then move on. For us, it’s on to Croatia!