The Floating City……..Venice, Italy.
This is where it all began.
We landed on the shores of our highly anticipated destination on September 30th, 2019 at the Marco Polo Airport.
I have always been fascinated by this city of canals built on the unforgiving landscape of mud and sand. There are no roads in Venice, the transport system is solely based on waterways and canals.
The most famous of them is The Grand Canal thoroughfare.
There is so much to see in Venice!
Islands like Burano, known for its lace and brightly colored homes. Murano, with its locally crafted souvenirs and master glasswork, and Lido, home of the Venice Film Festival and spectacular beaches. And of course the main island of Venice with the famous monuments of St. Mark’s Basilica, Gothic Masterpiece Doge’s Palace and Saint Mark’s Square.
Two and a half days was not enough time to explore the city. But what we lacked in sightseeing we made up in fun and good times with some of the locals.
The views from the Ponte dell'Accademia bridge (photo above) is visually stunning during the day and at night it looks and feels magical, illuminated by vintage street lamps who’s golden light dances across the water.
Located near the southern end, it’s one of four bridges that cross the Grand Canal and no matter where you’re standing the panoramic views are a sight to see.
During the planning stages I still couldn’t imagine how it would look after landing at the airport. I researched how to get to our hotel about a million times and still was not confident about any of it. There were so many connecting points, timetables, distances and other transport options for hire, it all felt a little overwhelming but I decided to get a grip and trust in my information.
After collecting our luggage, we followed the signs in the airport that lead us to a train platform, it was a short ride through a tunnel to the Alilaguna Linea Arancio (orange line).
The picture above is a shot I took while waiting to board the boat. The Alilaguna is a cheaper public transportation option that takes anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour depending on your destination in Venice.
Once we boarded the Alilaguna, we were as giddy as school girls.
I don’t regret the public transportation option because it was fun to ride along side other travelers sharing their adventures.
I was beyond excited as we watched Venice welcome us upon its shores. The six photos below were taken during the boat ride.
We arrived at our waterbus stop called Sant’ Angelo ready to explore our new playground. Hotel Santo Stefano was located in Campo Santa Stefano. It was well reviewed, safe and central. The hotel reception were as cordial and polite in person as they were during our email exchanges. The hotel elevator was comically small and old school with the sliding gate and door. It was so small, only one of us with our luggage would fit at a time. I let Diana go first while I collected some maps and suggestions on where to eat from the front desk.
Campo Santa Stefano.
We scurried out of the hotel famished and thirsty for wine and adventure. The first photo is Ristorante Stefano. It was located right in front of our hotel. There was a striking looking waiter waving us over probably because we stood in between the hotel and restaurant contemplating which way to go. He showed us to a table in his section and took our order.
Me: I’ll have a white wine and calamari.
Diana: I’ll have a red wine and bruschetta.
This was our first taste of food and wine in Italy. Excuse me, Venice Italy. It was devine! I think the waiter took a liking to us and we felt comfortable chatting with him. He inquired as to where we were going and gave us a few suggestions. But as they say, the only true way to experience Venice….. is to get lost in Venice.
After our lovely meal, we headed toward the afore mentioned Ponte dell'Accademia bridge. On the way were some amazing shops, a cool theater and more places to eat.
I must admit, I didn’t know too much about Venice before traveling here and I didn’t expect to see bridges absolutely everywhere. I read there’s roughly 371 in Venice plus 72 private ones. That’s a lot of bridges! And when you are walking in the evening make sure you remember which ones you cross ( which is impossible after a few glasses of wine ) because after awhile they all start to look alike!
Later that evening…..
Campo Santa Margherita.
We ended up in the piazza of Venice's Dorsoduro district, Campo Santa Marguerita. I was told it was one of the liveliest squares in Venice. The University of Venice is also close, making it a student hot spot. Diana and I walked around the piazza thinking we may have dinner but instead found a cute cafe with a great view. We ordered some cappuccinos and sat outside drinking our delicious beverage taking in the scene while gazing at the lovely starry sky. I took the photo above to capture that electric moment. And no those aren’t UFO’s……or are they?
There were many restaurants and quite a few invitations but in the end we decided to go back to the place across from our hotel. But of course, soon after we headed back, we got lost. It seemed like we were walking in circles even with the navigation. Funny thing is we started to notice other travelers holding there phones up looking lost so we didn’t feel so bad in the end. Oddly enough, in the end we figured moving opposite the arrow was better than moving in the direction of the arrow.
By the time we reached Ristorante Stefano we were ravenous and both needed a drink. Our waiter (Weyland) was still there, and no he wasn’t the reason why we went back…….or was he?
Me: I’ll have a glass of white wine and the basil and garlic spinach ravioli. Omg! Yummy!
Diana: I’ll have a glass of red wine and the same.
I noticed the couples next to us drinking limoncello and asked Weyland if he would bring Diana and I a glass. After dinner we hung out in front of the hotel. Weyland asked us to wait for him because the restaurant was about to close. He wanted us to go out for a drink at a nearby bar. Unfortunately, the last two patrons seemed to be taking their time. He gestured impatiently with his hands letting us know he was frustrated. Next to our hotel was a place called Gelateria Paolin. We popped in and ordered some gelato while we waited for Stefanos to close. The waiter’s name in Gelateria Paolin was Eduardo. He was young, funny, inquisitive and of course handsome.
Weyland finished up and headed over to collect us. We walked a few calle’s (streets) and he lead us to a corner bar in Campo Sant’ Angelo. We sat with some locals at a table and ordered drinks. Weyland ordered more limoncello per my request and prosecco to celebrate our first night. We were laughing and having such a great time that an elderly couple living above the bar threw what we thought was a water balloon (…. or was it ?) out the window that just missed us. This made us laugh even louder. Two girls traveling from Seattle joined in the fun. During the last half hour, we were shushing each other but laughing hysterically.
Last call! We ordered 3 beers to go. Myself, Weyland, Diana, and 3 others walked back to Campo Stefano. We sat out front of our hotel in the lounge chairs and chatted for a short while. Diana was feeling a bit jet lagged and tipsy so she decided to turn in for the night. By this time, it was about 2:30 in the morning. I was still wide awake so Weyland and I hung out in front of my hotel talking about life and the history of Venice. It can’t be overstated how beautiful Venice is at night. The 9 photos below are from our first evening out.
That Morning.
That morning I woke up unaffected by jet lag, alcohol and the lack of sleep. Diana however was not feeling well and needed some extra time. I figured I’d give her a few hours so I headed out with the iPad to do some writing. In case she needed me, I thought I’d sit out front of the hotel. After 20 or so minutes, I saw Weyland and the other waiter setting up the tables and chairs. We chatted for a bit about last night and today’s plans. He gave me directions on how to get back to Santa Marguerita so Diana and I could return to the happening spot later in the evening. I headed over to a corner cafe half a minute away from our hotel called Bar Spitz and grabbed a scrumptious pastry and cappuccino. They also sold an assortment of deliciously looking and smelling sandwiches.
That Afternoon.
The day was starting to get away from me so I went to check on Diana, it was clear she was gonna need to sleep a bit longer. I headed out towards our favorite bridge where I remembered some shops we’d passed by the previous evening while we were lost. Although I didn’t buy anything a shop called Lalla Abbigliamento is a must see for the ladies. They had beautiful embroidered sweaters, coats, linen dresses and uniquely designed sandals and shoes that were reasonably priced, I regret not getting a pair but space in my case was becoming scarce! My favorite purchase of that day was an elegant dark green purse from a store called Venice Leather located at Campiello della Feltrina, 2513/A, 30124 Venezia VE, Italy. Yes, I listed the address because if you like purses you MUST visit this place! Without doubt it has the best purses and bags I’ve ever seen, I would’ve happily traded every purse I own for just a few more of them but I had to come to terms with the fact that I’d reached my limit of room in my case, damn it! They were going for a great price and the girl working there was hip and very sweet. Another favorite was a mother and daughter owned jewelry shop where everything is handmade including an array of beautifully colored glass ceiling and table lamps. I bought earrings, bracelets, glass plates and a few necklaces for myself, my sisters and my mom. One day I shall return to these marvelous boutiques with several empty cases!
Diana phoned me while I was heading back, she was feeling better and was getting dressed. I stretched out on the bed for a minute to rest from the afternoons long walk. Surprisingly enough, I was still feeling ok. We headed back out so Diana could do a bit of shopping at the same amazing stores as well. We thought it would be cool to go back to Campo Santa Margherita during the day, but even with Weyland’s directions we couldn’t find it. .
The 10 photos below were taken throughout the day.
That Evening.
By the time we returned to our hotel it was almost nightfall. We rested and changed into some evening attire. After walking all day we decided to return to Ristorante Stefano for dinner because it was close. After our meal, we stood in the piazza full and satisfied. A waiter named Eduardo whom we met briefly last night from the gelato cafe next door to the hotel waved us over. He told us he had asked us to wait for him last night. Diana and I vaguely remembered but he was probably right and I kinda recall that conversation. He wanted to take us out for a drink so we waited for him and his buddy to close up.
In the meantime we were entertained by a drunk english bloke who asked to sit next to us and then started talking to himself while intermittently passing out, over to our left was a young italian guy singing and playing guitar to a couple. Eduardo was going to take us over to get a drink in Santa Margherita so this time I mapped out every turn and marker I could in order to remember how to get back without relying on sheer luck!
After crossing a few bridges and countless right and left turns we were back at our favorite place. They led us to a bar close to the south entrance of the piazza. The guys seemed to know the staff. Eduardo bought a round of drinks and we shared a bowl of bread and dipping oil. I cannot remember the other guys name but he didn’t speak english so Ed did most of the talking. We shared stories. compared countries, lifestyles and talked about fun activities we do with our families.
Our mutual curiosity led us to believe each others lifestyles were perhaps better than our own, not because we were dismayed by our own lives but because our lifestyles seemed so differently appealing. The long and in-depth conversation with Eduardo has in retrospect made me appreciate my own life more. It’s encounters like this one that make traveling a much richer experience. I highly recommend being as interested in people as you are in the cities themselves. This also comes with an added benefit of leaving a sound reputation for your countrymen yet to visit. Unfortunately all too often a bad impression is left in particular by American tourists, I feel a responsibility to try to change local minds by simply being open and inquisitive, it can be very rewarding. All too quickly the night with our guide and friend Eduardo was over, he and his buddy escorted us back to the hotel. ( a couple of real gentleman ) I drifted off that night thinking about the beautiful day just spent.
Our last day in Venice was indeed a sad one. We’d had so much fun hanging out with the locals and being immersed in their culture. Today’s itinerary……. check out, leave the luggage in the lobby, have some breakfast and explore areas to the left of us instead of the right. This side of Venice had narrow alleyways with unique gift shops, boutiques and restaurants.
Diana and I stood in front of two restaurants opposite each other trying to decide if we were hungry and two waiters from their respective restaurant’s started arguing over which one we should pick so we decided to skip lunch altogether! We came upon the gorgeous and complicated maze that is the San Marco shopping district. I bought some elegant handmade jewelry, Diana bought some cute dresses.
We walked back to retrieve our luggage and purchase tickets for the waterbus then headed to the rendezvous. The wheels on Diana’s suitcase started going cockeyed while on the way to the waterbus and this caused a hell of a racket! Passersby’s were looking back to see what was going on. It was evident that suitcase was not going to make it.
We barely noticed all the bustling tourists packed into the boat, we were too busy gazing upon the floating city one last time.
The last 6 photos are just a few we took on our way to the Trenitalia train station.
Arrivederci Venice!!!!!
