Venice, Italy
Here we are on the second day in Venice standing on the Ponte dell'Accademia one of the four bridges that cross the Grand Canal. In the background you can see the the white dome of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute.
Arriving in Venice in 2016 I declared that I would “NEVER AGAIN TAKE 4 FLIGHTS TO MY DESTINATION” — pretty sure that’s not going to hold up for my lifetime, but then again it’s 2023 and so far so good. Most of my declarations work against me… I said I would never work in food service, then immediately worked 3 years for Burger King. 🤷🏻♀️
Compare that to my Facebook post after the trip which read: “9 days, 7 flights, 2 boats, 2 trains, 5 taxis, and 57 miles of walking were completely worth it to see 6 Italian cities with the man I love. And the cherry on top was spending our 2 year anniversary together yesterday!” (I wrote this when we were long-distance dating between Ohio and Washington DC. I tend to make up funny little names for each trip we take and this was The Italian Job—which is the perfect film to watch before jumping on a plane to Venice.)
Presenting the Venice we have all come to know and love on Instagram. Authorities at checkpoints require at least 10 canal photos in your camera roll in order to leave Venice. (JK)
Will I return to Italy? Oh yeah!! Would I go back to Venice? Maybe not. I really enjoyed seeing it. I love when I see St. Mark’s Square in tv and film I can orient myself as to where everything is happening. I had one of the best meals of my ENTIRE LIFE in Venice (Al Covo—cannot recommend enough, book ahead). Venice is touristy in a cute way with a fair amount of rats. I think, for me, Venice is a special moment in time and I’d like to leave it there.
Ahh… remember pre-pandemic crowds? I never thought I would miss them.
That said, should we return, it’s time to finally ride a gondola and I would probably time it to visit during the Regata Storica which takes place in Venice on the first Sunday of September. Who doesn’t want to see a procession of elaborately decorated boats along the Grand Canal?The first Regata Storica took place in the 13th century and the event remains an important part of Venetian culture and history today.
Top tips:
Don’t eat where the waitstaff is trying to drum-up business on the sidewalk by yelling at tourists or beckoning towards you to enter the restaurant.
It’s easy to get turned around. I navigated using my inner compass—baffling myself and my husband with its accuracy. Tech has probably caught up by now, but download the offline Google Map to your phone just in case.
On the island, there are over 400 stair-stepped bridges running over canals. Walking and boating will be your primary means of navigation in Venice. Bring comfy shoes.
PACK LIGHT because you will be carrying everything across bridges, up and down many many flights of steps, and on cobblestones. You probably already know this, but there are no cars in Venice, so if you think you’ll take a taxi from the boat dock to your hotel and then an elevator to your room, you are dead wrong.
Venice is popular with multi-stop cruising which makes it much more peaceful at night, but there aren’t many ‘locals’ that live on the island… they go home after they’re done with work. That said, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em! Seeing Venice as a 1- or 2-day stop on a journey passing through is ideal so maybe a European cruise is for you.
For us, we left on the train bound for Florence after 2 nights in Venice.