The train ride was only a couple hours long, and then we were in Venice! After exiting the train station, we couldn’t believe the view. A massive river like canal jam packed with boats and surrounded by buildings of all shapes and sizes. Nisheet, as he usually does when he sees water, ran and touched the canal so he could say he had done it. But, I don’t suggest doing this yourself as the water is really dirty. Lol. We were so giddy and smiling ear to ear with how we had always heard of this magical place called Venice and how totally unexpectedly we were here right in the middle of it.
One of the recommendations that we researched the night before was to get off the heavily footed paths of Venice that everybody takes and instead take random turns. Since you’re on an island, it’s impossible get lost, and that was the beauty of it all. We quickly started walking thru narrow alleys that were barely shoulder-width apart and had no people in them.
We kept coming across beautiful courtyards with exposed brick buildings and flowered pots where there was nobody but us.
Venice is synonymous with Gondolas and Gondoliers that are supposed to serenade you with beautiful singing while taking you around on the canals. Not exactly! We kept coming across these gondoliers and not once did we hear anybody singing. And, most of them were texting on their cells! Having said that, it was still magical and relaxing to watch the slow paced Gondolas making their way thru super narrow canals.
After walking around some more, we were feeling thirsty and got in mood of a round of Aperol Spritz. It was interesting to see the version that Venice makes. Here, they put olives on a stick and dunk it into your drink. Interesting and just as yummy as the other places that we had it in Italy.
We set back out again to explore the streets. We kept coming across shops filled to the brim with beautiful handmade masks. One of the mask vendors told us that the real paper mache masks will always have little imperfections and fingerprints embedded in the mask.
Eventually we decided we should wander into the touristy area and see the famous Rialto Bridge. I mean, you just gotta, right? Boy was it crowded! Shoulder-to-shoulder tourists speaking every kind of language you can imagine. There are three lanes on the bridge; one that goes straight thru the center, one that looks to the North, and one that looks to the South. The view on the top is breathtaking. The part of the canal that Rialto is over is probably one of the widest part and you can see an insane amount of boat traffic. There was a constant row of Gondolas, tow boats, and taxi boats. It was magical to see how smooth the crazy boat traffic was flowing. On each side of the canals, there were hundreds of little trinket shops selling everything you could imagine. The sights and sounds of people on the side of the canal, on top of the bridge, and on top of the boats is definitely something we’ll always remember.
The bridge was cool, but it was Gelatoteca Suso that made pushing through crowds and walking the perplexing labyrinth of Venetian alleyways worth it. Service here is very quick and definitely the type where you give your money, take your food, and get out. I got the Orient Express with ginger and cinnamon and Nisheet got the Pistachio. Both gelatos were probably the creamiest flavor packed versions we have had yet.
We finally made it to our quaint little hotel. It was a typical old-school type European hotel with the giant keys that you leave at the front desk when you head out and a tiny little staircase that leads to your adorable little room.
When we headed out for dinner, the gentleman at the front desk was worried that we would go to a tourist trap restaurant, so he directed us to his favorite. And, wow, was it good. We surely would have passed the place if we weren’t looking for it. And they were booked solid with reservations. But, as luck would have it, they had one table available just for us located in a small back room. There are a couple dishes you must try in Venice. The first is Baccala Mantecato. We saw it on the menu and ordered it, but I was rather apprehensive about it. The description doesn’t sound very appetizing. It is prepared by soaking, boiling, and whipping stockfish with olive oil until mousse-like. Then it is spread on a piece of bread, or in this case, polenta. But it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be. In fact, it was delicious. Think of a very delicate airy tuna salad. We followed this by heavy pasta dishes. We couldn’t have asked for a more delicious dinner at the end of our action-packed getaway trip to Venice.
Since we stuffed ourselves silly, we desperately need an evening stoll afterwards. And, it was the perfect night for it. The moon was out, the sky was clear, there was a cool breeze, and music was drifting through the small Venetian allies. Where was this music coming from? Turns out it was the St. Mark’s Square. This square is at the center of Venice and is one of the largest in all of Europe.
One thing that sets it apart from others is what happens here after sunset. There are 3 very old cafes located right on the square where you can buy some of the most expensive coffee in Europe at 15 euros per cup! But why that much? It’s because you get front row seats to a live orchestra at each of the cafes. But you don’t need to spend a dime if you’re willing stand and bob around between the 3 cafes. This is what we did because hey…why only listen to one when you can listen to all three! These enthusiastic musicians play music from Vivaldi to Titanic, and while not being near the quality of a symphony, they sure create a magically romantic setting that’s none like any other place we have been to.
