last day in venice

On my last day in Venice, I spent most of the day wandering the streets, taking more pictures and savoring every minute left in Venice.

(rush hour traffic on the Grand Canal)

I started off my day going to the Rialto fish market as well as the adjacent vegetable market.

(Rialto fish market and vegetable market)

(where the fish market takes place every morning)

After leaving the fish market, I wandered in a few stores on the way back to San Marco for one more walk through Piazza San Marco. I took a lot of pictures and then took a traghetto across the Grand Canal. The traghetto is like a little gondola that costs half a euro for the quick ride to cross the canal. You can either stand or sit - most locals stand.

(traghetto ride as I crossed the canal)

I wanted to get up close to the huge church that is pictured in so many pictures of the Grand Canal/San Marco area. The church is called, Santa Maria delle Salute. It was closed when I got there but the views of the church close up and the San Marco area across the canal were well worth the stop.

(views from San Marco of Santa Maria delle Salute)

(bride and groom going to the church - Santa Maria delle Salute)

(view from Santa Maria delle Salute of San Marco)

After taking more pictures, I took the next vaporetto not sure where I wanted to go. I decided to get off a couple of stops later to head back to Campo Santa Margherita to have lunch and another gelato. Since I was so close to the Accademia Museum and I had never been there, I decided to take a quick look. I was pretty tired from all the walking I had done and so I don't think I was in my "best museum" mood. It was also very hot outside and also inside the museum. I didn't stay that long and instead for some reason continued to walk instead of taking the vaporetto (I had an all day pass so getting a ticket was not in issue).

I walked back to the Santa Croce and San Polo sestieri and took more pictures along the way.

I finally stopped in the Palazzo Mocenigo which was very close to my hotel. This is now a fabric and costume museum. It was almost closing time and since a world cup match with Italy playing was starting, I think the museum might have closed earlier than most other days. I had to rush through the rooms. I could hear the roar of the people outside when Italy scored. After leaving each room, the woman closed the door to close that part of the museum. I would have liked to spend a little more time there...maybe next time.

The 3 most popular things sold in Venice are glass, lace, and masks. I had spent time in glass and lace shops on this trip, but not any mask shops. I decided to walk over to this little mask shop that was located not too far from my hotel called Peter Pan. I had walked by it a few times during my stay. The woman in the shop was extremely nice. She told me all about how she makes the masks by hand in this shop. I wanted to buy one but could not figure out how I could carry it during the rest of my trip. I also could not decide as there were so many different types of mask. I really should have visited the shop earlier in my stay as I could have shipped the mask home through the mail but really didn't think I would want to buy a mask before visiting this shop. I took some pictures of some of her masks, took her card, and hope to either some day order a mask or go back to her shop on my next visit to Venice.

I have definitely changed my opinion on Venice and hope to return again soon! I found the real Venice this time and have fallen in love with Venice.

murano & burano

Wednesday morning, I decided to go to Murano and Burano (2 little islands that you can reach by vaporetto from Venice). Murano is famous for glass. Burano is famous for lace and the wonderful colored houses.

I took a vaporetto to the ferrovia stop, walked to the Canneregio Canal which was not that far, stopped for an espresso, and then took another vaporetto to the Fondamente Nove area where I waited for yet another vaporetto to go to Murano. Even though I had been to Murano back in 1999, I thought for some reason that the boat ride was much longer than it actually was. Luckily the Murano stop was announced or I might have stayed on the boat and missed the stop. The weather was hot and muggy and the skies were overcast. I was hoping for a clear sunny day for better pictures but this was the day I had. After taking a few pictures on Murano, I headed on to the area where the boats go from Murano to Burano.

(Murano)

The ride from Murano to Burano was much longer. Burano is an amazing place. The houses are all painted various bright colors. This island seems to be filled mostly with tourists during the daytime. I imagine that it is quite a different place at night when everyone goes back to Venice. I stopped in a few lace shops and finally decided on one small piece of lace.

(Burano)

For lunch, I wandered off the main street to Al Gatto Nero. Most of the places in Burano were very touristy and I remembered reading about this restaurant. The restaurant was filled with tourists seated outside and locals seated inside. There was also one long table outside that was reserved and later was filled with a group of locals. It appeared to me that the tourists were given much different service and perhaps the menus/prices may have even been different as the prices were quite high and many of the locals looked like they were regulars who were on their lunch break. This of course is just a guess. The service was not very good and the food was just ok (although very pretty for a picture).

(my lunch)

After walking all over Burano, I returned to the vaporetto area and took the next boat back to Murno. I spent another hour looking in many of the glass shops there. Both were great places to wander and shop.

(Isola di San Michele - located between Murano & Venice)

I decided to walk from the Fondamente Nove stop instead of transferring to a second vaporetto. This is where I ended up getting really lost on my first visit to Venice. I got lost again but was able to find may way back after a few wrong turns. I was pretty tired from a long day.

Wednesday evening, it took a little while to find a good place to eat since I did not make a reservation earlier in the day. Many of the touristy places have lots of available tables, but the restaurants which are visited more by local people and the restaurants which I had written down as recommendations were often crowded and more difficult to find an open table.

On my 3rd try, I was successful at getting a table at Circolo La Buona Forchetta, a tiny little restaurant that was recommended on slow travel. I was treated very kindly at this restaurant and had a wonderful meal! The man taking my order suggested a dish for me to have before I even looked at the menu on the wall (a seafood pasta dish). The little kitchen where the woman cooked the food was right in the front of the restaurant. The only bad thing was that this made the room quite hot. After a short while, 4 people from France came in and sat at the table next to me. We had a conversation about politics and then my meal arrived. Lobster, crab, and mussels with spaghetti...very very delicious! Much better than my seafood pasta that I had for lunch. Although I was full after eating this dish and a small salad with a superb balsamica and oil dressing, they insisted on bringing me some biscotti made in the restaurant with some vin santo wine for dessert.

Another wonderful day in Venice!

tuesday in venice

Tuesday I decided to spend the day exploring many of the areas of Venice that I have not spent much time in during my past visits. After a good breakfast at my hotel, I took the vaporetto over the the Cannaregio area. I spent most of the morning in this area stopping in some of the shops, visiting the Ghetto area, and also in search of another restaurant I have read about with good reviews that is located in this area. I finally found it, but it was closed.

(Cannaregio Canal heading to the Ghetto area)

(canal in the Ghetto area)

With the list of recommended restaurants I got from the slow travel website, I took the vaporetto back to the stop by my hotel, and found Osteria al Garanghélo (another restaurant with a good recommendation). When I arrived, there was a table available outside. This is a very small place with only 3 tables outside and so I was very lucky to find a table available without a reservation. The woman that waited on me was one of owners of the osteria. I told her that I was looking forward to having lunch here as I have read good things about this osteria. She wanted to know where I read the recommendation. I told her slow travel and she asked me for the website. I had a very delicious spaghetti with clams dish and also a zucchini, shrimp, and cheese dish which the owner recommended. When the second dish arrived, the cook (who I think is her husband) came out to serve me this dish.

After the meal, I complimented both of them on the delicious lunch. The woman told me that she was going to go look up the slow travel recommendation now as it was the slow time of the day. I asked her if she wanted me to help her find it. She took me to an area in the back where her computer was located. She found the website and then I helped her find the restaurant recommendations. She laughed and smiled as she read the detailed recomommendation. She understood most everything and I helped translate the few words she did not understand. She was so happy to see such a nice review. She gave me a card with both their names written on it which I cannot find at the moment, but I told her I would later write a review and use her name in the review. She was such a lovely person and by the end when I was leaving the osteria, it was like we were old friends. Everyone made sure to say goodbye to me as I left. A good lunch and fun experience!

After lunch, I took the vaporetto from the Rialto stop to the San Marco area.

(view from the Rialto vaporetto stop)

(the island of San Giorgio Maggiore)

(view of Piazza San Marco from the Vaporetto)

TONS and TONS of tourists AND pigeons everywhere!! I was well aware of the crowds remembering past visits but wanted to go back to Piazza San Marco to see the clock tower that finally had been restored.

Campanile (Bell Tower) & Basilica di San Marco in Piazza San Marco

This is the Venice Clock Tower (Torre dell'Orologio). I actually took this picture on
Thursday which was a sunnier day but am posting it here with the other San Marco pictures.

(gondolas)

(ambulance on the Grand Canal)

 

After a little time in the piazza, I decided to go over to the Dorsoduro area for a gelato. This is the first time I have ever been in this area. Even though I was carrying 4 maps, I still got very lost, but finally found the beautiful Campo Santa Margherita where the gelateria was located. This was another wonderful campo (which is like a piazza - an open area where people hang out). It was very much like the other campo that is located near my hotel - an area where mostly local people and hang out and little children play.

(Campo Santa Margherita)

(vegetable seller on a boat outside Campo Santa Margherita)

 

After having another very delicious gelato, I headed back for the vaporetto stop and back to my hotel.

(a doorway and a window in Venice)

My feet were very sore and I was dead tired when I arrived back at my hotel. After a shower, I had another lovely dinner at another restaurant near my hotel - il Refolo.

(this is the canal view I had from my table)

ciao!!

bella bella venezia

Venice, as beautiful as ever!

I arrived Monday afternoon with no complications.

(1st view after leaving the train station)

I quickly bought my 3 day vaporetto pass and waited for the next vaporetto. You can buy a 3 day pass for 25 euros or a 1 day pass for 12 euros or pay 5 euros each time you ride the vaporetto. The pass is definitely worth the cost. As usual, the vaperettos were all packed with people as it is the type of transportation used by both locals and tourists. I squeezed on with my luggage and easily found my hotel.

The hotel I am staying at is located in the perfect location - right near a vaperetto stop, and away from all the tourists. The 2 owners are very nice and helpful. My single room is quite spacious and the entire hotel is no-smoking!

After unpacking, with 4 maps, I set out to explore Venice. I walked around the Santa Croce (area I am staying in) and San Paolo areas.

I got lost a few times trying to find a restaurant I have read about to make a reservation for dinner, but eventually found the restaurant which is located in a very lovely campo - San Giacomo dell' Orio. This campo was full of little children playing and lots of people sitting or standing around talking. Mostly local people hang out in this area.

For dinner, I ate at La Zucca. I have read many wonderful things about this restaurant and definitely agree that the food is outstanding here.

I had a very delicious pasta with a fresh tomato sauce and fresh ricotta cheese and also a salad with fresh vegetables, avocado, and cooked chicken. The restaurant is conveniently located about 3 minutes from my hotel.

A great first day in Venice!

a return to Venice

Venice (Venezia in Italian)...a place so unique in Italy...

My first visit to Venice was in 1999, which was also my first trip to Europe. My impression of Venice was: too many tourists and too many pigeons! It seemed to me that the people of Venice did not appear to be as friendly as the people I had come in contact with in the other places I had visited while in Italy. Also, I was constantly lost and even ended up in the hospital...not IN the hospital as a patient, but while trying to find my way back to Piazza San Marco, I ended up walking through the hospital as there is a road that goes right through the middle of the hospital! I was amazed seeing how the city was run with only the use of boats since there are no cars in Venice - the ambulance boats, the garbage truck boats, etc. and there was no denying the beauty of Venice. When leaving, I thought to myself that I probably would never return to Venice again. It was a little too challenging for me as a person with no sense of direction and it was much too crowded (although I did know in advance that summer is the most crowded time to visit Venice).

Two years later, I decided to give Venice another try. Before leaving, I made sure to read up on Venice and I also bought a better map. On this trip, I spent my last day in Venice and then flew out l'Aeroporto Marco Polo a Venezia, (the Marco Polo Airport in Venice) the following morning. I booked a hotel in Venezia Mestre, which is a town on the mainland just across the causeway from Venice. This way, it would be an easy transfer by hotel shuttle to the airport the next morning. Again, in the touristy areas of Venice, there were TONS and TONS of tourists BUT I liked Venice this time...the people there seemed friendlier, perhaps it was because I was able to speak more Italian?? I was even able to find my way around this time!! Unfortunately I really only had the afternoon and evening and then my time in Venice was over.

SO…here I am going back again, 5 years later, even more prepared, with the same good map, and the wonder of what I will discover. This time I plan to wander, discover the unexplored areas, and ENJOY VENICE for 4 days and nights.

Here are some pictures, which I have scanned into my computer from my first visit. They are not the best quality but do show the beauty of Venice.

 I took this picture of Piazza San Marco and 

the Campanile (tower) while riding the vaporetto.

 Here is a picture of the Grand Canal, a few gondolas, and a vaporetto.

This is a picture of Burano...one of the little islands lying to 

the north of Venice. Burano is famous for it's lacemaking.

HERE is a link to the hotel where I will be staying - Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo. It is located in the Santa Croce sestiere.

HERE is a great link which describes the different areas in Venice - the "sestieri". THIS LINK is a great little webpage called "Venice is Not Disneyland". AND THIS LINK is a description of 200 Things To Do and See in Venice. I will NOT to try to see/do all 200 things, but will keep this as a great reference for ideas.