Venice

The Lion of Venice, Palazzo Ducale on Left

We arrived the evening of January 2 by waterbus. Fog shrouded the city and we could barely see the shore when we were right upon it. The mystery was the perfect way to be introduced to Venice. It felt like waking up in a dream and experiencing a new world where we would spend our next few days.

Places to See:

St. Mark's Cathedral & Square: Not the most amazing cathedral in a country filled with amazing cathedrals. Get there early. The lines are long and only so many people are allowed in at one time.

Piazzo San Marco

Campanile: Worth the admission. Bring your camera.

Palazzo Ducale: Also worth the admission. A beautiful palace, for a man with no power who was treated like a king. Walk across the bridge of sighs.

Rialto Bridge: The heart of Venice. Lovely and surreal. Good people watching.

Venice is all about wandering around and getting lost. And finding your favorite hidden piazza. We particularly enjoyed the Dorsoduro neighborhood. It was more peaceful and less touristy than everywhere else. Good views of Venice from Punta della Dogana, and a lovely walk to get there.

Punta della Dogana - my favorite place in Venice!

Regata delle Befana: Okay, this one is a cheat. It only happens once a year, on January 6th. But if you happen to be in Venice in the dead of winter and it's January 6th, do yourself a favor and go to the Rialto Bridge! Aging, accomplished male rowers dress up as the Befana (a witch who puts candy in Christmas stalkings on Epiphany) and have a paddle gondola race down the Grand Canal. Truly great entertainment, an unexpected jem.

Winner of the 2009 Regata delle Befana

Places to Eat:

When I was researching for quality, yet affordable restaurants, Venice seemed to get a bad rap food-wise. Personally, I found the food in Venice was some of the best in Italy. I'm sure you can pay a lot for not-so-great food, but there are plenty of places that are reasonable and delicious.

Osteria La Zucca: I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Make sure to make a reservation. It is tiny. The retaurant used to be entirely vegetarian, but they now also serve meat dishes. I'm not vegetarian, but I couldn't resist the vegetable plate: six vegetable dishes all in unique sauces. I love variety, so I was in Heaven. It was a spectacular meal next to a canal. Our best meal in all of Italy. But I'm biased because I was proposed to about a minute after we left on a small brown bridge on a quiet canal, and I think the meal had something to do with it. Magical. Appetizers + Dinner + Dessert (shared) + Wine for 2 = 60 Euros.

Al Casin dei Nobili: Had a wonderful black pasta with shrimp in an arugula sauce. My favorite pasta dish I had in Italy. Really cozy atmosphere. Dinner for 2 + wine = 60 Euros.

Autica Osteria Ruga Rialto: We tried to do a bacaro crawl, but many of the restaurants were closed for the holidays. This place was open and buzzing. Great atmosphere, packed, lively crod. 4 Drinks + a few snacks = 10 Euros. Great deal.

Da Pinto: Perfect al dente spaghetti. Excellent calamari. Modern, yet cozy. Lunch + wine for 2 = 35 Euros.

Trattoria Ca D'Oro: Great polpette (meatballs, but more like croquettes). Thick, hearty spaghetti, excellent pasta. I had it with fish, which meant anchovies. So many anchovies. If you love anchovies, this is your dream dish. I am not the biggest fan, but that's my fault, not theirs. Polpette + 2 pastas + wine for 2 = 28 Euros.

Vizio Virtu: Made a couple of trips to this chocolate shop. Divine hot chocolate is the best defense against sub-freezing temperatures.

Cafe Florian: Yeah, it's overpriced. But, come on, Cassanova hung out there and it feels insanely regal. Pastries + coffee for 2 = 26 Euros.

Bruschette: A little hole in the wall sandwich shop. The gay pride flag was waving and Madonna played during our entire lunch. Good times. Lunch for 2 = 12 Euros.

Where We Stayed: Hotel Ai do Mori. Small room (to be expected in Europe), comfortable bed, and a hot shower. We didn't go to Venice to stay in the hotel. Perfect for getting a good night's sleep and right off of St. Mark's Square. Next time, we'd probably opt for somewhere a little more out of the way in the less populated Dorsoduro.

sleeping gondolas

We did not ride any gondolas. It was below freezing during our stay. Paying mucho dollars for a slow, cold ride down a canal did not sound appealing.