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Venice

Day 1 Pre-tour

  • Academia Bridge

  • Getting lost in Venice

  • St. Mark's Square

  • Sunset over the Grand Canal

Day 2 Pre-tour

  • Rowing Lesson on Grand Canal

  • Rialto Bridge

  • T. Fondaco dei Tedeschi Rooftop Viewing. 

We planned on arriving two days before our tour to help us get over some of the jet lag.  We decided to spend the two days in Venice.  Our travels started in Detroit,  with a very short layover in Amsterdam.  The flights went well and before we knew it, we were landing in Italy.  As we approached, we could see the patchwork of fields and farmlands on the mainland fading away to the blue waters of the Venetian lagoon.  Just before we landed we got a view of Venice with the Grand Canal winding through the cluster of islands and San Marco's bell tower piercing the horizon.  

We had decided to take a water taxi from the airport to Venice. It was a beautiful September day and I think the views were worth the extra cost of the private taxi. The taxi dropped us off at a vaporetto (water bus) stop near the room we rented on the Grand Canal.  We unloaded our luggage, took a quick nap and we set off to explore Venice.

Click any photo to take a closer look

The first place we went to was the Ponte dell' Accademia.  The Accademia Bridge is one of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal.  The view of the boat traffic entering the canal with the Santa Maria Della Salute church and the bright blue sky as a backdrop was picture perfect.

We knew that Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's square) would be overwhelmed with cruise ship tourists in the early afternoon, so we wandered through the smaller back canals and neighborhoods.  This is where real life happens in Venice. Children were playing soccer and families were doing their shopping at brightly colored shops.  I loved seeing the outdoor seating of the restaurants that magically pop up in the neighborhood piazza each morning and disappear each night.

We made sure to stop and enjoy the view of the Rialto bridge.  Eventually we  made it to St. Mark's square where we took the ride to the top of campanile (bell tower).  We had purchased "skip the line" tickets to save us valuable time.  Don't go to Venice without going to the top of the bell tower.  The view is breathtaking because there is no other city in the world like Venice.  The trip to the top of most towers throughout Italy usually involves a climb up hundreds of steps, but St. Mark's tower has an elevator!  A quick ride to the top and visitors are greeted with a panoramic view of Venice. 

Click first photo in each group to enlarge entire gallery

We finished enjoying our view from above the city in time to walk along the canal at sunset.  The cruise ships had moved out of port with the tens of thousands of passengers by this time.  The area was still bustling, but much more enjoyable with fewer people.  The sunset was magical. 

We stopped for dinner at a restaurant in our neighborhood square and ordered mushroom bruschetta, risotto, spaghetti with tomato sauce and a bottle of red wine. The ingredients were simple but very flavorful. The day was completed by sitting on our dock enjoying the view of the Grand Canal at night. 

The plans for our second day in Venice included a rowing lesson with Row Venice.  Gondola rides are the number one activity people imagine when they think of Venice.  The movies and photographs always make the gondolas look so romantic and serene.  In-person, I think they look very much like a Disney World water attraction.  Many of the gondolas seem to take the same route, jamming up at the corners with the motorboats zooming around them.

I had discovered Row Venice online and it sounded like a great adventure.  Their website explains that their rowing lessons are not given on gondolas, but on their coda di gambero (shrimp-tailed) boats. These boats are the traditional boats that the common Venetians would have used for work and transportation before motorboats.  We met our instructor Nan on a quiet canal and after a few minutes of instructions we were off.  The Grand Canal has less traffic traversing it on Sundays, so Row Venice offers an unbelievable experience, a Sunday rowing lesson on the Grand Canal.  Bryan did most of the rowing while I enjoyed the ride. The boat is so stable that I was able to sit cross-legged on the bow and photograph the beauty of Venice from the water. 

The day was very cloudy and we were fortunate that the rain held off until the end of our lesson.  It was an unforgettable experience .

The rain started just as we began looking for a place to eat lunch.  We were lucky to discover this bacaro (wine bar) tucked in between some larger restaurants.  They served cicchetti (side dishes and small snacks), coffee, and cocktails.  We watched the chef make the little bites from scratch behind the counter.  We ordered a couple of beers and I picked out a variety of pieces to try.  The bread was fresh and each piece was layered with toppings such as egg salad, whitefish pate, salami, and tomato with mozzarella.  The flavors were molto delizioso (very delicious.)  The little bar was busy with people coming in to order their caffè or beer at the counter and have a quick chat with their neighbors.  We enjoyed the warm, cozy surroundings while we soaked up the local atmosphere. 

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We finished the afternoon with the view of Venice from the T. Fondaco Dei Tedeschi rooftop.  This site was first built on in the 1200s.  It has been home to a warehouse and trade center for German merchants, a post office in the 1800s and recently renovated into an upscale shopping mall.  The trip to the terrace is free, but you do have to make a reservation online. You can book before leaving home, on your mobile device, or their iPads on the 3rd floor of the building. They allow you to spend 15 minutes above the city. It was still very cloudy when we made it to the top at our allotted time, but the view was still impressive.  

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