Just over five years since leaving, I will be returning to a destination that is what could be described as an old nemesis. An odd choice of words, yes, but no other title is better fitting for the stunningly gorgeous city of Venice. You see, my last trip to Europe that included this Italian highlight was met with some of the worst rains of the journey. With the flooding that Venice is prone to, my time on the islands was spent trudging through puddles and generally not living it up to its fullest.But with a new trip, comes new opportunity. Mix in 3 full days in the city and an accommodation in Venice apartments right in the middle of the action, we have hopeful odds at beating the dreaded rain that ruined my last experience. As it turns out, my last trip didn't actually have all that much time in Venice afterall. With just over a day in the islands we barely got to see much past Saint Mark's Square, the Campanile, and exploring the backstreets for delicious food and souvenirs. Looking forward to our upcoming visit, we have a lot of ground to make up!
What all will Angie and I be trying out when we visit? Well, these highlights are definitely at the top of our list in addition to revisiting my old favorites Angie has not seen.
Doge's Palace
In what is the most ironic place that I did not get to visit, Doge's Palace is perhaps the most popular attraction in all of Venice. The palace, continually built, destroyed, and rebuilt since the 1300s, was home to the leaders of the Venetian Republic (the Doge). This massive estate included housing, prisons, public offices, and more.
During my last visit I spent the entirety of my time exploring Venice from the ground. The narrow alleyways, city streets, and generally appreciating the city from the outside-in. It also didn't hurt that I had already explore some of Europe's grandest palaces and was pretty much burnt out by the halfway point of my trip. But this time, we're ready to go, and Doge's Palace is number one on our list.
Lets just hope we don't have the same outcome like the others when we get to the Bridge of Sighs.
Murano Glass
One of the highlights of exploring Venice is actually getting away from the main islands and heading out to one of the lesser visited ones nearby. For us, that means heading over to the island of Murano, famous for glass of the same name. It is no secret that we have a small obsession with glassware, which started from observing Dale Chihuly's beautiful creations. In Venice, there is nothing better than getting out to the homeland of it all and exploring glass making firsthand.
Although most of the top shops are not open for visitors, many factories on Murano do give brief demonstrations in the art of glass blowing. From a quick demo to the tons of shopping opportunities, we're going to have our hands full on this trip. Now to just figure out how to ship glass home without it breaking.
Any ideas?
Chicchetti Bars and Local Markets
The narrow streets of Venice are perfect for getting lost and exploring. No matter how confused or lost you get, a major milestone is just around the corner. When it comes to food, getting lost is always our favorite way to find local favorites that are off the main tourist walking path.
But in Venice, there is one thing that you need to learn that is truly a hidden phenomena known to the locals - chicchetti bars. These cheap eateries are known by all Venetians, but nearly hidden to the eyes of a tourist if you don't know where to look. Once you know the secret, you'll spot them all. Many travelers "in the know" also find great places to stay in Venice with these famous eateries in mind. After all, everyone wants to stay near a wonderful restaurant for quick bites, us included!
To help us out on our quest, we're going on a great food tour where we'll be hopping chicchetti bars, visiting local markets, and exploring the not-so-hidden food scene of Venice. After that, well, we still need to make room for Gelato so I can beat my old record! Unfortunately this scene was missed entirely on my last trip, and I won't be making the same mistake twice. Venetian food is an absolute priority.
So while we won't know the weather until we get there, our prayers are in full force for sunny skies. I don't think I could take another day in Venice with rain. Not when there is so much beauty to take in.
Take this as a warning, Venice. We're coming.
Please note: This post contains crappy photos of Venice taken from my rainy days there in 2008. Hopefully by now you see why we'd like sunny days on our return.
