I fell in love with Venice. Completely and utterly head over heels, and I already can’t wait to return. In all honest we found that although there are that many ‘main’ sights to see, there was far too much exploring for just three days. It’s not a place I’d recommend for a short trip!
On our first day we were exhausted from the franticness of Rome, and the weather was glorious. After a morning of wandering, getting our bearings and working out how we actually got tickets for water taxis, we decided to put a pause on sight-seeing and head to the beach. The complete opposite end to our hotel, getting to the Lido took around an hour. Word of advice, outside at the back of a Vaporetto is noisy, vibrating and not particularly pleasant. Don’t do it! The Lido itself is an odd beach resort. It’s pretty touristy-seeming, yet the majority of people there were Italians.You have to pay (significantly) for a sunbed or shade, but lockers were €5 for the whole day, returning as much as you like. Unfortunately they also charged for use of the toilets… We just chilled out, lying on the sand, and a fair few dips in the sea. Utter bliss! On our return we came across the cruise ships leaving the port. I have to say it’s a little scary having these beasts steaming towards you whilst you’re in a teeny boat!
Our middle day was spent squeezing in the main sights (check in soon to find out more), and our last day was spent doing a LOT of wandering. Definitely not because we were slightly lost…
We walked over hundreds of bridges, and I took a couple of photos at each. I befriended a seagull who sat with us throughout our lunch, dived into several Kiko stores and gawped at all the designer shops.
I also managed to get a stunning photo, which reminded me of something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Upon sharing my holiday snaps with my parents we realised – I’d take a picture of the exact same view in the painting in their living room.
My favorite area was over the Rialto Bridge from St Marks square. It was a lot quieter, very Italian, and virtually no tourists. This also made it far harder to work out where we were…
Eventually we stumbled across a square, thankfully settling down for a Spritz (bitter, cool and refreshing) and some much-needed carbs. We sat in the dappled shade of a tree reflecting our holiday, wishing we didn’t have to leave, making plans to return.
I’m thinking of combined Florence and Venice for another trip…so picturesque, I just loved wandering around aimlessly in Venice. Anywhere I can get a liter of with for less than €3 is automatically going in my top 10 list!
Have you ever been to Venice? What was your favorite bit?