Day 1. Monday 28th September.
We flew from Rome on an early morning 1 hour flight with Alitalia Airlines to Venice, the flight was good. After arriving into Venice we caught our pre-arranged water taxi transfer to Hotel Rialto that we booked online with Viator for 2 adults $89.56 Aud one way trip. The weather was perfect for catching a water taxi to Venice and it was a really fun experience arriving direct to our hotel via water.
The Hotel Rialto is located directly across from the Rialto bridge and our 1 Double canal view room had a full view of the Rialto bridge. I booked the accommodation via the hotel’s website which had a good price in comparison to other accomodation websites. Our room was gorgeous and very Venetian, it made me feel like I had gone back in time. If you are staying in Venice I recommend you choose a hotel that is around the canals as there is an amazing buzz in the air both day and night with all the gondolas and human traffic going past.
First thing first was to fill our empty bellies with pizza. Antico Forno had great reviews online for the best pizza slices and was only a 4 minute walk to San Polo area. The pizza slices were delicious and I could have easily eaten a whole pizza.
Antico Forno was a 10 minute walk from Piazza San Marco (Saint Marco Square), we stopped by the markets on Salizzada Pio X which is the main street just down from the Rialto Bridge. The markets are quite good here for t-shirts, tea towels and souvenirs. There are a lot of shops in Venice, good luck finding time to fit in shopping though. As soon as you walk over the Rialto bridge you will find the shops on the opposite side of the Rialto hotel are good. I found myself mesmerised by Alberto Sarria’s shop with unique handmade masquerade masks and walked away with 2 gorgeous masks.
Our afternoon continued at San Marco’s square where we admired the Basilica di San Marco (Saint Marks Cathedral), Torre dell’ Orologio (The Clock) and St Mark’s Campanile (The bell tower). We then continued our walk along the Grand Canal to the Bridge of Sighs, one of the most known bridge in the world. The Bridge of Sighs was the place that connected the halls of the courts between Doges Palace and the New Prison.
http://palazzoducale.visitmuve.it/en/home/
Another 13 minutes walk down the Grand Canal, we stopped and took in the amazing view of the Grand Canal and watched people on Gondolas and boats go by. What timing, we even saw the MSC cruise liner go passed. Was exciting to see a huge cruise liner in such a small city.
I had a feeling of admiration with every bridge and canal I came across, it is like nothing you have seen before and even though this was not my first visit to Venice it was still as magical as the 1st and 2nd time.
Venice was the only city in Europe that we did not have dinner reservations booked prior to our arrival but with a quick google search early evening I came across Oesteria Entoca which appeared to be good and reserved a table for an hour away. The restaurant was only a 2 minute walk from San Marco square. We waited for our table approximately 15 -20 minutes as the restaurant was fully booked. Drinking Italian wine whilst waiting was worth the wait, our meal was delicious. Our 3 course meal, 2 glasses of wine and a bottle of wine cost $108 Eur / $163.83 Aud, not bad price considering what we ordered.
We find even when travelling overseas it is always good to have dinner reservations booked to save time running around the city hoping there is availability to only be left with frustration and a not so good meal. But as we were only in Venice for 2 nights we thought we would chance it which was not the best idea as there are so many people on this tiny island.
http://www.osteriasanmarco.it/it/homepage.php
Day 2. Tuesday 29th September.
We started our day at Saint Marks Basilica, open from 9.30am – 5pm (last admission 4.45pm). The church began in 1063 and was built over the top of another church that already existed. St Marks museum located upstairs is quite interesting and open from 9.45 a.m – 4.45 p.m with an entrance fee of $5 Eur / $7.35 Aud per adult. The museum also gives you access to the church outdoor area with a view of San Marco square. Perfect photo opportunity.
http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/?lang=en
Torre dell’ Orologio is Saint Marks clock tower first built-in 1499 and one of the most famous architectural landmarks in Venice. Make sure to take a moment to watch and video the clock on the hour every hour as the Three Kings and the Angel with the Trumpet come out. It’s quite impressive.
http://torreorologio.visitmuve.it/en/home/
Next we visited St Mark’s Campanile, the bell tower of St Mark’s Basilica located in the Piazza San Marco. It was first built-in the 12th century. The view of Venice is sensational from the bell tower and is accessible by a lift to replace the very old spiral staircase that is closed. You are more likely to find it hard to leave this view but with the crowds that are constantly flowing you will find 30 minutes is sufficient. Make sure to get those selfie pictures and do not leave without them, people will move eventually. The bell tower is definitely an attraction to visit and worth waiting in the long queue you will know doubt encounter.
http://www.basilicasanmarco.it/basilica/campanile/?lang=en
Before heading back to the hotel we took photos in Saint Marks square and admired other smaller squares and monuments that appear every few blocks.
Early evening we took a romantic 40 minute sunset gondola ride down the Grand Canal through the many canals within the city and got close to all the buildings where you see more details and how old they really are. Truly fascinating. Gondola rides are not cheap but its worth the experience. Just remember to ask for the price before accepting a ride. There are many Gondola stations across the canals and the wait is not too long.
After our romantic gondola ride we strolled the streets of Venice trying to find a restaurant, I must say it was very hard to find something available. We could have easily ended up in bed with no dinner but with a little patience we came across the Falciani restaurant who had a slight view of Saint Marco’s square. The restaurant was very busy which is always a good sign and the food and service was good.
http://www.falcianivenice.com/en/
Was sad knowing this was our final night however we were off to another beautiful city even more exciting the next day.
Day 3. Wednesday 30th September.
Our pre-arranged early morning airport transfer was $107.86 Aud for 2 adults via Viator online. Leaving Venice at sunrise was beautiful and a moment I will never forget. How many times in one’s life can one say they water taxied to and from a hotel.
We were now on our way from Venice to Positano in the Amalfi coast, one of the most picturesque and photogenic towns in Italy.
christinetravels 