Ahhhh, Venice!

While I didn't plan on falling into the gondola tourist trap, I have to admit that the splurge on the 35-minute gondola ride on a sunny afternoon in Venice was truly one of the most memorable experiences. The ride took us off the beaten path into some back canals, and really showed us a quiet, relaxing side of the city.

I also really enjoyed Saint Mark's Square, visiting several times. I most remember the evening we were there, walking around, listening to the dueling orchestras, seeing the basilica bathed in the moonlight. It would've been the most romantic place ever had I not been with my best friend instead of "the one."

Probably the experience most etched in my memory is walking to the edge of the island, to the St. Alvise vaperetto stop, sitting on the wooden pier there with my feet dangling over the edge and watching the sunset on my last day in this beautiful city.

Quick Tips:

If you arrive at the airport, make your first stop the tourist information center. They'll hand you a free map, and mark on it where your hotel is located and the best way to get there. Just around the corner from the info center is a place where you can buy your 5 euro ACTV ticket, which will take you by vaperetto to the island. Your other option to get into Venice is to take a private speed boat. That way will be faster, but much more expensive. That 80 euro ride can be split between six people, but my advice is to save that money for shopping.

Also, when you get to the island proper, buy an all-day ticket on the local ACTV boats for 10 euro. We actually used that ticket once on another day, because they never actually checked on the Grand Canal boats. There's a fine if you're caught without a ticket, or with an expired ticket, but you can judge the risk for yourself.

Best Way To Get Around:

There are no vehicles with wheels here. Rely on your feet or on a boat. I really enjoyed walking through Venice, because it's an adventure (there are streets not on the map, some streets don't look like streets but they are, etc.) and because you get to take it all in slowly and stop for shopping!

When your feet get tired (and they will) the vaperettos stop up and down the Grand Canal at all the major sites.

And just for fun, and because you're in Venice, see the Canal from the gondola's point of view.

Of the three hotels in which I stayed in Italy, the Ai Mori d’Oriente (four stars) was the most luxurious, most friendly, and my favorite.

The location of the hotel is as good as you could get in Venice. Located near the northern edge of the island, it’s about a 5-10 minute walk from the Madonna Dell’Orto vaperetto stop, about a 5-10 minute walk to the Grand Canal, and it was about a 15-minute walk to the train station. As far as proximity to the "tourist" attractions, it’s a good distance walk (30 minutes) to St. Mark’s Square, 25 minutes to the Accadamia Bridge and 15 minutes to the Rialto Bridge. However, once you get to the Grand Canal, you can vaperetto your way anywhere down the Canal, and, one of the best ways to see Venice is to get your feet moving down those confusing cobblestone streets.

The room was small, but very regal. It’s themed around the oriental silk trade – so everything looks Asian-inspired, but with the Venetian flair. The two twin beds had been put together to make one large bed, so we pulled them apart, but there was still ample room to move about. The bathroom was almost as big as the room itself, with a shower, a bathtub, a large sink and vanity, the toilet and a bidet.

The thing I found the most odd is how you get to your room. First, check in at the front desk, then walk back outside, around to an alley, down the alley a piece, buzz the front desk to let you through the wooden door – open another door and walk into a stone room, go up the stairs, unlock the hallway door, and then you’ll find yourself (finally) at your room. It took about three tries before we were comfortable with finding our way, and we didn’t get lost. Part of the charm, I guess.

The staff was most helpful. Our luggage had managed to stay in the States while we had gone on to Italy. Marco, one of the front-desk staff, took all our information and called multiple times while we were out taking in the city. On the second day, just as we were preparing to leave the next morning for Florence, he gleefully informed us that our bags were waiting for us in our room. He also gave us very good advice and directions, and even looked up an Italian pharmacy for us that was open on the weekend, and told us how we could find it. We left him a thank you note upon departure, which garnered him much teasing from his fellow front-desk staff.

We got this room as part of a package deal, but it ended up being about 125 € per night, with a continental breakfast included. The atmosphere, service, and comfort were top notch, so I’d certainly recommend this hotel to anyone staying in Venice.

On the Fond. De Vin, just south of the Rialto Bridge right on the Grand Canal, there is a string of restaurants beckoning visitors to enjoy the food and the view. I generally make it a practice not to eat at a restaurant where someone stands in front to advertise the food and draw you in (a.k.a. accost you while you walk by). It usually means the food isn’t good enough to speak for itself. In this particular instance, that wasn’t the case. I was annoyed by the pushy Italian waiter who wanted us to stop and dine on our first pass down the canal, but the menu impressed my friend enough to want to return. So we did, and I wasn’t disappointed.

We ordered a bottle of Italian Chianti and bottled water (naturale) to start. After that, I decided to be brave and go outside my comfort zone. I ordered gnocchi (pronounced nyock-ee) – little potato-filled pastas – with meat sauce. Bread was brought to the table (never with butter, you need to ask for that separately, often at an additional charge. I found the Italian bread to be too chewy and lacking much in the way of taste, and the butter not salty enough for me. That wasn’t a bad mark on this restaurant, just on Italian bread in general.) When my gnocchi arrived, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It had a good texture and a good taste. The meat sauce wasn’t at all Ragu-like, but quite tasty.

I had to take the opportunity to try a dessert other than gelato, so I ordered the classic Italian Tiramisu. The desert was good, but I’m not much of a coffee-flavor fan. So my friend and I split the desert, and even then only ate half.

This was a very nice restaurant, with attentive waiters and good food. Not only that, but you’ve got a wonderful view of the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge. The bill for two came to about 30 €, so a decent price as well. I’d give this restaurant an 8 out of 10. It was one of my favorite meals on the trip.

At the base of the Accademia Bridge is a pizza shop where you can dine at the Canal’s edge. There’s both outdoor seating and indoor, but I highly recommend the outdoor seating (you might want to wear some bug spray). With the outdoor seating, you’re in the shadow of the bridge, and you can more closely watch the gondolas and other boats passing underneath. Some of the outdoor tables have umbrellas for those especially hot days, but in the evening around dinnertime they’re not necessary. The seating for outdoors is on a first-come, first-served basis. We didn’t have to wait long, maybe 5 minutes to get our seat – next to some Americans from San Fransisco.

We started off with a carafe of red house wine and a bottle of water – naturale (without gas, as they say). We learned that in Italy, the house wine is usually the best wine for the price. I ordered a pizza quarto formage (four-cheese pizza). The cost of the pizza was approximately 8 € and it was probably enough to feed two. However, I managed to make a dent in it by myself. The waiters were nice enough, spoke enough English to manage to wait on tourists, but you have to ask for the check. Italians aren’t in a hurry to do anything. Americans are in a hurry to do everything. Don’t rush it. Sit, enjoy the view. Talk to your neighbors. We were there for almost 2 hours, and the only reason we asked for the check is that we had a sunset to watch.

While not gourmet food, it was good pizza. Our total bill for two came to about 20 €. I’d give the restaurant a solid 7 out of 10. It’s a good place to stop and rest, with a good view and decent food.

Some general gelato learnings
1. Cones look like American sugar cones, but are the same taste and texture as a regular American cone.
2. Ask for a taste. "Assagio per favore" and then name the flavor.
3. In Venice, the flavor selection was usually the same wherever we stopped. That was different in Florence and Rome, however.

Sommariva Bar My very first taste of Italian gelato was at this gelateria a block off of Saint Mark’s Square on the Calle Larga St. Marco. I went for a safe flavor for my first foray – plain old chocolate. It was better than chocolate -smooth, creamy and tasted more like a Fudgsicle than chocolate ice cream. One scoop was 2 € - the most expensive of the gelato I bought in Venice - being close to one of the biggest tourist draws in Venice. As you can see in the other entries, as you get further away from the main drag, the prices go down.

As it was my first taste of gelato, and I had nothing else to compare it to, I gave this gelato 4 cones out of 5, though it turned out to be a bit pricey.

Bar Ducale Again just beyond St. Mark’s square on Calle delle Ostreghe we found what we started calling the "international sign for gelato" – a huge cone cut out with three scoops. It was warm, our whistles needed whetting and we stopped at this bar out of convenience and a taste for more gelato. Still a bit on the conservative side, I asked about the Crème del Doge – which turns out to be vanilla with bits of chocolate in it. It tasted a bit like cookies and cream. I ordered two scoops in a cone for 1.5 €. I preferred the chocolate over this flavor, but it was still tasty.

I gave this gelato 3 cones out of 5, with a nod at the lower cost.

Maison de la Crepes Here I am in Italy and I’m stopping for gelato in a French-named bar in the Rialto shopping area, at the base of the Pont De L’Olio. The reason for stopping was mainly the price. 1 € got one scoop of chocolate in a cone.

This was the creamiest of the gelato I tasted in Venice, and the price was definitely right. I give it 4 cones out of 5.

Ca’ D’ Oro Located on Cannaregio, this gelato was by far the cheapest that we encountered in Venice. For a mere .90 € I bought a cone with a single scoop of vanilla. I found it very good, smooth and creamy. The vanilla – and all the flavors I tried, were very strong flavors – in a good way.

While the cheapest, it wasn’t necessarily the best tasting, while not bad. I give it a solid 3 cones out of 5.

We had not planned on taking a gondola ride when we were visiting Venice. First, because it seemed a very romantic thing to do, and since my friend and I were both without romance, what was the point? The other reason was the very high, tourist-trap prices to take such a ride.

However, we decided we needed to treat ourselves, since our luggage had not arrived with us in Italy, and also once we got to walking along the Grand Canal we adopted the “what the heck, we’re in Venice” philosophy towards the gondola rides. Our handy-dandy Rick Steve’s book suggested that we might be able to haggle with the gondoliers a bit, especially during the day (the rides get a tad pricier at night). So at three in the afternoon, standing along the Grand Canal with the Rialto Bridge in the background, we approached a gondolier (black and white striped shirt, hat with a red band, of course) and asked how much for a ride. He replied with a price of 80 €, to which we balked. (Keep in mind, this is 80 € for the ride, so we would have split the price. You can split with up to 6 people is my understanding.) With our savvy negotiation skills, we talked him down to 70 €. Yes, still a lot of money, but something I found well worth it.

Our gondolier’s name was Maximillian, and while not the chattiest of drivers, he did point out certain things that he thought we’d like to take in. We started out our ride underneath the Rialto bridge – everything looks different, and more magnificent – from a gondola view. Then, he took us through some of the smaller, back canals. It was quiet, non-touristy, and very pleasant.

The gondola ride lasted for about 35 minutes, and is now truly one of my fondest memories of Venice. Could we have negotiated harder? Probably. Was it expensive? Yep. Was it worth it? Most definitely.

Located in St. Mark’s Square (Vaperetto stop S. Marco) the bell tower offers some of the best views of Venice. For 6 €, you can take the lift to the top (yay! No stairs to climb!) and see Venice from a pigeon's-eye view. We arrived at 4:45 on Sunday afternoon and waited in line only about 25 minutes.

I think the view was worth the 6 € we paid, especially since we could ride up instead of walk. The view was screened in – so no one could jump off at the thought of having to return to their real lives – but the fencing was so that you could still get some good photos without having wiring in the frame. My favorite view from the top was of the church Santa Maria Del Salute across the canal.

There is another tower across the way on the Island of S. Giorgio Maggiorie, which Rick Steves said had a comparable view and less of a crowd. It’s just a bit more challenging to get to. I wouldn’t stand in line for hours to reach the top of Giotto’s tower, but if it’s less than an hour, and you’ve got the 6 €, be touristy and put Giotto’s Tower on your itinerary.

Vaperetto stop St. Marco: Probably the most famous destination in Venice, St. Mark’s Square does not disappoint. You walk into the square and the basilica of St. Mark draws your attention as the spires stick up against the sky. You’re surrounded by archways and columns – oh, and pigeons. Honestly, I was expecting something more like Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Compared to my expectations, the pigeon population – while large – didn’t seem unmanageable. I think, however, you’re asking for trouble – and possible pigeon poop in your hair or on your outfit – if you boldly defy the request to not feed the pigeons. One hint of food and there’s a large swarm of them.

I didn’t get to go into the basilica, as it’s only open on Sundays from 2-4pm, and the line when we arrived on Sunday at 3:30 was at least still an hour and a half wait to get in. I chalked that one up to “you’ve seen one church you’ve seen them all” and continued on to visit the Doge’s Palace and Giotto’s Bell Tower.

I think the best time of day in St. Mark’s Square is evening. The square is lit up, and dueling orchestras play to earn the attention – and bar business – of listeners. If you’re tired and in need of a beer or some wine, follow the advice that we got from our Rick Steves’ book and spend 6-10 € and pull up a chair and enjoy. If you’d rather pop from orchestra to orchestra (when one orchestra takes a break for instance), hover behind the seating areas for free and move on as you wish. My friend and I chose the latter, and went from orchestra to orchestra clapping, singing along, and yes, even sometimes dancing (it’s encouraged.)

Even if you’re only in Venice for a short while, and can’t visit the insides of the buildings in St. Mark’s Square – the view of the outside and the realization of “I’m in Venice!” is worth a trip.

Located in St. Mark’s Square (Vaperetto stop S. Marco). We visited the Doge’s Palace (pronounced doh-jeh) on a Sunday afternoon at about 4 p.m. There was barely a line, but there was some confusion. NOTE: there are two lines. The line to the left is for those who don’t have a ticket, the line to the right is for those that do. Once we figured that out, we walked right in and up to the ticket counter (about 20 minutes total time) to buy our 11 € ticket.

The Palace reminded me a great deal of Versailles just outside of Paris. A royal palace for the rulers of Venice. As you enter, look to your right to find the Mouth of Truth. This face was essentially a mailbox where citizens could make complaints against other citizens and recommend executions. (Anyone want to make a suggestion today? ;) ) Just past the Mouth is the entrance to the upper floors, the Golden Stairway – 24 karat on the ceiling here. As you walk through each room – some with absolutely no purpose at all, (oh to be rich) – you’re bombarded with art, beautiful sculptures, large fireplaces (you could park your car in them) and oddities such as a 24-hour clock and a zodiac clock. You’re also treated to great views of St. Mark’s basilica next door. Beware of photo taking. Whether photos are allowed or not seem to be based on whether or not the guards see you taking them. When you’re outside, taking pictures is no problem. When inside the room, it’s sort of on an ad-hoc basis.

I enjoyed seeing the palace, and getting some great pictures here (outside). If you have limited time in Venice, I would classify this as a “nice-to-see” if you have the time. If you’re spending at least two days, I’d make it a point to go in and see how Venetian royalty passed their days.

I asked some fellow IgoUgo members for advice on the best spots to watch a Venetian sunset. Thanks to Ozzy-Dave for recommending the Accademia Bridge. It indeed was a great spot to watch the sun set behind the Grand Canal. This spot was best to watch how the light changed on the buildings, rather than to grasp the changing colors in the sky – as much of this happened behind the buildings. But it was still a great photo op.

By chance, I was reading my Streetwise Venice map, and my friend noticed that there was a footnote by the Madonna Dell’Orto vaparetto stop that said it was one of the best vantage points for a Venetian sunset. It happened to be fairly close to our hotel, located on the north edge of the island. We somehow took a wrong turn and ended up a bit west of the Madonna Dell’Orto stop – one stop further at S. Alvise. I personally think this is the better vantage point. We sat on the vaperetto dock with our feet dangling over the edge and spent 20 minutes watching the sun set – with the colors reflecting off the water. There was nothing in the way of this amazing view, but had we gone to the original vaparetto stop, there would have been this stop in the way. I think this wins the award for best Venetian sunset viewing location.