Europe 2019 - Venice

Ah, Venice. It was my favorite Italian city two years ago. Do you ever worry that you've romanticized a memory too much? That if you were to relive that same experience or go back to the same place, it would be nothing more than a disappointment, a mere shadow of the experience you created in your mind? That was my fear on the train to Venice. But let me tell you, Italy does not disappoint. It was everything I remembered and more. It has a million things to do and makes no demands to be a certain place at a certain time. It's beautiful everywhere you turn and unlike any other city on earth. My favorite things to do on vacation are wander, explore, & get lost in the chaos. And then eat really really good food. Venice is my happy place.

We arrived in the early afternoon, so we had time to grab our first authentic Italian pizza before meeting our walking tour guide for the night. Her name was Giulia (pronounced Julia) and she was around my age, grew up in Venice, and even lived in Dublin for a couple of years! She lived with her Granny on the island and explained that most people live in multi-generational houses in Venice because the real estate is too valuable to sell. Her parents lived on the mainland as architects. They had to move because no one is building or designing anything new in Venice! She was studying at the University of Venice to get her masters degree in history. She had short bangs, straight brown hair, liked going out for a drink and only smoked on Friday nights. She wore a loose leather dress with Birks and carried a little basket around instead of a purse. She was sweet and funny and really cool. I'd like to think we'd be friends if we lived in the same city. We basically just walked around like locals as we went to her favorite restaurants, bars, and bakeries for three hours. After one bakery, she told us that it's customary to show up to a dinner party with either a pastry from that place or pajamas for the host. So that's different! Everyone knew who she was when we got to each place, which made the city feel familiar in a way. Only 45,000 actually reside in Venice, so it's kind of like a small community within a big touristy city. It was really fun to get her perspective and hang out with her!

Our guide Giulia! 

The next day, we slowly made our way to St. Mark's square - the shopping epicenter and home to St. Mark's Cathedral. We walked over the Rialto bridge, the oldest bridge in Venice built in the early 1500s. We decided that was a great place to take a gondola ride! We went by the Rialto bridge and then into smaller canals where there are homes and shops. Got some great pictures! Then, we stopped for coffee and wine off the Grand Canal, walked through Mercato di Rialto (their daily farmer's market), and went shopping. Fun fact - most Venetians don't have freezers and they go grocery shopping every morning. So no meal prepping for them, I guess!

The Rialto bridge from our gondola

Mercato di Rialto

We unintentionally had a very fancy lunch, an awesome accident. I had Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle and Tiramisu! After a quick nap, we went to Mass at St. Mark's Basilica. Pro tip: if you want to see the inside of St. Mark's, go to Mass! There's no line. As long as you cover your shoulders and knees, you can just show up at Mass time and walk right in! It's incredibly beautiful inside. The entire cathedral is either covered in gold mosaic tiles or made of grand marble. It's STUNNING. We finished the night at a small but authentic Italian restaurant where we both had pasta and red wine. And just like that, our weekend in Venice was over. If Dublin is my favorite city, Venice is just barely my second favorite. Get yourself to Venice, friends. It's unlike anything else. To Sorrento we go!

Look at this Tiramisu!

Outside St. Mark's

Inside St. Mark's

Dinner! Penne Bolgonese for me and Asparagus Lasagna for my mom

Some tips if you're thinking about traveling to Venice:
1. It's extremely confusing and hard to navigate. You will get lost even with GPS and maps and being directionally savvy. Accept it as part of the experience and give yourself extra time if you have a reservation.
2. It's extremely beautiful and surprising because it's so hard to navigate. You'll be walking down what seems to be an old alley and suddenly come upon a marble cathedral surrounded by canals and gondolas. It's awesome! Give yourself extra time to take pictures. You'll want them!
3. Try to book a hotel near the train station. It could take you upwards of an hour to walk to a hotel on the other side of the island with all your stuff. St. Mark's is much easier to walk to with a purse than two weeks' worth of luggage.
4. Take the train to Venice if you can. You'll have to take a car/ferry/train from the airport anyway, so if you're in Italy already, just take the train straight there.

Things I'd recommend/do again:
1. Getting a hotel by the train station Santa Lucia
2. WeLocals walking tour
3. Mass at St. Mark's Basilica
4. Scriba - they sell handmade Venetian paper, journals, wax seals, stationary, and other beautiful gifts!
5. Nina - chocolate and cookie store with free samples! Everything they make is amazing.