Venice
We had a beautiful drive through unreal alpine scenery and arrived in Venice mid-afternoon (and didn't meet any Italian polizia!!). Brian and I got on the vaporetto (water taxi) and got to approach Venice by water which was incredible.
Our hotel was located around San Marco square so after we dropped off our bags we headed out to enjoy some incredible people watching. My friend John Witty recently lived in Venice and he emailed us with a list of amazing local spots that he loved during his stay. Essentially we made a list of John's favorite spots and tried to hit as many as we could in the 24 hours we were there!
One of his recommendations was to have a spritz at Quadri, one of the outdoor restaurants at St.Mark's square, to soak in the atmosphere of the piazza. I enjoyed a Campari spritz and Brian enjoyed a Aperol spritz all the while an old time band played some classic tunes.
Next we found our way through the canals to check out Al Timon, a place John described as the place to have "the quintessential Venetian aperitifs experience." Basically Italians love their pre-dinner drink and small plates and this spot was buzzing with locals. We sat on the boat moored on the canal and devoured the delicious small bites! The restaurant was located near the Jewish ghetto and thanks to Rick Steves I learned that the word "ghetto" came from this neighborhood (from geto-- the copper foundry located here).
For dinner we headed to Osteria Alla Vedova which John described as "still being stuck in the early 1900s--- they don't even have an expresso machine which in Italy is a commitment!" We had our first sip of Brunello wine (means brunette in Italy from a town called Montalcino which we later visited) and tried their famous polpette (fried meatballs) which were scrumptious. We also shared a bowl of pasta amatriciana which also didn't diassapoint.
We next explored our way through the Venetian streets (which at times felt like I was a little rat in some sore of maze experiment!) and headed to La Zucca. La Zucca is a restaurant that has a more vegetarian flare which is rare in Italy. We tried a yummy pesto linguine and then took to the streets to get lost some more, luckily if dining some gelato along the way.
The next more Brian woke up early and explored Venice before the city had even woke up. I joined him a few hours later at the Rialto Market where we saw locals buy fresh seafood and produce. Afterwards, we sipped a cappocuino and Il Doge in true Italian style-- standing at the bar!
I downloaded a Rick Steves hour long audio tour and learned the details of San Marco square's history.
Before heading out we stopped at Bacco which John had recommended as a good place to grab lunch and a spot that the gondoliers go to enjoy a panina in between rides.
After lunch we got on a vaparetto and drove our way through Italy to our next destination--- Florence!
We had a beautiful drive through unreal alpine scenery and arrived in Venice mid-afternoon (and didn't meet any Italian polizia!!). Brian and I got on the vaporetto (water taxi) and got to approach Venice by water which was incredible.
Our hotel was located around San Marco square so after we dropped off our bags we headed out to enjoy some incredible people watching. My friend John Witty recently lived in Venice and he emailed us with a list of amazing local spots that he loved during his stay. Essentially we made a list of John's favorite spots and tried to hit as many as we could in the 24 hours we were there!
One of his recommendations was to have a spritz at Quadri, one of the outdoor restaurants at St.Mark's square, to soak in the atmosphere of the piazza. I enjoyed a Campari spritz and Brian enjoyed a Aperol spritz all the while an old time band played some classic tunes.
For dinner we headed to Osteria Alla Vedova which John described as "still being stuck in the early 1900s--- they don't even have an expresso machine which in Italy is a commitment!" We had our first sip of Brunello wine (means brunette in Italy from a town called Montalcino which we later visited) and tried their famous polpette (fried meatballs) which were scrumptious. We also shared a bowl of pasta amatriciana which also didn't diassapoint.
We next explored our way through the Venetian streets (which at times felt like I was a little rat in some sore of maze experiment!) and headed to La Zucca. La Zucca is a restaurant that has a more vegetarian flare which is rare in Italy. We tried a yummy pesto linguine and then took to the streets to get lost some more, luckily if dining some gelato along the way.
The next more Brian woke up early and explored Venice before the city had even woke up. I joined him a few hours later at the Rialto Market where we saw locals buy fresh seafood and produce. Afterwards, we sipped a cappocuino and Il Doge in true Italian style-- standing at the bar!
I downloaded a Rick Steves hour long audio tour and learned the details of San Marco square's history.
Before heading out we stopped at Bacco which John had recommended as a good place to grab lunch and a spot that the gondoliers go to enjoy a panina in between rides.
After lunch we got on a vaparetto and drove our way through Italy to our next destination--- Florence!
