During the summer of 2019, when I was living in London, I decided to go back to Italy to spend the summer. In August, with a dear friend, we decided to go to Venice for a weekend.
To get to the capital of Veneto from Ferrera (my city of origin) you can arrive by train or by car, more or less the necessary time is the same, about 1.30hr.
Upon entering the city you have to go through Via Della Libertà, a spectacular road on the water, the view from there is breathtaking.
We arrived by car on a Friday afternoon. After parking, we move to the Airbnb to take a shower and leave our luggage.
The place was very central and was a perfect weekend accommodation.
Ready and excited for the night ahead, we leave the house to take a walk and look for a place to drink a glass of wine before having dinner.
It was about 7:30 pm, and the feeling was exceptional. Walking around this city with no plans and no specific place to go is a fantastic feeling; Also, because getting lost is extremely easy.
Plus, walking around this city is hard! The Floating City consists of a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and connected by over 400 bridges. Yes, 400!
For the first night, the plan was to don’t have a plan. I actually love adventurous escapes, so in places like this, I like to go without too many itineraries.
After a couple of glasses of white wine and a lot of chat, we move to dinner.
Francesca, my travel companion was more expert than myself about the “City of Water”; She used to come to the city for the so-called “Tour of the Baccari” characteristic tour of all the taverns and bars in the city accompanied by drinks and snacks.
On her recommendation, we then decide to go to a well-known tavern to eat.
Food, as most of the time in Italy, was delicious! 😋
After enjoying an appetizer and a main course we headed to the Skyline Rooftop Bar for a last drink. Around midnight exhausted and tried by a last Gin Tonic we headed to the bed.
The next day we wake up calmly, around nine in the morning, have breakfast and leave for the visit of Piazza San Marco. The square is truly impressive. The basilica of San Marco rises majestically in front of us, decorated with various statues and gold details. An incredible sight also recommended for non-believers.
San Marco square measures 180 meters long by 70 meters wide and is the only piazza in Venice, since the rest are piazzales or fields. Its construction began in the 9th century, adopting the current size and shape in 1177, being paved 100 years later. It was designed by the architect David Chipperfield at the behest of Napoleon.
Check all info about Piazza San Marco and its church 👉 HERE
After tasting one of the most expensive coffees of my life in Piazza San Marco (highly not recommended) we headed towards the Grand Canal.
Between one alley and another, one bridge and another, we find the immense canal in front of our eyes. Older than Venice itself, the canal can reach a depth of 5 meters and its width up to 70 meters. The smell is honestly not the best but the view is unique in the world.
So we end up finding ourselves at the table again. A classic!
A couple of glasses of white wine and a fish-based pasta and we’re ready to visit the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. This museum contains the most prestigious Italian collection dedicated to European and American art from the first half of the 1900s. Here you can meet works by: Pollock, de Chirico, Picasso, and Kandinsky.
Opening hours: every day from 10 to 18.
Closed: Tuesday.
Cost of the ticket: 15 €.
Fascinated and tired by the intense breath of art, we then went to the apartment to rest and prepare for the evening.
For dinner we had booked a nice restaurant called Ai Mercanti. A restaurant born in 1980 on the bridge in Campo delle Becarie in Rialto. I must say that dinner was a pleasant experience. Fantastic service and truly delicious food.
Highly recommended for a romantic dinner or in the company of family and friends. We stop at the restaurant until late, ending the meal with an Amaro del Capo, a typical digestive in Italy.
Exhausted around midnight we then decide to go to sleep, as the next day we would have to return in the morning to the Lidi Ferraresi where we would have continued the holidays with friends.
What can I say, this short and intense moment in Venice was truly wonderful. A unique city that must be seen at least once in a lifetime, even just in a day.
Some more Pics of our Venice escape!
