“Getting lost is the only place worth going to.” --Tiziano Scarpa
Venice, ItalyAfter our longest travel day, we arrived in Venice in the late afternoon. A vaporetto took us into the city of hundreds of small islands, and soon we were getting settled at Hotel Mercurio, just a few confusing streets away from San Marco Square. Again Cristina arranged for a dinner that we joined in on, and we feasted on pasta and wine--John, the foodie, was in heaven! After dinner, Cristina led us on what seemed to be a wild goose chase to find what she and Rick Steves deem to be the best gelato in all of Venice, and while we seemingly were lost the entire time, she knew right where to go! We quickly learned that maps are worthless in Venice, but getting lost was half the fun as we wound our way along the canals and bridges that connect this city unlike any other. We were even able to find La Boutique del Gelato again on our own--so our Venice navigation skills were successful!
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Getting Lost in Venice
On our full day in Venice we embraced the idea of getting lost. There were a few things we wanted to make sure we found, but other than attending Mass at St. Mark's Basilica and exploring the Doge's Palace, we just wandered around and tried to experience everything the city had to offer. We capped off the night with dinner with some tour friends and of course, a gondola ride through the canals. By waiting until the evening we had the canals to ourselves, sharing only with our friendly gondolier who serenaded us and shared his knowledge of Venice; it was worth the extra evening cost.
Venetian AdventuresBy leaving the hotel bright and early we avoided the cruise-boat crowds and made it to the Doge's Palace when it was just opening. We had plenty of time and space to explore the opulence that the Doges enjoyed when Venice was an independent, though very corrupt, state!
Following the Palace, we decided to immerse ourselves more into the Italian culture and attend Mass at St. Mark's. Though neither of us speak much Italian beyond "Ciao Bella!" and the like, we were able to understand what each part of the Mass was, and whenever we were confused we were able to appreciate the impressive mosaics and murals without crowds pushing us along.
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Venice Highlights |
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Favorite Venice Moment?
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Through the Looking Glass |