Water World: Venice in 4 Days

Venice can never be summed up in one word; it would be even insulting to try. My first steps tasting the Venetian air is like inhaling life. How incredibly warm the breeze feels, how blue the water looks, how old the city truly is. I am not in Seattle anymore. I first traveled to Venice in October of 2015 and I believe mid to late autumn is the best time to travel to the floating city. The temperatures hover around the high 60s to low 70s with the humidity making it seem warmer than it is.

My journey into the city was a little unconventional where I flew into Milan then took a direct train into Venice however the most common way to get to the city is landing at Marco Polo Airport where you can either take one of several buses (the most common being the #5) or take the scenic approach of entering the city by boat. What ever method you choose to arrive in the city, the journey should begin at either Constitution or Scalzi Bridge. These two bridges are the gateways into the city that tells locals and tourist alike that only foot traffic is allowed past this point. Yes you can take one of the many different water taxis that operate throughout the canal systems in the city but Venice is strictly a car free town - anything you bring must be hand carried so try using a suitcase with sturdy wheels for those uneven streets.

One of the very first things you should do when you arrive is to get a Venezia Unica card - this is a city pass that covers 45 different museums, churches, theaters and historical sites as well as covers your fare for the water taxis. The card price ranges from $25 - $80 and it’s a vital tool if you want to stay ahead of the crowds because with the card you skip the line too for museum/church entry. You can purchase the card online and pick it up in person at a self-service ticket machine (locations listed here) and immediately start using it. Trust me, this is a must have card when in the city.

TIP: The best way to acclimate to a new timezone is (depending on what time you arrive in the country) is to keep yourself busy until the evening. I arrived shortly after 1pm and was understandably exhausted however I knew in order to wake up on Venice time I needed to push myself to keep going until the late evening. Have an itinerary for your first day but try not to plan too much and keep it simple for instance…

Day 1 - St. Marks Square

The most popular tourist gathering in the city and my first stop in Venice is St. Marks Square. Despite being in a completely different country, I still saw a lot of home – american brands, american stores, american tourists, ect. There were still Venetians here and there but the city at that moment felt…empty; like a shell that a hermit crab once called home. Surrounding me were a million copies of me; tourist with a camera around their necks and always looking up, upwards to the top of Saint Mark's Basilica, St Mark's Campanile or one of the many other impressive Gothic era structures that box people within the square. A positive note about traveling to Venice (and Europe in general) during the autumn months is the lower crowds that makes visiting popular attractions and museums a breeze. I was easily able to walk into the Basilica with no line or wait and silently stroll up and down the aisles.

Outside in the square, the most common ‘attraction’ if you would call it that is to go native with the pigeons. The pigeons in Venice are so acclimated to human interactions that it is extremely common for the birds to land on your arm, shoulders or even head. I spotted a few tourist who succeeded in gathering several birds up along their arms while posing for that Instagram shot - I do not encourage this, these birds are still rats with wings.

I was traveling with my sister and her husband (Mrs. Ram & Mr. Goat) while in Venice so we felt this was a good time to head for some dinner however they still wanted me on my feet. The best way to tackle hunger while fighting jet lag is to take advantage of the tapas scene in Venice. We would arrive at a counter that serves wine and small appetizers and after we finished we go out to the next one. This wine walk is a great way to both explore the city all while absorbing the Venetian culture one tapas plate at a time.

Must Try Bites

Cantine del Vino già Schiavi
Bacaro da Fiore
Cantina Do Mori
Al Mercà

These are all counter service restaurants where you walk up to their window or squeeze yourself in a cozy nook to order and all the menu items are appetizers, not large american meals. We tried nearly a dozen of tapas places like this but the ones I enjoyed the most are listed above. Keep in mind, these places are not table service restaurants so there are little to no tables to sit at so most of the time we were standing while sipping on a glass of wine with an appetizer or sandwich in our hands.

After a successful wine walk, we headed back to our flat where I was finally able to rest my head and wake up the next morning on Venice time.

Day 2 - Coffee, Museums and Palaces, Oh My

One of my favorite things about mornings in Venice (or really anywhere in Europe) is waking up to the sound of bells. I love hearing the chimes echo throughout the city and be reminded on where I am when I get out of bed. As we enter the brisk morning air, we walked to our first stop, coffee. We visited a few during our stay but we found the best place to grab that perfect cup is at Caffè del Doge. The trick on how to order coffee here or really anywhere in Venice is first either decided if you will drink it by the counter or at a table but keep in mind, cafes will charge you more if you sit down. The second trick is to know what you want before you enter the shop and order fast. The baristas working the counter want to turn the tables as quickly as possible so if you hesitate, you loose your place in line. Third, finish quickly. There is a ton of people behind you that just want their coffee and get the hell out (and ordering coffee to-go is almost unheard of). I’m not a huge fan of coffee in general however the one drink that won my heart was their unique ginseng coffee - it’s like coffee but with none of the bitterness.

Our second day was a sea of museums and churches where we first started at Gallerie dell'Accademia. It's both a school and a museum that hosts a wide assortment of artwork but I personally thought it was just ok. Lots of artwork from the renaissance era and plenty of sculptures of once famous individuals in the past but overall I felt it was just ok but the majority of the artwork was of early years of the renaissance. As we walked through the gallery, after a while all the Madonna and child paintings kind of looked alike after a while. Don’t get me wrong I get it – back then if you were an artist most of the time you get a commission from the church to paint a religious moment in time but the default always seemed to be Mother Mary and baby Jesus. I got bored very quickly, seeing the same moment painted a hundred times with different brush strokes.

After getting my fill of religious paintings that will last a lifetime, we headed to the southern part of the island to visit the grand estate of the former high lords of Venice, the Doge’s Palace. Venice hasn’t had an elected Doge since the late 1700s and because of this, the palace began to decay due to neglect where only in the early 20th century the Italian government decided to save it. The Doge’s Palace was converted into a museum in 1923 and to this day it is maintained and preserved by the Venice Civic Museums Foundation (or MUVE). The estate is massive with guests having nearly free range to explore every inch of the grounds from the expansive courtyard overlooking the Adriatic Sea to the ornate bedrooms of the former Doge lords. Everyone sees something different way walking the grounds of the palace - you know what I saw? Money. The amount of detail that the Doge’s Palace has even in the most mundane of places shouts only one thing, “marvel at how much money the Doge has”. Every column is decorated with detail carvings and the floors are made of three different types of marble that criss-cross a beautiful pattern; even the common hallway ceilings have incredible artwork that is literally carved and framed in the stone work that curves so elegantly. There is so much detail put in every inch of the estate, eventually your eyes might just glaze over and you get numb to the wealth that the palace once held.

If visiting, the most popular tourist site to explore at the Doge’s Palace is the famous yet sadly named Bridge of Sighs. The bridge is completely enclosed corridor that connects the criminal courtrooms to the adjacent prisons with a small gap in the stone that acts as a sort of window. The Bridge of Sighs is named such because once a criminal is sentenced, they are escorted down the enclosed corridor to the prisons and sigh when they get their last glimpse of the city through the small hole in the wall. Now this might sound like a weird plug but our visit in the museum was made even better because we had help from a fellow Cascadia Native, Rick Steves. If you are planning to travel to Venice (or anywhere in Europe), I highly recommend you purchase his guidebook whether that be the digital copy or paperback version. During our time in the museum, Mrs. Ram downloaded the guidebook and read the chapter regarding the Doge’s Palace aloud while we walked from room to room. Hearing his words spoken out loud when examining a piece of artwork or a particular statue was wonderful and felt like we were getting a private tour from Rick Steves himself (through the voice of my sister of course).

View from the “window” on the Bridge of Sighs

Must Visit Museums

Gallerie dell'Accademia
Doge's Palace
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Museo Correr
Ca' Pesaro

Day 3, The Outer Islands

The city-state is composed of several small islands with Venice being the most populous and primary one. When traveling to the city, you must make time to explore the outer islands and the best two to visit are Murano and Burano. First up is Murano, the island of Venetian glass.

The island was fun – small – but fun. All three of us poked our heads into every glass shop (and it seems that every store on the island sold only one thing – glass) and admired the craftsmanship of the pieces. After the 6th shop we realized that every store is selling the exact same thing. Exact same pattern, exact same shape, exact same piece of glass for the exact same price. While walking to the ferry we came across a shop that seemed different than the majority of glass vendors. Their items seemed slightly unique (and more expensive) so we decided to give the store a better look. After an hour of browsing I ended up buying a set of earrings and a frosted glass bracelet while Mrs. Ram and Mr. Goat bought the kitchen sink of jewelry. It was amusing after a while – right after Mrs. Ram bought a new necklace, Mr. Goat would notice a pair of earrings that would look great on his wife. After purchasing the earrings, Mr. Goat would then spot the perfect set of cuff links that had to be his and on and on it went.

After lying to myself that the glass I bought was authentic and from Venice we boarded the next ferry to Burano. Well, us and everyone else within a 100 mile radius. Seriously, every. single. ferry in Venice was full. Not just ‘full’ either – sardine canned full. I thought we were being clever and avoiding the tourist season by visiting in October but every else had the same thought apparently. After 45 minutes of standing on the world’s most crowded ferry we arrived at Burano. Famous for their lace patterns and fabric, Burano is lined with uniquely painted houses that still look as vibrant and alive as if we were in the 1500s. I already knew this but shortly after arriving on Burano, one of the locals mentioned to us in passing that all the women who use to make the lace on the island have died so every piece of lace you’ll ever see on the island will forever be made abroad (primarily China).

The real reason we came to Burano however was the food. Not food in general but one particular restaurant; Da Ramano. The late Anthony Bourdain (American celebrity chef) made a visit here once before on his travel channel show and now it’s a pilgrimage for any Chef Bourdain fan to try. The restaurant was already famous before Bourdain’s presence since this is the home of the world renowned fish risotto. This dish isn’t just ‘rice’ – it’s an experience of years of practice, technique and passion that is put into each and every bowl. Despite it being cooked in a fish broth it smelled of soft-boiled chicken and it shines in the light like each gain is a small gem with a taste and texture that far exceeds any risotto you can cook up in your kitchen. To get an understanding of how incredible this risotto truly is, watch this clip HERE.

Mr. Goat was feeling particularly hungry that day so he also order their famous ‘cuttlefish pasta’ which is cuttlefish fried in its own ink and tossed with pasta that was also dyed from its ink. I wasn’t a huge fan mostly because it dyed your tongue black but also because it was a bit too oily for my liking. After our late lunch we decided to slowly head back to the main island and recharge for a bit. The ferry going back to Venice had several stops in between so it took a good hour if not more to arrive back and by then the sun had already set.

Evenings in Venice

There was one thing that Mrs. Ram wanted to do before leaving – ride on a gondola. I joined as a third wheel so I can act as a sort of photographer and capture the happy couple in wedded bliss. Out of all the things we’ve done in Venice, this surprisingly was my favorite. I always rolled my eyes when ever I saw someone on a gondola passing by and thinking to myself “Ugh, how tacky! Typical tourist…” however after now riding in one, it was totally worth every penny. Especially at night. Before we headed back to our flat for our final night in the city, we decided to squeeze one more experience and watch the dueling pianos in Saint Marks Square. Depending on the season and day of the week, Saint Marks Square explodes in musical war where several musicians take to the stage and battle against fellow bands with classical tunes. This event is free if you decide to stand however if you are like us, we elected to sit by grabbing a table at one of the many restaurants nearby and buy a few round of drinks while watching the concert.

Day 4

Waking up hearing the church bells echo throughout the city, I felt a little melancholy knowing that this was my last day in Venice. The next stop I had was heading to Florence via train but I made sure to have just enough time to accomplish a goal I set for myself - visit a McDonalds. Now this is in no one a mandatory thing but I love trying region exclusive items on the McDonalds menu and Venice was no exception. The only McDonalds in the city is located on the northern/western part of the island that is slightly out of your way if you are trying to head to the train station but I made it work. The lunch/dinner menu can vary from season to season but one item that is consistently on the menu and only in Italy (as of 2015) - the McToast. The best way to describe this creation is taking two pieces from the top half of a hamburger bun, invert them and put a single slice of ham and swiss cheese in the middle. Honestly it tastes better than it looks - despite the vast difference between the expectations and the reality, I surprisingly enjoyed this sandwich and thought it was a perfect bite to satisfy breakfast hunger.

Overall, Venice is a fantastic city to visit and a great place to start if you never been to Italy. Out of all the places I visited in Europe, Venice is the town that had the least amount of language barrier struggle to deal with. Every single person I talked to spoke perfect English and never once did I feel like an outsider. The food scene is great as well as long as you avoid the tourist areas - if the restaurant is located right next to the water or can seat a huge amount of people, most likely the food is just OK or mediocre. Go to the places that don’t have a great view if you want a great meal - in my experience the best signs to look for is a restaurant that can seat a small amount of people at a time. There is something for everyone in Venice whether you are into history, art, food, culture or that sweet sweet Instagram to show off to your followers.

Will I be back in Venice? I already have and will again - this was originally written in 2015 and I traveled back in autumn of 2017 to experience the Biennale Arte Festival. If you want to read my return to Venice regarding the festival, stay tune.