After wrapping up a great few weeks in the northwestern part of Croatia, we found we could take a 2.5 hour high speed ferry directly from Rovinj to Venice. Though we would go ahead and do this, and get into Italy before any additional Covid restrictions were put into place. So, up at the crack of dawn to catch our 7:30 AM ferry. Unfortunately, it was a dark and stormy day…ferry cancelled! But all was good - they put those of us who were going one-way (about two thirds of the people were going just as a day trip) on a bus, and we departed on a 4.5 hour ride.

Other than rain, wind, thunder and lightning, it was a great trip. We of course were a bit nervous about crossing the border - would there be Covid checks, etc? Of course not! We stopped at the Slovenia border crossing and everyone got off the bus and presented “papers” to border control. We just have our passports and vaccination cards - not the full “green pass” that is said to be required. After approximately 5 seconds -we were in! Very smooth and easy process, and we were on our way to Venice.

This was our first time in Venice so not sure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised - astonished is maybe a better word. This place is incredible. The bus driver dropped us off near the pier where the ferry would normally come in, so we had a choice of a 70 Euro water taxi, or a 15 minute walk - so of course we walked. It was easy, other than hauling bags up and over about 6 canal bridges, but the incredible scenery made up for that.

We really thought about what hotel to choose here - the ones with canal views run about $500-$1,000+ per night, and standing in the room to look at a view is not how we roll, so - we opted for the AC Hotel, which at $120 a night was a much better fit. “Spend less - travel more”! And the hotel was about 50 yards away from the canals. Anyway our hotel was awesome, especially Sara who works in the restaurant/bar. Our rate included a free drink every night and she made the best - and added appetizers as well. She was awesome!

We spent the few days we had in Venice exploring as much as possible. There are 117 islands that make up the city, with over 400 bridges connecting them. Not sure if we made it to every island, but my legs tell me I did all 400 bridges, a couple times! There are basically 6 districts in Venice, called “sestieri”. Maybe the most well known of these is San Marco, where you’ll find the Piazza San Marco, and many of the upper-end hotels. But for us on our first day, we decided to visit San Polo and the Rialto Market. The walking is fairly easy here, and there are a few main routes to get around. But it was also fun to just get lost - taking some smaller streets through small neighborhoods.

The Rialto Market was good - I would not give it a “great”, but we were not early birds either, so we may have missed some of the best parts of it.

While the market itself was not a highlight, the journey there and back certainly was. Plenty of different districts with their own squares and shops with all sorts of character. Shops selling masks for Carnival of Venice are everywhere. You can find cheap plastic masks from street vendors for a few Euro, or those from artisans selling for hundreds and even thousands. You can also find great food everywhere, and of course a day in Venice would not be complete without a “Spritz”. A Spritz: Prosecco (either flat or with bubbles), Aperol or Campari or Select (Select is local to Venice and a good mid-point between the other two), and a blast of Club Soda. A very refreshing drink on a hot summer day!

The views are incredible everywhere you turn, and it is really hard to capture through a phone/camera. Each district has it’s own unique character, and all have significant structures and history. The Piazza San Marco is amazing, as is the Basilica di Santa Maria, just across the Grand Canal.

Of course everyone wants to take a gondola ride, right? Well…maybe not. Watching people take gondola rides and taking pictures of them was good enough for us (and they just stare at their cell phones anyway). And for about 2 Euros (instead of 100), you can take a mini-gondola ride across the Grand Canal in a “Traghetto”, which is nice when it is a good distance between bridges!

As the sun sets on Venice, the lights start to come on and the streets and restaurants get a bit more crowded - but nothing like they used to be, or so we heard. The large cruise ships are no longer allowed here (even though they are being built in Venice shipyards), and starting in 2022 we heard they will require tourists to purchase a ticket to visit the city, to help reduce crowds and improve life for the many locals that actually live in this beautiful city - they may even like to enjoy a movie occasionally!

In addition to the pictures above, there are more in the photo album for Venice. I’m also attaching a couple Rick Steves’ videos on Venice which are great - each about 25 minutes long, but very informative (and he does much better video than we do).

That’s it for now from Venice. We are headed to Susegana and the Prosecco wine region next. I will try to get caught up on the blogging over the next several days.

All the best to everyone and stay well,

Tim & Eileen