Monday, June 3, 2024

Our Airbnb was a two-hour drive away from Venice, so our day started early, out the door by 6am. While it is exhausting waking up this early to fit in all the activities on a trip like this, the payout comes when you beat the crowds and experience the break of morning in a new place. This morning, the payout was watching the sunrise as we came down the countryside hill while leaving the Airbnb, just beautiful.

Traffic was not bad and we arrived at San Marco Garage right on time for our reserved parking. Since there are no cars in Venice, there are limited spots to park if a vehicle is your mode of transportation. I highly suggest booking a spot online in advance. I had parked in this garage before and both driving and parking here are very tight. They parked the cars two-deep and there is an attendant on each floor. You leave your keys in the car, just in case they have to maneuver it around for someone else to exit.

There was a little over an hour of extra time before our 10am tour, so we took the opportunity to go get lost in the streets of Venice. In the early morning hours, the crowds are small and you can witness the delivery trucks and other workers preparing the city and restaurants for the day to come.

Venice recently started requiring tourists to pay for a day pass (5 Euro) on busy days, however we were there on a Monday, so no need to register.

Since Rialto Bridge gets busy during the day, we stopped here first before all the shops opened and grabbed a few pictures. We would come back here later during the tour, but knew it would be crowded by that time.

The tour started just outside the Basilica S Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Our guide Andrea spoke about how he used to attend this church when he lived in the city growing up. However, since Venice has become so overpopulated with tourists, majority of the locals had moved away from the city center. He mentioned how over time it had become difficult to find normal local stores, like hardware stores or groceries, since most of the buildings had converted into businesses that catered to the tourist population.

Our first stop was Chiesa Parracchiale di San Pantalon. The church is free to enter and has a marvelous 3D painting on the ceiling. On our way to the next stop, Andrea pointed out the Banksy painting on the side of a building along the canal. We then crossed over a bridge with concrete shoeprints in each corner, marking the scene of where the Venetians had a ritual challenge to see who could throw the other off the bridge into the canal.

On the southern-most section of Venice, you can find Squero di San Trovaso, a business that is dedicated to building and refurbishing the famous gondolas. Just around the corner from there is Gelateria Nico, a great spot to grab gelato and relax on the sunny shoreline. Unfortunately for us, it was starting to rain, so no gelato just yet.

We walked across the main bridge and Ponte dell Accademia and took in the views of the area. Working our way inland, the next stop was Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo, a sprial staircase and location of the film Othello. There was a brief stop at Rosa Salva, where we grabbed some espresso and a few light snacks. Andrea spoke about his Venetian Reggae band and shows us a music video, very unique. The tour concluded at Rialto Bridge and we grabbed a quick pizza lunch at Cafe Vergnano before heading to St Marks Square.

We had booked ahead of time our reservation to go up into the tower at St Marks Campanile. There was a small line that we were able to skip and go directly on the elevator. This is by far the best place to view the city of Venice. You can see all of Venice in all four direction from on top of the tower. This really helps you get the layout of the city, because of the small alleyways in multiple directions Venice can feel like a rat maze after a while.

Pro Tip – Check the tide table before your visit. If you’re in St. Marks Square during high tide, you will have a foot or so of water to wade through, and the water is not exactly clean. Lucky for us, high tide wasn’t until 10pm that day, so we were good.

The kids really wanted to experience a gondola ride, so we walked around until we found one without a line. The cost is regulated, so it is the same no matter where you go, and it is a round trip from where you start. Since there are no roads in Venice, everything moves by the waterway, taxis, trash trucks, ambulances, etc.. Danielle and I enjoyed a drink while the rest of the family floated about.

After they returned, we grabbed some gelato and headed toward Liberia Acqua Alta. I had seen this place online and thought it would be a cool spot to see. However, upon arrival I found everyone else that thought the same thing. The bookstore was overcrowded with people shoulder to shoulder and basically a one-way line walking through the bookstore, up the stairs made of books, then right back out of the store. We didn’t even see any of the bookstore cats! Recommendation would be to skip this spot.

We only had two nights at this Airbnb, and our first night was late, so we wanted to get back, relax and enjoy the place. Each time I go to Venice, I find that one full day is about all you need to see the main city area. If you are looking to visit Morano or some of the other islands, that would be my recommendation for more than one day.

Once we got back to the Airbnb, it was already 9pm. We had stopped to grab a few groceries and cooked dinner in that night. I played some basketball with Cohen and walked around the small town of Guiglia before calling it a night and heading to bed.

Logistics

  • 8:30a – Venice Parking Reservation – San Marco Garage
  • 10a – GuruWalk Tour – Andrea
  • Campo dei Frari
  • Chiesa Parracchiale di San Pantalon
  • Squero di San Trovaso
  • Ponte dell Accademia
  • Ponte di Rialto – Rialto Bridge
  • Liberia Acqua Alta bookstore
  • 2p – St Marks Campanile
  • Doge’s Palace – skipped

Restaurants

  • Rosa Salva – Coffee and snacks
  • Cafe Vergnano
  • Padua – Ristorante La Montanella – Closed on Mondays, so we didn’t go this time, but I have been before. Great outside seating with a view and wonderful food.

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