Another couple of days, and another update on our Italian adventure! On Monday (May 2nd) we hopped on a train from Bolonga for a day trip to Venice. We had not originally planned to go to Venice, but after talking to our host in Bolonga, he highly recommended it, as it is one of the most unique cities in the world. So off we went, no plans, no tours, we just took off.
As you arrive by train into Venice, it's actually pretty underwhelming until you step out from the train station and into the city, as the surrounding areas are filled with commercials docks, huge container ships and industry. But when you step into Venice for the first time, it feels like you are stepping back in time.
As we walked around, strolling up and over the canals with beautiful bridges, it is hard not to find the city romantic. It's no wonder that couples around the world come here, or why the city has been so romanticized by Western culture, it is breathtaking. Fresh ocean breezes keep it quite cool, and since it was raining on and off for the first couple of hours after we arrived, it was a bit chilly. We strolled past massive basilicas, and every bit of the land we utilized to support more buildings for businesses and residents. It was amazing to not see any grass or “land” anywhere, just beautifully bricked walkways and streets.
We sat down to eat something quickly at a small Cafe, and this is when we were made aware how touristy the place is. The food was OK, but certainly resembled something you would get at a cafeteria. None the less, it hit the spot and we continued strolling towards San Marco Square, one of the most photographed locations in the world. As we walked, we encountered more and more souvenir shops, locals trying to sell Gondola rides on the canals, and just general touristy garbage. That being said, the sights, the buildings and the history made up for any of these annoyances.
When we first walked into San Marco Square, the view was stunning. The details on the buildings were ornate and unique - and the Plaza itself was massive! It was absolutely packed with people! In order to get some better shots of the area, we strolled to the middle which was filled by pigeons, some being fed bread by tourists. We noticed a boy with a couple of pigeons on his arms, and I asked if I could take a picture - which led to the boys mother offering to give Hanna a couple of pigeons she had on her arms. Before Hanna could say no loudly enough to be heard, she had 2 pigeons on her arm, eating bread out of her hands. It was pretty cool, and I have some great shots on the SLR of her disgust! Not soon after, the Poliza walked over and let everyone know that feeding the birds was a fine of 50 Euro, per bird, per feeding, so we let the birds find another perch and continued wandering.
We ended up having a very nice lunch with a bottle of wine and a “spritz” on a patio in a Plaza about 10 min past San Marco. It was an incredibly relaxing time to just sit and people watch, there were people visiting from all over the world. So many languages to hear! After finishing our lunch we continued to walk around the islands, and was surprised that we were able to walk the circumference of the city within the 8 hours or so we were there. My fitbit was screaming at me for how many steps we were doing, it's been cool to be able to track!
We headed back to the Venice train station to head back to Bolonga, and once we got back into our favorite Italian city (so far), it was close to 10pm and we needed to find some dinner. There wasn't a lot open, but foursquare didn't end up finding us an amazing place, so we just kept our eyes open. Ended up going down a small lane to find a restaurant built under the street/building, almost like a small subway station. We weren't sure what to expect, especially when Hanna asked for some balsamic and oil for our bread, and the server smiled slyly and told her “No”. It ended up being the best thing, as he recommended a couple of dishes and we were blown away. While initially a bit unsure, this server ended up being one of the best so far. The restaurant had only a couple tables being used, but by a couple of Italian families, eating and drinking until the place closed - it was clearly a local joint.
The next day, which happened to be my 32nd Birthday, we relaxed in our apartment for most of the day, until the evening when we got dressed up and went out to a couple of cafés for drinks and apps, then settled into a highly recommended restaurant which was right beside the two towers near our apartment. The walls were lined with famous people who had dined there, and it was recommended on foursquare to do the tasting menu, which was 5 courses and included wine pairings for 79 Euro each. Each dish was great, but two dishes stood out to me - the bone broth with tortellini and the deconstructed creme brule with a Campari jelly were unbelievable.
After filling ourselves with great food, we walked back to the apartment and packed up for our journey to Cinque Terre, which is where I'm writing this post from! We're riding the rails through some of the most beautiful back country I've ever seen, mountainous, but refined. We'll be arriving at our hotel for the next couple of days in about 3 hours!
Until next update!