DEAR VENICE,
|
Thank you for not sinking. Truly. When we arrived here today I was a little nervous. It was raining and wet and the weather went from sprinkles to downpour in minutes flat as we hoofed it to our hotel. It's okay, I'm not complaining about a little rain. It's just that being here makes my heart swoon a little. I want to dance in St. Mark's Square. I want to wander (not wade) through your hidden piazzas. I want to drown myself in your glorious, glorious wine, not in your secret alleyways.
So, once again, the most heartfelt grazie for being at your most magical self. Yours in Amore, Leslie ps. This was my second time to Venice and she did not disappoint. Wakey, wakey! Lick that Nutella off your fingers because it's time to see a few Venice landmarks. For me, Venice is just the right mix of historical goodness with random discoveries. We decided to get to few main sights early: St. Mark's Basilica (above centre), the tall, tall Campanile (just to it's right) and Doge's Palace (not seen but nestled to the right beside the Basilica). Once again, we powered up Mr. Rick's Audio Guide App and he lead us through a brief history of the Square and these sights.
In the afternoon, we ate our weight in gelato, got lost and always seemed to pop up at another piazza. Molto bene. My final advice to you on Venice is this:
1. Have a cicchetti experience, which is essentially skipping a sit-down dinner in favor of a "pub-crawl" meal of apps and a bevvie. There's an intimate grouping of cantinas just west of the Rialto Bridge. Let the staff suggest a collection of snacks and pick a nice glass of house red. You won't be disappointed. 2. Take that gondola ride down the Grand Canal. Yes it's overpriced and predictable, but isn't that why you came here? Split the cost with 24 of your closest American friends and enjoy the campy goodness of your gondoliers singing you a tune. |