Venetian Blinded

Saturday, January 13, 2018
Venice, Veneto, Italy
So after many years of putting it off, we finally came to Venice. I was here as a solo traveler in October 2003, after Europe's most deadly heatwave in a decade. I came for just three hours, while on a break from a workcamp outside Milan. In those three hours, I was repelled the garbage, the incredible stink, the overcrowding, and the hordes of fat white people screaming at each other while simultaneously shoving gelato in their faces. It took me fifteen years to return; Matt has never been to this amazing city, so I agreed to go just for a weekend, and in January when it's deserted.
We arrived very late last night- by the time we cleared customs, rode the bus from the airport to Piazzale Romano, and walked through a deserted Venice to find our hotel in the dark, it was 1am. We experienced a silent, dark, deserted Venice on our mile-long walk to our guesthouse, which is something I didn't think was possible in the 21st century.  It was spooky and romantic on a clear night.
When we arrived at our little guesthouse, we were pleased to find it to be a 14th century palazzo transformed into a snug, meandering bed and breakfast. Sitting right on the canal in the Castello district, it manages to be cozy and regal at the same time. (to be clear, the off-season and Expedia discounts didn't hurt either.)
We were up by 8am this morning with a full Venice itinerary to fulfill.  Our first stop was the corner cafe, for coffee and brioche, then we headed over the many bridges to Saint Mark's Square.  I noted how much easier it was to navigate the maze that is Venice in the daylight; last night, we were surprised to realize how little of Venice is lit up at night. I was also stunned to note that unlike my previous visit, this Venice was litter-free, and lacking that pervasive eau de Venice garbage scent. It was also empty of humans.
Given that it's January, we knew it was a quiet, relatively tourist-free time in Venice. But we did not expect St Mark's Square to be virtually empty at 9am. The famous harbor with its canal boats was devoid of humanity, cruise ships, touts, and even its germy pigeons. It was peaceful but eerie, as we weren't certain we'd slept through the Rapture or something.
We got in line to visit St Mark's Cathedral; and by "got in line" I mean we walked in with maybe ten other people. We viewed the massive dome mosaics and the sarcophagus of Saint Mark, then went to the Doge's Palace next door,  which is a lavish museum of the chancellor of Venice and his secret council. It features the famous "Bridge of Sighs" over the canals, ornate meeting rooms, and underground prisons. It took us the entirety of the morning to view both sites, and by noon, we both noted our mutual exhaustion from Amazing Overload. This is something we've not felt since our trip to Egypt in 2010; as in Egypt, everything in Venice is gorgeous, historically significant, and ancient. It's overwhelming, and a lot to cram into a weekend for two people who managed to stretch a visit to Plovdiv, Bulgaria into three days. I'm just saying.
We visited the Museo Correr, the former palace on St. Mark's Square. It was reminiscent of the Hapsburg Palace in Vienna with its over-the-top furnishings and grandeur, made only more so by the fact that we were the ONLY people there.  But we soon realized that we'd been running through Venice nonstop since 8am, without any Venice deliciousness to fuel our explorations.  So we stopped for a classic Venetian lunch of cichetti- Venetian tapas- at the tiny Do Mori and All'Arco bars. These bars are so small that barely five people can crowd into them, all while eating and drinking wine. It's cheap and fun and cozy.  
After lunch, we managed to cross most of the highlights of Venice off our to-see list, including the Rialto Bridge and market, the Teatro Fenice (Venice's famous opera house), and the Gallerie dell'Accademia (another Italian Renaissance art museum, so by "visit" we mean "walk by and forget to go inside").  We decided to give in to Museum Fatigue, and instead focus on our exploration of Venice's food.  I can safely report that it's not just gelato that is amazing in Venice (though I will openly admit to trying more than three flavors). We also grazed through their amazing pastries, including cornetto (horn-shaped pastry filled with cream), cannoli, and even their local version of Vienna's Sacher Torte. And not only do these go well with coffee, they are also excellent with locally produced Prosecco. We, umm, sampled a lot of that too.
We strolled the Zattere at sunset, which is a long canalside promenade in the Dorsoduro neighborhood.  Visiting in January, we'd expected few tourists, but we didn't expect stunning weather. The sunset over Venice was pink and purple and baby blue, and gorgeous. 
We opted for an early dinner at a tiny trattoria serving fried local squid and sardines, and fell into bed at 11pm. Tomorrow the conquest continues.

Comments

Brad Gardner
2018-01-15

Wow...you really hit the jackpot. We were in Venice in mid October and it was still very crowded. Love the photos!

2025-02-07

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