25 hours in Venice

I had wanted to go to Venice ever since I first saw Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Friends had told me what a wonderful place it was, which only hyped me up for wanting to go. So when a friend of mine also said she wanted to go, I jumped at the chance... it had only taken 10 years to get someone to go.

Due to several circumstances, we found we didn't have many dates we were both free, so we settled on a weekend. We booked a flight for the Saturday morning and a flight home on Sunday night, giving us 25 hours in the city. Many people questioned why we were going for such a short time, but we managed to see everything we wanted to and saw the most iconic sights.

We arrived at Marco Polo airport (1 hour behind schedule after being delayed) and went straight to find the Alilaguna which is the public water taxi service, rather than the private water taxis which are so much more expensive. We booked our tickets using one of the free standing kiosks. It was about 16 euros for a return ticket. Make sure you hold on to your ticket. You need them once you get off the boat back at the airport... someone on our boat dropped her ticket and had to buy a new one. It's about a 10 minute walk from the airport terminals to the boat dock but it is well sign-posted. The people at the Alilaguna weren't very tolerant... we didn't realise maps were available and when we went to ask if we could get one, the lady basically went 'tough'... Luckily for us, one of the other assistants saw our panic and 'distress' and slipped us a spare map when his colleague wasn't looking.

It took about 1 hour from the airport to the centre of Venice. The boat was fairly smooth and we went via Burano which was nice as we knew we wouldn't get to visit the island during our trip. Try to get a seat near the front or back of the boat, to get a good view out of the windows and a little bit of breeze to relieve the stuffiness... be prepared though, if the windows are open you may get sprayed a little.

We disembarked at St Mark's square to find our hotel. We knew we were staying near St Mark's square but didn't realise how close to it. We walked down one of the side streets and our hotel was about 50 yards down it. We stayed at the San Gallo, St Mark's square. The location was perfect and the hotel was clean, well priced and the hotel staff were very friendly. Plus, right on our doorstop was a gelato shop, so of course we had to have one!

The most useful tip I can give is to take a map and trace your route on it. Venice is like a  maze; you can turn down a street and come to a dead end, or walk down several streets and end up back where you started. Amy turned the map each time we turned down a street and we only got lost once.

One of the main reason for my visit was to see the church  in the San Barnabo square; the church that doubles up for a library in the last of the Indiana Jones trilogy. We were following the map under Amy's excellent directions when we came out of a tiny side street to see it there; it was a beautiful building and so much more impressive than I imagined it.

For the rest of the afternoon, we meandered and mooched throughout the little streets. The whole layout of the city astonished me; we would be walking down a seemingly deserted street which would then unexpectedly open out onto a square, or we would come down an alleyway to the water's edge. We crossed bridges as gondolas sailed under them and walked along the canal's edge.

For dinner we found a little restaurant outside for a much needed rest. 

As we couldn't decide what to have, we ordered a pizza and pasta and split it between us. I could have stayed in Venice another week just to experience all the yummy food. One thing we noticed was Italian boys had no problem flirting with married women; Amy got her fair share of attention from the waiters, despite her wedding ring on her hand... 

Having walked for miles, we were shattered so headed back to the hotel for an early night. We managed to cover about half of the island, so we planned on covering the other half the next day.

Day 2

Following a yummy breakfast (and an extra guest of a gecko), we set out for our final hours in Venice. First stop was St Mark's square. Ensure to get here early; we left here about 10 am and it was already filling up with people. That was another thing that amazed me- the crowds around the main tourist attractions were intense, yet walk 2 minutes down a side street and it was deserted. We didn't go round the Basilica or Doge's palace but the architecture from the outside was beautiful. 

We wandered the alleys and water ways for a couple of hours, passing several of the classic Venice sights; gondolas, outside dining, beautiful architecture and the Bridge of Sighs.

Our final port of call was the Rialto Bridge, probably the most recognised landmark in Venice. From afar the bridge looked beautiful and impressive across the Grand Canal. Up close, however it was bombared with hoardes of tourists (including us). Everyone was fighting to get the perfect spot for the standard instagram photo. Despite this, it was still a beautiful building and the view over the canal was spectacular.

We found a small side street which led onto the water's edge in front of the Rialto bridge which was a lot quieter and gave better photos than standing on the bridge.

Our time in Venice sadly came to an end. We climbed back on the water taxi and watched the city scape disappear into the horizon. I was worried the hype of Venice would give me over hyped expectations, but I can confidently say it lived up to them and more!
Thank you Amy for such a fabulous weekend. xx

Hints and Tips

Marco Polo airport is a shambles, especially the departures. All the plane departures were delayed and very little information was given. In the end, we were nearly 2 hours late departing.

Wear comfortable shoes. Go for comfort over style.

Follow your route on a map with a pen and turn the map as you turn down each street. You will get lost, so doing this will help give you a sense of which way you are facing.

You have to pay extra to sit down in a cafe. Take your drinks and snacks away and find a square to sit down in.

There are standing taps dotted through out the city with water running from them. At first we were worried it wasn't safe to drink, but we saw others fill up their bottles and neither of us came away with dodgy tummies.

Gelato 😍😍😍