Travel & Hotspots
VENICE DIARY
Kiki was there and she’s showing you all the hotspots
I recently wrote a post about the difficulty in finding a present for the man in your life. Especially when it’s his birthday. But let me tell you, I scored an overdose of gold stars this time around: a weekend trip to Venice for his 29th birthday. I don’t want to mention the weather though because my god, it was dreadful. Our first day was fine and luckily I shot a few days worth of photos on Instagram. Yup, I’m THAT person.
Anyway, despite the disappointing weather, the city itself was amazing. The gondolas (please don’t go in them yourself because it’s ridiculously expensive and to be honest, quite embarrassing), the streets, the serenity (no cars anywhere), the elegant fashion, the cozy restaurants overlooking the water, the wine bars… Seriously, take me back. But then with 25 degree temperature. Keen on going? Here are the highlights:
1. Pizza San Marco
It’s full of tourists, but it’s one of those places you really can’t skip when you’re there. The square is the symbolic centre of Venice and very Instagrammable. In the cafés you’ll find cute little orchestras and from here you can walk towards my favorite architectural masterpiece: the Doge palace. A building with a façade so gorgeous, you could look at it for days. I wouldn’t recommend eating in this area, unless you’re willing to pay for food with hefty price tags.
2. The Rialtobrug
Another important symbol in Venice you can’t leave the city without a photo of. Here’s a tip: take a vaporetto across the Canal Grande when you arrive – it’ll be like an exploration of the city’s ‘boulevard’ consisting of countless markets, bars and shops in the Rialto area.
3. Murano
In Venice, you’re surrounded by glass work. This is the only island where glass blowers are allowed to operate. The cool thing about it is that you can watch them while they work (seriously guys, it’s a true form of art). And for those of you who have an uncanny obsession for glass, there’s a glass museum you can pop by.
4. The lively suburb Campo Santa Margherita
Ahh, so this is where all the Italian youngsters hang out. It’s a peaceful suburb with a bunch of markets during the day, and at night it turns into student central. Popular hotspots include Café Rosso (for the best espressos and panini’s) and the red painted wine bar Do Draghi. And if you’re in the mood for some Venetian ice cream, make sure to stop by Galetaria II Doge.
5. Burano
Venice’s Cape Town. Colored. Houses. Everywhere. So. Cool.
6. Torcello
It’s a 5-minute boat trip from Burano. Here you’ll find the impressive Santa Maria Assunta cathedral, with thousands of colorful mosaic stones.
7. Mestre
Have you seen everything the island has to offer and want to go on a rural tour? Take a 15-minute bus into Mestre. The lively city center has a huge shopping street and lots of great restaurants. The hotels are 4 times cheaper than in the center of Venice, so it’s a superb option for travelers on a budget.
And to finish off, here’s a fun fact I really have to share with you which I found out about a little too late; Neapolitan songs like ‘O Sole Mio’ are highly inappropriate here in Venice. Gondoliers have to steer clear from this well known repertoire if they don’t want to get a 500 euro (!!!) fine. This might sound outrageous, but a song like ‘O Sole Mio’ is as inappropriate to the chauvinistic Venetians as singing Queen’s ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ at a wedding. Just FYI.
