Aug. 28, 1999: Monique, Kelli and I arrived in Venice. Here we are in St. Mark's Square.
St. Mark's Basilica
We visited a famous glass-blowing factory.
And, of course, no trip to Venice is complete without a gondola ride!
The ride is absolutely beautiful, going under bridges and seeing beautiful scenery. This is a picture of Mozart's home. As 1000 Places to See Before You Die states, gondolas are "the most enjoyable and romantic way to see the hidden corners of this unique city whose streets are filled with water."
Feeding the birds.....
The view of Venice as we sailed away.
Verdict: We only spent one day in Venice, but I thought that was plenty. Absolutely worth seeing with plenty of things to do to fill a day or two, but we felt ready to move on to other European sites after one fun-filled day!
UPDATE: Revisited Venice Oct. 2024
And it was worth going back 25 years later just to get better pictures!
Since I rode a gondola last time I was here, I didn't feel the need to do it again this time. Rather, I enjoyed watching them and meandering the streets and bridges by foot.
All these scenic nooks and crannies and vantage points.
Rialto bridge.
St. Mark's Square.
Last time, I remember this place covered with pigeons. This time, I barely saw any.
Also this time, we toured the inside and went to the very top and looked out.
The view from on top!
This was Dave's first time to Venice, so I was glad I got to go back with him.
Also, last time, we just went during the day. This time, we spent the night and my husband cashed in all our Marriott points for a night at the Gritti!
We were greeted in our room (#304) with a bowl of fruit and a chilled bottle of wine.
Our room overlooked the Grand Canal and we could hear the gondoliers singing as they went by.
The lobby had this book filled with signatures of all the dignitaries and celebrities and VIPs that have stayed here over the years including Margaret Thatcher, Tom Cruise, Natalie Wood and much more!
Goodnight, Venice!
The next morning, we said goodbye to the Gritti, and hopped on a boat which took us all the way to the airport. It's the first time I've taken a boat to the airport - so cool!
Revised Verdict: So, I didn't think I cared about coming back here again as I kind of felt like Venice was a "one and done" kind of place. But I'm very glad I came back here and I look at it through different eyes now. When I came last time, I was 23 years old, single, had no money and came with a couple girlfriends for a day trip in the middle of the summer when it was hot and crowded. This time, I was 48, with my husband, staying in a nice hotel, in the Fall so crowds were minimal and weather was nice. Also, it's really nice to stay here overnight. After about 5-6pm, all the day-trippers and cruise passengers leave and you feel like you have the city to yourself. We picked up some made-to-order fresh pasta to go and wandered all over the city, waterways, bridges, etc. We had St. Mark's square practically to ourselves with two different string quartets playing live music. It was magical and romantic and beautiful and memorable. So..... go to Venice. And then go again and spend the night.
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