Things I Love To Do In Venice
There are some places in Venice that you just have to see, The Doge’s Palace and The Basilica of St Mark for a start, but these grand places are not all that Venice is made up of. I have put together a short list of some simple ways to get the feel of Venice under your own steam and in your own time.
#1 Take the Alilaguna vaporetto from the airport into Venice. You get to see the lagoon before Venice herself comes in to view and you have a chance to sit and relax for 40 minutes or so to prepare yourself for the most amazing city on earth.
#2 Wear comfortable shoes.
Everywhere in Venice is stone, bridges and cobbles. You will be walking a lot there is surely nothing worse than uncomfortable feet.
#3 Walk and let yourself get lost.
You can’t go far unless you start swimming! Venetians walk on the right which you get used to pretty quickly. There are lots of signs telling you how to get to Rialto or Piazza San Marco so you can always get your bearings and Venice is safe and well lit at night. Oh, and about the swimming, don’t let the water from the canals anywhere on you, it is not healthy at all.
#4Get up nice and early to see the Rialto Market.
A market has been on this spot just around the corner from the Wonderful Rialto Bridge for a
thousand years supplying fish, fruit and vegetables to Venetians every day. Many of the vegetables are grown on the Island of Sant’Erasmo in the lagoon and the fish is caught in the lagoon and the Adriatic so they don’t have far to come. Last time I was at the fish market there was an ensemble playing violins!
#5 Eat a plate of delicious black squid ink spaghetti.
A Venetian tradition. It may be a good idea to check the colour of your teeth before you smile after this.
From Piazzale Roma all the way to San Marco which will take about 45 minutes. If you do this journey at night it will be much less crowded and with everyone’s lights on you can see the beautiful ceilings and chandeliers in some of the palazzi. Then you can do the return journey in case you've missed anything!
#7 Visit the islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello.
Purchase a one day vaporetto ticket for these three islands in the lagoon. See the painted fishermen's houses on Burano where the women make the most exquisite lace. Visit Torcello for the oldest mosaics in the lagoon and watch glassmaking on Murano. There is a lot of cheap imported glassware in Venice, so it's important to make sure any glass you purchase was made on Murano.
#8 Find a nice cafe.
This should be done lots of times each day. Sit outside with your drink, stop, relax, rest your feet and just watch Venice go by and take it all in.
#9 Go in to every church you see.
They are all beautiful with magnificent paintings and sculptures.
Some of them require a small entrance fee to help with the constant restoration work.
You will need to be covered from shoulders to knees so it’s a good idea to have a sarong or large scarf in your bag just in case.
#10 In the evening settle in to one of the restaurants in Piazza San Marco.
Order yourself a cocktail and take your time listening to the music and maybe even have a dance. This is a pretty costly business unfortunately as the restaurants charge even more when the band is playing. But worth it just once!
#11 Drink an Aperol Spritz.
The wonderful bright orange aperitif. Another Venetian tradition. You will see them being enjoyed all times of the day and night.
#12 Book a performance at La Fenice.
It is truly amazing remembering all the music and opera that has been performed here since 1792.
