After departing Barcelona on 8 Euro flights we were destined for Venice, Italy. We weren’t sure what to expect of Venice and were slightly concerned it wouldn’t live up to its reputation.
We had nothing to worry about!

Interestingly, we sauntered through customs and passport control without seeing a single person, and walked straight out onto the street! Not the tightest security we’ve come across!
While our hotel was on the mainland, not Venice itself, we were a ten minute bus ride from the centre of Venice.

We checked in at our hotel and wasted no time making our way to the canals of Venice. We couldn’t believe our eyes as our bus approached the island. Surrounding us were clear blue waters and sunny skies. We jumped off and started exploring. We wandered the winding streets, crossing narrow bridges over canals, with no clue where we were heading. Every now and then we would come to an open square full of restaurants, musicians and shops. Every other canal we passed we were propositioned by gondoliers offering us the classic canal ride.
We stopped for dinner at a local restaurant after being enticed in by a charming Italian waiter! We dined alfresco and enjoyed the most amazing ravioli and pizza complete with Italian chilled red wine.

After our meal we continued to wander the streets and canals enjoying a few glasses of prosecco along the way. It was only when we decided to head back to the hotel that we realised we were completely lost! We wandered aimlessly for a while until coming across a stall that sold maps. We were soon on our way, headed for the bus stop that would get us back to our hotel. To our dismay, there was a bus strike that evening, so we had to join the queue of hot, tired tourists wanting a taxi. Eventually, we were tucked up in bed back safe and sound in our hotel.

After a good night’s sleep, we returned to Venice bright and early. Spoilt for choice, we finally settled on a small café to get some breakfast. We were treated to a fantastic spread, including an omelette, pastries, breads and strong Venetian coffee.

Feeling satisfied, we decided to visit some of the major tourist attractions in Venice. We visited Saint Mark’s Campanile, Palaza Ducale, Piazza San Marco, the Vivaldi Museum and the Guggenheim exhibition. In a city full of churches (126 in total), Saint Mark’s still managed to stand out. Its internal walls were covered in amazing artwork hundreds of years old, and it was full of statues and beautiful stained glass windows. Outside, it was covered in murals and statues- a very impressive sight.

After stopping for pizza and more wine down a little alley way, we made our best decision of the whole trip. We had been unsure whether or not to spend the 80 euros on a gondola ride, however we decided that we wouldn’t forgive ourselves if we left Venice without partaking in this quintessential Venetian experience. It well worth it! Our gondolier gave us a fantastic tour of the city, pointing out landmarks such as the House of Roses, the Guggenheim exhibition and a house often visited by Mozart himself. He also told us that to be a fully qualified gondolier, one must train for five years! You can understand why, given that the boats are apparently worth around 120 thousand euros (without seats, upholstery etc!). It was incredible gliding along the Grand Canal taking in this amazing city from a unique vantage point.

The following day, we were sad to depart Venice. However, we nearly didn’t make our train to Milan- our alarm didn’t go off! We awoke exactly 1 minute before checkout and packed our bags at lightening speed. Thirty minutes later we were on the train on the way to Milan, what a way to start the day!