ASC IN ITALY TRAVEL GUIDE PART 3: VENICE

Venezia!!! Hands-down my favorite part of our Italy trip, Venice held the key to some of my childhood bucket list dreams!

When I was a little girl, I remembered watching Othello, Indiana Jones, and many other movies shot in Venice, telling myself, When I get older I'm going there!

So you can imagine my excitement as we packed our bags in Positano, caught the Sita bus back down to Sorrento and took the local Circumvesuviana train back to the Trenitalia station...headed to Venice!

The Trenitalia ride took approx 4 hours (and change), as there were many stops throughout the countryside along the way. We passed elaborate Italian villas, Mt. V, vineyards, and sheepherders. It was magical. As a child I grew up very near Napa Valley, experiencing open vineyards and their beauty quite often, but Italy was even more green and expansive, with rolling hills and clear skies as the backdrop.

After some light reading and a nap, I woke up as the high-speed train crossed an open expanse of water, signaling that Venice was not far away! About 5 minutes later we pulled into the Mestre train station.

In order to reach our AirBnB and arrive in Venice, we then had to take a vaporetto (water taxi) to the Rialto stop to meet our host. If you are traveling to Venice, it is often cheaper to stay in Mestre and take the Vaporetto into Venice during the day, but you will miss out on the charms of being in the city at night and early morning, when there are not as many tourists.

Since Venice is indeed an amalgamation of many small islands on the water, it was a lot colder than any of the other places in Italy we'd been. Also, because of the consistently increasing water levels (due to the islands sinking over time), it often floods during the winter season.

So be sure to travel during the peak seasons if you have concerns with this weather.

There are sooooo many absolutely lovely picturesque places in Venice.

It is overall quite small compared to some of the other Italian cities, but between cobblestone streets and incredibly thoughtful architecture it is definitely my favorite.

Bridges, gondoliers, small shops, and cafes dot the entire island.

One of the best things about traveling here was getting lost, knowing that you can only go so far without reaching the end of the island and finding your way back again.

The only drawback we experienced here was while talking to a local antique shop owner. We perused his storefront, browsing ancient antiques from as far back as the early 1800s, and he asked him how he really felt about the tourists in the area. "Is too much," he told us in broken English, but still trying to be polite. We told him we understood.

One of the most impactful things I've learned while traveling is the idea of visiting an area while still remembering that it's someone's home base. Learning to enjoy a place while being mindful of the residents and not leaving a detrimental footprint is something we always try to do.

That being said, support local and family businesses!

Our first evening in Venice, we were given suggestions by our host on where to walk and eat. We visited the Rialto bridge, the grand canal, and the streets of Venice, snapping pics all the way before returning home for the evening.

Early the next morning at 6 AM, we had a photoshoot planned (which I highly recommend!) with one of the local photographers there. The beauty of having a local photographer is that he took us to some of the hard to find non-touristy spots!

Even if you don't do a photoshoot, hiring a short personal tour with a local is a great way to experience the more authentic side of the city.

Near the end of our photoshoot, our photographer took us to the most adorable cafe for breakfast. In Italy, the Italians define breakfast as a pastry or biscuits and a small cup of coffee. They also are not opposed to enjoying it while standing, something we don't often see in the states.

After our quick bite, we set out again to visit the famous Acqua Alta Bookshop.

Hundreds and hundreds of books line the walls and there are several opportunities for a photo op! If you're blessed enough to read Italian, there are an endless amount of relics here for your enjoyment.

Having read all the books we could (not many, because most were in Italian), we wandered our way back to San Marcos Square, the tourist hot spot in Venice.

Every 5 minutes the clock changes in the square, and if you're around long enough, you can see the statue of the man all the way at the top, striking the gong, letting you know another 15 minutes has passed.

We strolled through the square, passing high-end shops, gelato, and many small cafes with live musicians.

What we decided on next was the high point of the entire trip for me....we chose to do a gondola ride!! For approx 70 Euros per person you can ride a gondola for roughly 30 mins, circling half of the border/canals of the city. For the deluxe experience at approx 80 euros per person, you can see just about everything.

We opted for the middle rate of 70 euros for both of us.

Friends, when I tell you it was one of the most calming, exhilarating and enthralling experiences ever...I mean it! Maybe because it was something I wanted to do since I was a child, or because it was just that awesome...either way I absolutely loved it and would recommend it for anyone visiting Venice. At first I considered the price a high one to pay, but the experience is one I'll never forget, and there's nothing like sharing that experience with you BFF!!

To round off the experience, we walked to the other end of Venice along the water's edge, all the way to the park.

The views were absolutely breathtaking.

Featuring local architecture, design, and exceptional structural designs, it seemed to have a slightly more modern feel.

Through this route you'll see more of the locals, the wide cobblestone street dotted with Tabbachis, cafes, and shops.

Further down is a school and the local neighborhood, characterized by several floors of flats, laundry lines drying in the sun, and delicious smells from open windows.

Earlier in the day, our photographer had informed us that one of the cool places to visit was the rooftop of one of the city's malls. You have to make an online reservation, but it gives a lovely view of the city.

Trekking back across the water's edge from the park at record speed, we made it just in time for the last group of the day, and enjoyed some breathtaking views from the rooftop.

After a long day of walking (8 miles to be exact), we enjoyed a lovely dinner...

...and snacked on some tasty, but incredibly rich candies!

We also purchased some intricately created souvenirs from a family-owned glass-blowing/infusing shop, with all kinds of glassware from the family's factory in Tuscany.

Our time in Venezia coming to an end, we took some final strolls around the city before returning to our AirBnb for the night.

All in all, Venice was such a lovely experience!

Even though it was a small city, it's rich culture, charm and romantic air made it a wonderful place to visit. Between Venice and Paris, I hope you have the ability to experience both...but if you could only pick one place to visit, I recommend Venice. There really is no place like it.

I hope this travel guide has been informative and helpful to you! Have you been to Venice? What did you think? Let me know.

Until next time, have a wonderful, Venezia evening!!

-ASC