Like I said yesterday, we only had 6 hours to explore Venice. We took a little detour on our way to Florence where we stayed for a few nights. Because of this we had to prioritize what we wanted to see. Below is what we did and where we ate along the way!
What To Do
Scuola Grande di San Rocco
We didn't go inside but this church is beautiful, I definitely recommend at least a walk-by. If you go inside, look for Tintoretto’s ‘Crucifixion.’ While we were there a man was playing Stairway to Heaven on some stairs. I found that rather amusing.
St. Mark’s Square
St. Mark's Square was the most touristy place we went. It includes the Basilica di San Marco, Doge's Palace, Torre dell’Orologio clock tower and the Campanile tower. We went into the Basilica and walked around the square a bit. The Basilica is free to enter but most of the other things to visit in this area have some kind of fee. A lot of people go up the Campanile tower but we decided to go up a different one instead for a better view and to avoid lines (more below.)
San Giorgio Maggiore Island
This island is a quick boat ride from St Mark's Square and is well worth it for the lack of tourists. We went up the church's bell tower with no lines (and an elevator) for an AMAZING panoramic view of Venice. This was one of my favorite parts of the day. We also had some amazing cloud action, it looked like it was going to rain but lucky for us it stayed dry.
Take a Water Taxi
Most tourists pay an arm and a leg for a gondola ride. We passed on that and just took a water taxi to help us get to St. Mark's Square (and then San Giorgio.) You still get the views from the water and it's far less expensive. We paid 7 euros for 90 minutes of riding.
Other Spots
A few other spots we stopped by: Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista, Chiesa dei Gesuiti, Church of Madonna dell'Orto
Where To Eat
We just happened upon this restaurant while we were walking from church to church and were starving. It turned out to be a great choice, my spaghetti with meat sauce was delicious! And of course I got a few drops of sauce on the white part of my sweater. Never when I wear colors. (I had a similar experience in Rome with a light shirt, haha)
This gelato was amazingggg. Once again I got chocolate and strawberry. I stuck to that combo pretty much everywhere because I knew I would like it.
I went the American route here and got the Diablo Pizza with pepperoni. But it was SUBLIME! By far the best pizza I had on our trip. The crust was perfection.
Oh wow that Island view is incredible! :) You did so well too, fitting a lot into just 6 hours!
ReplyDeleteHope you have had a great weekend! :)
Away From The Blue Blog
That view looks like it was worth the little excursion, and being somewhere less crowded by tourists is always a plus! That pizza looks so good (and cheesy, LOL, glad you loved it).
ReplyDeleteChic on the Cheap