Am I actually seriously for once telling you guys about a place pretty soon after visiting?! Honestly, I’m pretty shocked too! 😆 But going back through all my photos – these need to be shared ASAP so here we are. It seems that siesta time is prime blogging time!
Venice in Italy is the kind of place that draws me in every time. This time I’m visiting with my bestie from Australia and her fiancé #thirdwheelingit
I kind of like to set myself a little challenge every time I visit. How long can I go without pulling my phone out for directions. This seems like it would be impossible because every few steps a tiny street stops, twists, or take a hard turn. If you have a really bad sense of direction (like me 🙋🏻♀️) this sounds like a bit of a nightmare right? But I think the city knows us better than that. Look up at pretty much any time and you’ll see a sign with an arrow for “S Marco”. Follow those to end up in Piazza San Marco, where you’ll also find the beautiful Basilica and Campanile (bell tower). The arrowed signs that read “Rialto” of course will lead you to the famous Rialto Bridge, spanning the Grand Canal and covered in tiny shops on either side. To get back to the Station, follow the signs for “Alla Ferrovia”. You can’t really go wrong and that leaves your hands free to take snaps of every little corner you fancy and take your time wandering between piazza’s.
This weekend that meant wandering up and down the streets and bridges of the San Marco and Cannaregio neighbourhoods, snacking on local pastries and cat and dig spotting, nosying around the self proclaimed ‘most beautiful bookshop in the world’ Libreria Acqua Alta, and more snacking/wine drinking.
The most “wow” way to enter the city in my opinion is definitely by train, into Venezia Santa Lucia (look for the name Statzione Di Venezia Santa Lucia when booking tickets). The train comes into the station from across the lagoon, and Venice gradually comes into view this way, seeming to shimmer on top of the lagoon. On top of that, you exit the station into the city to this view. It’s pretty magical and I love to see this happen every time I travel to Venice.
Vaporetto’s are the Venetian equivalent of water Taxi’s and ferries and are the easiest way to get between the Venetian lagoon islands. Hop on the number 5 line to get to Murano (famous for its glass craft). It’s charming in a terracotta toned, crumbling kind of way.
Once you’ve had a wander, change to the number 12 line (catch it from the eastern side if the island of Murano) to get to Burano which is a rainbow of a little place and famous for its lace work. The number 12 will zip you straight back to the main island of Venice from there. I liked these two little islands a lot. Far less crowded than the main island and both pretty unique. Burano in particular is like stepping into a rainbow. Brightly coloured houses in every bright pastel shade are dotted along the smaller canals.
If you’re Australian you’ll know exactly what I mean when I say that it seems like the architectural equivalent of fairy bread! What’s even nicer than that is that you really get the feeling that people live here, like live live. I saw cats snoozing in the sun, washing hanging out to dry, old ladies sitting outside their front doors enjoying the sunshine and pot plants of varying degrees of health spilling out of enclaves all around the houses (dying pot plants – always a good sign that that this is a home 😂).
Once you’ve got really sore feet and could do with a drink, skip the pizza and pasta and head to a wine bar that serves ‘cicchetti’ small bites that cost only a euro or two and that are made by each bar. Kinda reminded me of the Spanish Pintxo! Just don’t go to late – they may have run out – and no one likes to miss a snack opportunity (least of all me). Head to Osteria Alla Ciurma on Calle Galeazza (look for a painting of a ship because they don’t have a name sign), and can someone please go and try Arcicchetti Bakaro (the man with a hat and very impressive beard) and let me know what you thought? We got there too late (all the sad).
Head over to my instagram to see a few more (video) views of the Venice 🎥@laraandrae
Lara x
Lara & Rae 
How did I miss this post? Wonderful, as always. I absolutely love Burano – so colourful and relatively peaceful. Just below the photo of the cat in the window, see the little bridge? Just to the left as you look at the image is the place I once stayed 🙂
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I’m still getting used to this blogging thing so I’m just awful getting back to people. Thank you so much:) wow you’re so lucky to have been able to actually stay there, I imagine once all the tourists have left for the day it much really come alive in the local sense!
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