Venice in November

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The first weekend in November we headed to Venice for a much anticipated long weekend in the worlds most romantic city.  Venice has been on my “must do” list for years so I was very excited to see all there was to see.  We left Gatwick at 7:40 AM and were in Venice by 11:00 AM. 

 

 

We traveled via water taxi to our hotel where we check into the small yet pleasant Hotel Flora.

Our first view of Venice and the Rialto bridge, minutes after landing and via the water taxi.

Luggage from the Cruise ship being delivered to Hotel Rialto via the Grand Canal.

Our hotel, Hotel Flora

As soon as we could put our bags in the room we were off to explore the Accademia Galleries, an unsurpassed collection of painting by Titian, Bellini and Giorione. The most impressive exhibit was the Leonardo Da Vinci’s The Vitruvian Man, the world-renowned drawing created around the year 1487. It is stored in the Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice, Italy, and, like most works on paper, is displayed only occasionally (we were told once every four years for three month). Lucky!

We retuned to our hotel, after getting a bit turned around in the endless tangle of narrow streets, to have dinner at the Restaurante Antico Martini where we had a delicious, if not expensive, dinner.

We were up early Saturday morning hitting the Rialto Fish and Produce Market. Here produce is being delivered via the grand canal.

This Mediterranean market has enlivened the quayside since 1097 and is arguably still the best market in the world.

It was very difficult not to buy the amazing foods but hence, I had no where to cook it. It was a very sad thing.

We had a couple of hours before meeting our walking tour of Venice so we hailed a Gondola for the mandatory gondola ride along the Grand Canal and the smaller canals.

Just after passing under the Rialto Bridge

A view from our Gondola; It was a crisp morning, but not raining so perfect for the tour.

We met up with our walking tour which started out at Basilica San Marco and the Doge’s Palace, traveled through winding roads to Santi Giovanni e Paolo where the monuments of 25 Doge's tombs reside.

We headed over to St. Mark’s Square to meet our walking tour but not before stopping in the square for cappuccino and a tart to share ($42). Piazza San Marco did not disappoint. The clouds were disappearing, there was chamber playing music, and the Basilica San Marco was beautiful.

We ended up near the Rialto bridge where we did a bit of Murano glass shopping, headed for a slice of pizza, and back to St. Mark’s square for a more compressive tour of the Basilica and museum.

We are at the side of the Basilica with the receeding tide waters (which make a lovely reflection!).

When visiting the museum we were able to go out on the Loggia dei Cavalli where replicas of the horses look out over the square and Grand Canal. We had a wonderful view of the Columns of San Marco and San Teodoro, erected 1172. This was what visitors to ancient Venice would see first as this was the official entrance to the city.

I had booked a Grand Canal tour before we departed London and the weather was perfect. It was set for 4:30 and the sun was just going down so we had a lovely sunset cruise gazing at Venetian Palaces.

The Torre dell'Orologio on St Mark's square has been delighting visitors and Venetians alike for more than 500 years. The clock displays the time of day, the dominant sign of Zodiac and the current phase of the moon. Seafarers setting out from the Grand Canal could rely on this faultless timepiece to decide the most favorable time for setting out to sea. So reliable is the clock, that in 1858 it was made the official timekeeper of Venice - to which every other clock should be set.

More palace gazing as our guild pointed out period Venetian Architectural features

Again, the Rialto bridge at sunset while cruising the Grand Canal.

Sipping Prosecco, the Italian "Champagne".

Santa Maria della Salute at sunset. This church commemorates the end of the devestating plague in the 17th century.

Carlyn enjoys a Venetian favorite of Pasta Con il Negro di Seppia- pasta with cuttlefish and their ink.

This is a fresh porchini. I have only seen them dried. Magnificent and tasty!

Another fine view of the Maria della Salute at night.

Random canal view 1- around the Accademia Galleries

Random canal view 2- Gondola

The leaning tower of Venice?

Random canal view 3

Carlyn and the reflection of St. Mark's Basilica as tide waters are receeding.