Italy in Ten Days Part IV: Venice.

Just a couple of weeks ago, I had the time of my life on a ten day trip in Italy with a dear friend.

We got lost umpteen times in the scorching heat, ate pastas and pizzas to our heart’s content – and lived to tell the tale!

Venice was our fourth (and also our second last) destination!

Having been to Venice when I was eleven, I knew Venice was all about water canals and bridges but I certainly didn’t expect it to be this tranquil and breath takingly beautiful.

Day 1

Venice being Venice- full of little alleys that look exactly identical to one another- it should come as no surprise that we got lost right off the train from Cinque Terre.

So there we were, two girls dragging our luggage across the uneven paved stones, painfully and slowly carrying them up seemingly neverending bridges and then back down, occasionally stopping to ask for directions to our hotel for a good hour and a half until we finally found our elusive but incredibly tasteful accommodation.

Our beautiful accommodation

Having spent the most of the morning and afternoon making our way to and then around Venice, it was about mid afternoon by time we settled in so off we were in search of some lunch and to explore the streets of Venice!

Around our accommodation

The streets of Venice

Our lunch venue

Fresh pasta with king prawns, basil and tomatoes (with fresh pasta and scorpion fish in the background)

We honestly were so hungry we walked right into the first couple of restaurants we came across only to be told they were closed to prep for dinner, just like the receptionist at our accommodation warned us most places would be.

So on hindright, we were really lucky to have stumbled upon a little cafe not only opened during the hour but happy to have us- and even luckier to have an Italian sitting at the next table who graciously helped us translate the menu and place our orders with the waiter.

And who would have guessed that walking into a cafe and simply ordering what that guy was having just because he said it was delicious and that he had lunch there every day would have me the best meal I’ve ever had in Italy.

The pasta had just enough bite, the prawns incredibly fresh and such a burst of flavour from the generous amount of basil and tomato. Just thinking about that pasta has got me dreaming I could go back just for another plate.

One hell of a meal it was and it was time to go off to explore the seas of Venice- by the infamous water taxis of course.

Now as gorgeous as  delicate Venetian masks were and as romantic as the quiet alleys were, it was the view on the taxi ride we took (and the most adorable little girl we met on the ride) that really stole my heart.

Out in the wide open sea, cruising down and around the row of weathered buildings and with the wind in our hair, it was all too easy to forget we had a reality to go back to.

Day 2

There’s quite nothing like starting a day in Venice and certainly quite nothing like starting a day in Venice with a breakfast (fit for the queen) in bed.

Breakfast in bed, courtesy of our accommodation

We had a couple hours between breakfast and having to leave for the train station. And with those couple hours came the tough decision we had to make between having our last meal at the amazing cafe we had lunch yesterday or heading to a bakery we chanced upon.

And surprise surprise, we chose the bakery.

Now I don’t know if it’s romantic atmosphere or even the water but I swear everything tasted so much more delicious in Venice. Both the slice of lemon roll and cream puff were beyond delicious. The lemon roll was incredibly light and well, lemony and the cream puff was tender with a generous dose of vanilla filling.

Making our way to the train station

And with our delicious baked goods came the time for us to make our way to the train station and bid farewell to Venice.

Next and our very last stop – Milan, the world’s fashion capital!

Posted by thecoffeesnob on August 31, 2010

http://eatandbehappy.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/italy-in-ten-days-part-iv-venice/