Perfectly Imperfect 24 Hours In The Floating City. Was It The Best Time To Visit Venice?
We travelled for hours to experience vicious seagulls, bleeding feet, sunburn and outsmarting pickpockets. Is there a better way to celebrate turning 29 than to hear "Happy Birthday" in Italy?
I’m going to share what our mindset for a one-day trip to Venice was and give a modest (maybe even too modest) advice for what to do, what to see and where to eat and drink when there are only so many hours to spare.
How It All Began
Me and my friend Keri were born on the same day of the same year in the same city. Even though now we live in different countries, each year, if possible, we try to celebrate together.
This year, for lack of better ideas, I jumped on the plane to Vienna, where Keri lives, with the intention of doing a spontaneous trip later in the week, somewhere… which ended up being Venice!
Vienna alone is a beautiful destination that I love going back to. Evening walks along the Danube River, visiting the botanical gardens, the Wiener Prater amusement park and karaoke on the weekend are always the bare minimum on the to-do list. But this time we weren’t settling for what we know.
Bus to Venice
We really wanted to take the train, but by the time we made up our minds, the ticket prices had skyrocketed. We didn’t want to fly, so the choice made itself.
We made our way to Vienna Central Station (Wien Hauptbahnhof) and departed a little past 10 pm the previous day. The journey wasn’t bad at all. One way takes around eight and a half hours, which, if we take into account having to get to the airport, be there early, go through the airport security and all the other shenanigans, it’s roughly the same amount of time.
Morning in Venice
We got off the bus around 7 am. The thing about Italy is that nobody needs to tell you you’re there, you will know as soon as the first ray of sunshine touches your face. There is something about the Italian light and its warmth. It can’t be replicated.
Finally, after the train arrived at Santa Lucia Station, we used the station’s bathroom to refresh ourselves after the journey, then headed out into the city.
It was my second time visiting Venice. The first time, I was fifteen and only spent a few hours there at night. It is only fitting that this time I experienced the city during the day.
Morning Coffee with Vicious Seagulls
There’s no other way to start a day than with coffee, especially when you’re in Italy. After paying the entry fee to the city, we started our coffee shop search. The coffee shop must have been by one of the canals with an outside sitting area, and I didn’t want it to be in a touristy place.
It didn’t take us long to find just that.
Keri got an espresso because she is a woman who is passionate about woodworking. My choice was a cappuccino with a little sweet bun, because I am not.
We sat down waiting for our order. This moment couldn’t be more gorgeous. Pure bliss. I was fiddling with my camera, Keri was rolling a cigarette. A minute later, our order was delivered. The lady looked at us and, with a thick Italian accent, said Attention, cigar! Which I found strange, considering each table has an ashtray, so why wouldn’t my friend be able to smoke? All of a sudden, we jumped out of our seats. The crackling of metal hitting the ground and the deafening scream of the woman next to us hit our eardrums. Before we realised, the perpetrator was long gone. Too quick to stop them, too scary to approach. What caused so much havoc wasn’t a human, but a bloodthirsty seagull, which mercilessly plunged at the bread the lady next to us kept unguarded on her table. While the little bastard was sharing its prize with more birds, Keri and I looked at each other now realising that what we understood as Attention, cigar!, was in fact Attention, seagull!.
What to See in Venice?
How would I know? The sight we saw the most was the bottoms of our Aperol Spritz glasses. Just kidding! Yes, we did enjoy a few glasses, but hey, it was our birthday.
The only plan we had for this trip was having no plan at all. My idea of sightseeing is easy - a camera on my neck and legs that don’t give up.
The Venice charm definitely had some influence on us. Each step we took, each gaze thrown at the next building revealed something captivating. I found myself constantly distracted by the simplest things, from plain cobblestones and vines climbing the walls with little red flowers reflecting in the sun, to the gothic (thank you, Google) arches, and building facades meticulously decorated with gracious sculptures.
We saw the most famous sights, including St Mark’s Square and St Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge, the Grand Canal and the Bridge of Sighs. I’m sure there were many more, but I couldn’t possibly name all of them.
Having just one day to spare, we didn’t put any pressure on ourselves to see as much as there is. The condition was to enjoy the time. You don’t always need to know the historical context of everything you lay your eyes on. Leave the guilt behind you.
Where to Eat in Venice?
The infamous place where we were under attack from the pastry-hungry seagulls is called Pasticceria Rio Marin. It ticked off all the necessary boxes. Was that the best coffee in Venice? The coffee was good, it wasn’t far from the station, the prices were reasonable, and the atmosphere was great. Great spot, especially if you’ve just arrived. Just eat quickly, or you might have to share.
If you’re visiting Venice on a budget, then supermarkets are your friends. Eating a triangle sandwich and sipping Aperol from a bottle while sitting with legs hanging over a canal has its charm. Just be careful, doing it once in a while and in Venice is cute, otherwise, you might have a problem.
Part of the experience when travelling is trying the local food. What would a trip to Italy be without pasta or pizza? At that point, we’ve been walking around Venice for twelve hours. It was high time to find somewhere to eat. In Castello - one of the city’s six districts (Italian sestieri), we found the Hopera restaurant. I really wanted to try their pasta carbonara, as the only time I had ever had it was when I made it myself. I had huge expectations, as you need to know that I like to bathe in my own delusions from time to time. Having watched a YouTube video of a true Italian chef teaching how to make that staple dish, I didn’t consider myself an amateur.
I have to say, they didn’t disappoint and passed the test. Once that heavenly goodness touched my mouth, I travelled higher than Katy Perry calling herself an astronaut. The perfect amount of cream and saltiness.
My friend ordered a pizza marinara, and judging by how quickly it disappeared from her plate, she had no complaints either. Both dishes were delicious and worth going back for. Even though I learned I’m not a big fan of mozzarella on my pasta, I’m drooling thinking about that meal.
We finished the dinner with a shot of espresso and headed out to enjoy the rest of the evening.
Cannoli Addiction
Now, I don’t care if some will say it’s pointless looking for Cannoli anywhere else but in Sicily. I am obsessed. The things this dessert does to my body are not safe for work. The first time I indulged in this delicious miracle, I was in Bar Italia in London’s Soho. I haven’t looked back since.
I have to confess I haven’t tried cannoli in the La Cannoleria that’s in the picture, but it must be one of the few places that didn’t suffer my greed. I had no free will. If I could see it, I had to have it.
Even though I ate around five thousand calories from cannoli alone, I have to say that most of them tasted like they all came out of the same bakery. Tasty, yes, but bulk produced. The goal for the next trip is to find a little family-owned bakery. One that has no online presence, but somehow everybody knows that they’re the go-to place. Would it be possible to find one in Venice?
Trip to Lido Beach in Venice
I don’t think going to the beach is something most people think about when Venice is brought up. That might be because there aren’t, in fact, any beaches near the city centre. To indulge in the warmth of the Adriatic, we had to take a water bus (vaporetto) to Lido, an island that separates Venice and the sea. As far as I remember, a single ticket for tourists sells for around 9.50 euro, but there were options for day and weekly passes if you’re planning a longer trip.
The vaporetto trip took only 15 minutes. Seeing the city from a different angle added more flavour to the experience and was a lot of fun, which made the ticket price a little bit easier to swallow.
We set foot in Lido around midday. Which, as everybody knows, is the worst time to take your clothes off in the sun. I’m sure you’d be smarter. The first thing that jumped out to us was the cars. There are actual streets and far fewer canals. It’s still lovely in its own unique way.
Once you walk across the island and make it to the beach, make sure it’s the public part. There is quite a long strip reserved for private beach clubs (yikes), where you most likely are going to be asked to leave. Yes, we made that mistake.
To finish off our little sunbathing adventure, we made our way to the nearby Al Canton The Beach, where we tested a selection of their finest spritzers.
Watch Out for Pickpockets, but Don’t Let it Spoil the Fun
As sad as it sounds, assume you’re going to be a target. However, don’t let it stop you from travelling. It’s a problem in almost every major city.
It had been close to twenty hours since we arrived in Venice when Keri and I, surrounded by hundreds of strangers, were waiting for the only available transport that could take us to the mainland before our bus to Vienna departed.
As we were making our way towards the door in the hope that we would manage to squeeze in, my hand instinctively went to touch the right pocket of my shorts. The fingers of the pickpocket pinched my skin, and in panic, he punched the face of a man standing behind him. Before I could gather my thoughts to decide on how to confront the situation, the thief was swallowed by the crowd. Pockets in Keri’s backpack were open too, but nothing was missing. The pickpocket must have had at least one accomplice. Luckily, they got spooked before they finished their job. From that moment on, our attention was on high alert.
Leaving Venice
There aren’t many things that bring me less joy than being targeted by thieves in a foreign country, but finding out that there’s a public transport strike when there’s less than an hour before the bus to Vienna departed might have made the cut
.
Let me tell you, getting on the bus during a strike when everybody is trying to get out of the city is not for the weak. I’m not going to sugarcoat it. We pushed in front of the queue and made the entire bus stop curse us out. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Turns out sometimes, the price for winning is losing the popular vote. Thank god we aren’t politicians.
Fewer buses meant more people on the bus. There was so little space that saying we were squashed like sardines doesn’t do it justice. In fact, I would advocate that people should start saying squashed like Damian and Keri on the bus in Venice.
A Few Words of Advice
No matter when you go, remember to pack a water bottle and a ton of SPF (never too much SPF). Venice has over one hundred drinking water fountains, so refilling your bottle won’t be an issue. Sunglasses will save your life.
Wear trainers that you know you can walk in for miles. Make sure they’re comfortable, or you’re really going to suffer. Without getting into the gory details, if I had taken a few more steps that evening, my feet would have walked up my body and kicked me in the face, even though I did wear good trainers.
Another thing I would be adding to my backpack when going for a one-day trip is a spare t-shirt and extra socks. Trust me, you will need them.
But Was it the Best Time to Visit Venice?
It was the best thing we could have done for ourselves at that time. It’s just one day, so go ahead and book those tickets. Even though the summer is over, the year is not. November temperatures are perfect for exploring, and now you don’t have to pay the Venice access fee.
Experiencing summer in Venice was vicious. We got stuck in crowds, were sweaty, our feet hurt, and we got sunburnt. However, I promise you, we absolutely loved every minute of it.
This spontaneous trip left us equally happy and exhausted. We’ve awakened a sense of adventure in ourselves that might result in making this type of celebration a tradition. That begs the question, where are we going next year?
Love!