Venice

There's something about Venice...

It's surprising to me there are people who hate Venice.  They despise the pigeons, the crowds, the  post card displays. They call it "Disneyland on Speed." haha

I on the other side happen to love it.
There is something about Venice that is enticing. It has an aura I like.


The list of the literary figures who lived or spent time there reads like a "Who's Who's"- Dante, Goethe, Byron, Ruskin, Henry James, Hemingway, Mark Twain....

Yes, it is expensive, and maybe great food is not as easy to find as elsewhere in Italy. But who cares? It is full of romance and mystery. Magical, really.....

Outside of Paris, there are not a lot of places I can enjoy on vacation when it pours. Venice is one of them.We arrived on a rainy day. It actually didn't stop raining for the whole weekend.
We stayed at the Palladio Bauer hotel on the island of Guidecca. It is a great place but the best part of it is that it's right next door to the fabulous Cipriani hotel which is so worth visiting if only for a nice meal or a drink. It has spectacular surroundings and cocktails.

While of course we hit San Marco and Rialto and environs, it's the tiny piazze and bridges that are Venice to me. Also circumventing the narrow alleys and passageways is quite fun in my opinion. Getting out of the tourist hordes and exploring the Jewish Ghetto was simply fantastic.
Hanging out in the food market on a Sunday morning- amazing!
Rome is my favorite destination in Italy, but Venice has its own sweetness.

The only   thing I found truly appalling was the enormous cruise liners which are allowed to enter this beautiful port. Not only the view is horrible bit it also happens to be the main reason why Venice is sinking......

The term "ghetto" originated from the name of the Jewish quarter in Venice, established in 1516, in which the Venetian authorities compelled the city's Jews to live. This is the world's first ghetto.

Made famous by Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, the Venice Ghetto is now a pleasant neighborhood where Venice's small Jewish community still lives. It also the home of a Jewish museum, the Museo Communità Ebraica.

The restaurants I highly recommend are:
Fiaschetteria Toscana for an amazing al fresco lunch.
The Grand canal restaurant at the Hotel Monaco is just perfect for either lunch or dinner. I had the best fritto misto there. You should definiltely try it if you have the chance.
The brasserie at the Cipriani hotel is always a good idea.
The best restaurant for dinner is the Trattoria Antiche Carampane (apparently it's George Clooney's favourite restaurant in Venice)

Try booking this restaurant way in advance! It's really popular and usually fully booked.
A great meal is guearanteed:)

London Spa Girl x