What’s more romantic than a trip to Venice? That is exactly how I wanted to kick off this new year with a much needed trip to Italy filled with delicious food, amazing wine, and breathtaking views.
Since it was my first time in Venice, I made sure to check out all the must sees. To get to Venice, I took the high speed train from Florence, which lasted 2 hours. Then, I walked the various alleyways and lugged my luggage across multiple bridges to get to my hotel. Once arrived at the hotel, there was a water taxi stop right in front of the hotel. It’s no surprise I took the water taxi back to the train station when I later departed.
– ACCOMMODATIONS –
As a loyal SPG member, I stayed at Hotel Danieli and if you saw my instagram pictures or snaps, you saw how elegant and royal it is. And rightfully so, the 'Category 7' hotel was once a palace that housed a noble family in the 14th century and home to grand social gatherings and lavish parties.
Located on the Grand Canal, the hotel had a beautiful backdrop with rooms facing the sea. I stayed in a room with a whole other room attached that was converted to a beautiful seating area and additional bathroom with tub. The breakfast is not one to miss, so if you stay here be sure to get it.
– SIGHTS –
Lucky for me, Hotel Danieli was right next to the Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark’s Square. St. Mark’s Basilica was truly magnificent compared to other basilicas I’ve seen in Rome and Florence. What caught my eye was the myriad of gold foil and vibrant colors. Then, I walked to Campo San Barnaba where Indiana Jones was filmed and had gelato at Grom’s right next door. Some other notable places I visited where:
- Ponte di Rialto
- Santa Maria Basilica
- Dorsodoro
– EATS –
Since Venice is surrounded by water, it makes sense to eat fresh seafood. I stopped by a cute little shop called Acqua & Mais serving Venetian street food like Calamari e Gamberi (fried calamari and shrimp) and grilled squid. It was delicious and well seasoned!
For dinner, my first course was a squid ink pasta with calamari and second course was grilled whole branzino with vegetables. While walking to dinner, I stumbled upon a wine shop with a line out the door. Of course I went in for a drink or two. I ordered a glass of Brunello followed by a Venetian Spritz. I later found out the name of the place, Cantine del Vino già Schiavi, which is known for its 1€ glasses of house wine and cicchetti. Please do yourself a favor and check this place out!
Between the food and views – it was absolutely perfect and I couldn’t have spent my first time in Venice a better way. It was truly magical!
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