Venice!

Ah, Venezia! City of Love, City of Light, City of Water, City of Bridges, Queen of the Adriatic... so many wonderful nicknames for an enchanting city. Click here for a wonderful Youtube video of Venice.

We embark Silhouette on May 30th and overnight in Venice so we get to spend one night in this beautiful place!  If anyone wants to stay several nights before the cruise embarks, I highly recommend the Papadapoli Venezia located in Santa Croce on a canal and not far from Piazzali Roma. We stayed here a few years ago and found it be very lovely and convenient.

Want to avoid queues and get tickets in advance? Click here and you can purchase tickets for the Doges Palace, Doges Palace Secret Itineraries Tour and other museums. On the Secret Itineraries tour, you will see the secret passageways and offices of the Doges, where Cassanova was imprisoned and much more. Go to the fish market near Rialto for lunch, the Jewish Ghetto (at the museum they will give a guided tour) At night sit down in St. Marks Square for the most expensive cup of caffe you have ever had, but listen to the most wonderful violin music. Stop and have a gelato….feed the pigeons and visit the bell tower, the church, take a gondola ride, especially an evening gondola ride with serenade!

Shopping in Venice? How about Murano glass? glass cherries and glass candies make a beautiful display in a glass vase or bowl on a coffee table, Murano glass wine bottle stoppers, glass jewelry, glass beads (also known as Venetian pearls)… Walk into the back areas of Venice (with a map!) and just wander; you'll come across many lovely smaller shops with the most spectacular pieces in their shop windows (i.e. get further away from the Grand Canal) and perhaps be able to negotiate a little if you pay cash and come away with a stunning piece (or more)! Venetian Carnevale masks are also beautiful souvenirs! Don't miss the fabulous jewelry shops surrounding Piazza San Marco; if you like fine jewelry....some of the most beautiful and original design and interesting stones in the world! Also if you like fine linens, the table and bed linens are wonderful!

Italian tenors interest you? How about this for a nice Venetian evening: An opera performed in a historic Venetian Palace, Musica Palazza. Here's a youtube video for an online experience of the performance and palace. 


Venice's Top 11 Free Sights
From: Venice for Visitors, http://veniceforvisitors.com

1. Piazza San Marco

2. Basilica di San Marco

3. Venice Waterfront (St. Mark's Basin)

4. Grand Canal

5. Rialto Bridge

6. Rialto Food Markets

7. Venetian Ghetto

8. Canali, campi, calli (canals, squares, and back streets)

9. Churches (Salute, Carmini, and others that don't charge admission)

10. Shopping Streets

11. Islands of the Lagoon (San Michele cemetery, Murano, Burano, Torcello, Lido)

Concerning WCs in Venice: There are public wc's and the cost is generally 1.5 Euro. As in any European country, be sure to bring some toilet paper in your bag or backpack. Of course, you can always stop for a glass of vino or a cup of caffe and use the restaurant wc!

Some links to helpful website:
Venice Connected
Port of Venice Information for Cruise Passengers
Venice for Visitors