Venice Is Amazing: Time To Go

Thanks Venice!

We have loved our stay in Venice. And our hotel, Al Ponte Antica, is so wonderful. The view from our room is truly everything. Sitting here last night watching the boats go by and listening to the sounds of the tourists and musicians on the Rialto Bridge…it has just been magical.

These scenes are happening right outside our window right now.

We’ll never stay anywhere like this again, and we are soaking it in.

We returned to San Marco Square yesterday for a tour of the basilica after hours. It was great. We had not looked at photos of the interior first, so we were surprised and amazed by how beautiful and different it is. So much gold and jewels and marble. It really was lovely. We sat in the dark and they lit it slowly, which was beautiful.

Our tour guide Roberta…pronounced with a strong Italian rolling ‘R.’
She was knowledgeable, but she talked a lot…and I mean, a lot…about random stuff.

Still Having Food Fails

Before the tour, we wanted to have a bite to eat. It went as badly, or worse, than yesterday. We walked in the direction of San Marco and turned into quiet alleys looking for a quaint place with outdoor seating. We found one. It looked perfect. We decided to have the Venetian Spritz, made with aperol, prosecco and soda water. It was quite good, not too sweet and a beautiful color. We also ordered a few small snacks: salmon, a meatball and whipped cod. I know…why would I order anything described as whipped fish. I did it because it is a local favorite.

It is not our favorite. Betsy refused to taste it. She said the look on my face when I tasted it was enough of a warning for her. She was right.

The salmon was no better and the meatball thing…that is unforgettable, and not in a good way.

We laughed it off, promising ourselves we would do better for dinner. We didn’t keep that promise. Around 9 p.m., we crossed the Rialto Bridge and found a little restaurant with a great table outside. This time, I ordered the fresh seafood platter that I had seen others order over the past two days. I love seafood. How could I go wrong with a lightly battered and fried seafood platter? It wasn’t exactly bad, but it wasn’t good either. It was so incredibly bland and apparently cocktail or tartar sauce is not a thing here.

Betsy ordered pasta with mushrooms and shrimp. She asked that the sauce be simple with olive oil and garlic, and no cream. The pasta was cooked perfectly, but the mushrooms seemed to have come from a can and were marinated in something very strange. Again, not good.

Once again, the arugula was the star.

We know we have done Venice and ourselves a disservice regarding our food experiences. We are committed to doing better on the next leg of our journey.

Also yesterday, we walked to the Gritti Palace, a particularly exclusive hotel on the Grand Canal near San Marco. We sat on the terrace and had expensive cocktails and free snacks of chips, hazelnuts and olives. Those snacks were probably the best bites we’ve had since we’ve been here.