The Venetian Allure

We finally arrived to our hotel in Venice at about 11:30pm. And, we were starving! We hauled our bags up to our room at the Hotel Cà'Zosa and headed out to find some nightlife serving food. We unexpectedly walked down the cobblestone street along the Laguna. It was beautiful. But, no food. All the restaurants were closed. We got a hot tip to check out the Santa Margherita... and that it was!

The square was hopping with music and food! We picked one of the restaurants and randomly selected something off the menu. We were pleasantly surprised. I ordered swordfish which was served on a bed of arugala and topped with strawberries and blueberries. It was refreshing and the perfect midnight meal for two exhausted Americans! (We toasted our arrival to the most romantic city... JP had the house wine and I, the house Fanta.)

We crashed that night, but only for a few hours. We heard the best way to see St. Mark's Square is at six in the morning. Well, that didn't quite happen. We slept through our alarm. Guess who woke us up? ME - frantically telling JP it's 6:50!!!! We hussled and were out the door by 7:30am and arrived by autobus (a boat in Venice) to a peaceful square. For the next hour, we owned the place and got some great pictures without thousands of other tourists and merchants in the way.

We headed back to the hotel for a traditional Italian breakfast and got ready for our boat trip to Murano.

This is the bus stop. Not bad for public transportation! We opted to take the scenic ride around the entire island. The breeze was cool and the views spectacular.

We decided not to take a tour of the glass museum and instead walked the streets, popping in and out of shops. We managed to cool off with our very first gelato of the trip! It definitely lived up to the hype!

We made our way back to Venice for a change of clothes and the ultimate night cap - an overpriced, but unforgettable sunset gondola ride. Let's just say gondelier, Juan Paulo, was some serious eye candy for the price... tall, dark, handsome, speaks five languages and will serenade you at no extra cost.

Think Fabio meets Andrea Boccelli. I think he was the hottest Italian man I've ever seen in person (second to my Italian husband, of course!). Sorry all you single ladies, he's married with kids. (I would play matchmaker with Finley and his youngest son who's only seven months, but that would mean Baby Pullaro wouldn't have a chance! It's hard to compete with a professional gondelier.)

Juan Paulo took us through the quite canals of this quaint city and then for a brief ride along the Grand Canal. Here we are in front of the Rialto Bridge. You assume it's a cheesy, touristy thing to do, but it takes your breath away.

We ended our evening with a wonderful dinner at Sempione on the canal (recommended by both our hotel owner and the hotness that is Juan). The fresh fish was grilled to perfection. Our dessert sampler included some of the best tiramisu we've ever tasted.

During our brief 36 hour stay, JP and I fell in love with this city! There is literally no place like it. We can't wait to come back and soak it all in... the simple, laid back lifestyle, the cool breeze flowing through your hair and the picturesque views. It's easy for a Floridian to connect with this one-of-a-kind water world.

Ciao Venice!