Venice, the Second Time Around

The first time I was in Venice was nearly 40 years ago, in 1984. It was the first year of my marriage and we were living in the South of France. I was a few months pregnant with my first child and my morning sickness had finally abated enough for us to plan a trip. We took an overnight train from Nice and hardly slept because we’d heard stories about people being robbed and luggage stolen overnight. 

My memories of that visit are foggy at best. Our hotel was on a canal but I have no idea what neighborhood we were in. I remember seeing gondolas although we didn’t ride in one. We ran into some British friends who lived in Monaco and went to the Lido beach with them one day. But honestly, that’s about all I can recall. So when I signed up for OAT’s Undiscovered Adriatic Small Ship Adventure, I was delighted that the trip started in Venice and I’d be able to visit the city again. 

 

I flew to Venice from Porto, Portugal, where the first of my back-to-back OAT trips ended. Within minutes of boarding a private water taxi, I fell under Venice’s magic spell. 

As we sped across the open waters, into the lagoon, then through the Grand Canal, into narrower waterways, and under bridges, I couldn’t stop taking pictures. The light of the setting sun cast a golden glow on the worn façades of the centuries-old buildings. 

It was so beautiful that it didn't seem real. I can't imagine a more romantic way to arrive in the city. Too bad I was traveling alone!

Even before we reached my hotel, I was completely in love with Venice. The Hotel Papadopoli was ideally situated in the Santa Croce district, away from the main tourist area. Set at the edge of the public Giardini Gardens, it’s the only hotel in the city with a private garden area. Photos of the neighborhood are below.

 

The décor in the lobby was elegant and sumptuous (rich ruby red, gold, crystal) without being stuffy. It was the kind of environment that invited you to make yourself comfortable in a plush chair while looking out into the garden. 

 

As inviting as the lobby was, it was after 8:30pm by the time I dropped my luggage off in my room and I was starving. The hotel staff recommended a restaurant, Osteria Km0 (Kilometer Zero) that was just around the corner, a one-minute walk from the hotel. It sounded perfect. But in the dark, I missed the unlit alleyway where I was supposed to turn and it took me closer to five minutes to find the restaurant. 

 

I sat at an outdoor table overlooking the water. On my first night in Italy, I indulged in a pizza with octopus and shrimp and an order of grilled vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, red peppers). The food was so good and there was so much of it. Mid-meal, I heard an unfamiliar voice calling my name. It was Marco, my OAT tour leader, who recognized me and told me that this was one of his favorite restaurants. What a great way to begin this adventure!

 

I had the next day on my own in Venice before the official beginning of the OAT tour. The first thing I did when I got up was to check the weather app on my phone. I was excited to see that it was finally time to break out the summer clothes I’d brought along. Before I went down to breakfast, I practiced a few Italian phrases: buon giorno, grazie, ciao, and my room number. With any luck, I’d be able to block out the French, Spanish, and Portuguese words that were still jostling around my head. 

 

Breakfast was amazing, and that’s even before I caught a glimpse of the lavish buffet. The high-ceilinged dining area opened out into the enclosed gardens. Sunlight filtered through a canopy of green. Gentle birdsong filled the air. 

 

There were so many options on the buffet, and therefore so many decisions to make, such as which pastries to sample along with my second cappuccino. There were even four different kinds of croissants. At least they weren’t the oversized ones often found in the States, but reasonably sized croissants so I didn’t feel guilty taking a few. My favorite was the marmalade filled one. 

 

I skipped the panna cotta, but was intrigued by a cake called pinza, or pinsa venexiana in the local dialect. This translates to “poor cake.” It’s a rustic Venetian treat of ancient origin traditionally made with various leftovers. I took a small piece to taste and found it unlike any cake I’d tasted before. It was dense, moist, studded with pine nuts, and sweet with the flavor of honey. I learned that the recipe includes white wheat flour, yellow corn flour, dried and candied fruit, walnuts, and fennel seeds. It was usually served at Epiphany festivities that take place on January 6. According to legend, it’s prepared for the arrival of Befana, a kind old woman who comes down the chimney at night and brings gifts to good kids and coal to bad kids – sort of like Santa Claus. 

 

Right after breakfast, Marco introduced me to Carol, another single traveler on our trip, who had also arrived early in Venice. He gave us a tour of the area around the hotel, pointed out a few good restaurants and bakeries. 

Then he brought us to the bus station plaza where he helped us buy tickets for the vaporetto (the Venetian water bus). Before we parted ways, Marco gave Carol and me cards that he told us to carry at all times in Venice. The card says, in Italian: Greetings, excuse me. I’m lost. Could you please call Marco? (and then it gives his phone number). 

 

Carol and I had the whole day at our disposal so we decided to ride the entire length of vaporetto line #1, from its starting point at the bus station plaza to the Lido. The vaporetto was jampacked with a few tourists and mostly locals on their way to work. Since almost all of the people who work in Venice’s hotels, restaurants, and shops can’t afford to live in the old city, Instead, they live on the mainland and commute everyday by bus and vaporetto. 

 

It was a slow and scenic ride, passing by many Venetian landmarks that dazzled in the bright morning sunlight. The area around the Rialto market was bustling with local color as well as tourists. 

 

The 16^th century Palazzo Barbarigo, on the shady side of the Grand Canal, was decorated with mosaics of Murano glass in 1886. 

 

Between the Rialto bridge and St. Mark’s Square, we passed many 15^th and 16^th century palaces built in the Venetian Gothic style, which shows a Byzantine influence.

The Baroque 17th century Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute has an enormous dome. 

Tourists often get on and off at the San Zaccaria stop for St. Mark’s Square. From the vaporetto, we could see the Ducal Palace and the campanile (bell tower) of St. Mark’s Basilica. 

You can usually find a gondola not far from St. Mark's.

When we reached the Lido, the vaporetto emptied out and we claimed prime seats at the railing. On the return trip, we got off at the stop for the Academia, considered the most important painting gallery in Venice for pre-19^th century art, i.e. Byzantine, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, etc. 

Unfortunately, we both soon realized that we were not big fans of pre-19^th century Venetian painting. Only a few paintings caught my attention: 

 

The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem (1867) by Francesco Hayez 

 

Animals Entering Noah’s Ark (late 16^th, early 17^th century) by the Bassani workshop

The Feast in the House of Levi (1573) by Veronese 

What we really wanted to do was to get back outside to soak up the atmosphere. So that’s exactly what we did. At a nearby plaza, we had an al fresco lunch, then took a long walk back to hotel. There wasn’t a direct route, but that’s part of the charm of walking around Venice. You’re constantly turning corners and coming across unexpected picturesque sights. Eventually, we ended up in "our" Santa Croce district and found the hotel (no assistance from Marco required). I was already feeling at home in Venice.

 

At dinnertime, Carol joined me at the Osteria where I’d eaten the previous night. It was much easier to find in the daylight. This time, I chose one of my all-time favorites, spaghetti con le vongole, spaghetti with clams. I washed it all down with a glass of Pinot Grigio from the Veneto region. Although we were stuffed, we had to try Venetian cookies, served with a sweet dipping sauce and a small glass of dessert wine. 

 

I could hardly believe all I'd done and seen in 24 hours! And all this before the OAT tour officially began.