As promised, here I go. I gained so much enjoyment from Trip Reports in my year of research (Journey Gal here!), that I feel I need to add mine if it will help anyone at all, or provide entertainment. I hope I won't put you to sleep. It's difficult to figure out how to write a trip report.
We arrived in Venice Saturday, September 12th late morning. Our plane ride was uneventful, but my legs were NOT swollen thanks to compression socks. I actually found them warm on the plane and not uncomfortable. I slept a few hours...
The adrenaline was flowing as we arrived! I couldn't believe we were actually in Venice! It was quite a change of pace to only have carry-on luggage and walk right past the baggage carousels. We knew we wanted a Water Taxi, and as researched, as soon as we exited the doors of the baggage area, they were literally right in front of us. We walked up, told them what we wanted and it was 110 Euros. They gave us our receipt, walkie-talkied over to the pier area (I guess) and showed us the door to walk to the piers. Again, I had pictures of what the walkway looked like from the internet, so wasn't surprised that it too us about 10 minutes. Arriving by water Taxi is exhilarating. To see Venice coming closer and closer, and then all the beautiful buildings just as you had imagined was magnificent..and then the best...starting to go down the last small canal and you can see the Grand Canal..then you pull into it...just WOW!
A funny side note. About 15 years ago when we were decorating our formal Living Room (the museum is what we call it)..we purchased 2 framed paintings of Venice. I have loved gazing and sighing at them whenever I wander in and out of our "Museum", usually to adjust the thermostat. Anyway, I was just in there last week and looked at the paintings, smiling on the inside that I finally got to see that beautiful city. I leaned forward and looked again at one of them again. I know this canal!!! I have been down that canal. I took a picture of it with my camera and raced back to my PC where my photos are. I looked through them and sure enough!, as we were coming down the last canal in the water taxi, you could see the Grand Canal at the end. Same buildings down the small canal, and the large building at the end. I checked the detail of the buildings and it was the same! How cool is that??
OK, back to Venice. We arrived at Locando Leon Bianco. It is on the Grand Canal, moderately priced B&B. Not a full service hotel. You can read all about it on TripAdvisors..the good and bad. I'd recommend if you are only there a couple nights, but that's it. Checked in, freshened up and were out and about at around 1:30. The Inn is located in the Rialto Bridge area. I did what everyone said to do and it is TRUE. Although it wasn't as busy as probably July/August are...it was busy enough. We literally walked away from the crowds. In about 60 seconds we were in a different Venice. Quiet, few people..then we came a cross where residents must live as there was laundry hanging our windows. The restaurants were filled with Italians. We wanted to stop and eat everywhere we saw, they were so quaint. We were in love with Venice in only 5 minutes. We also lucked out with the weather. Just 2 weeks prior, Italy was having a heatwave and I even went out an purchased more clothing. The weather the two days we were there was sunny and 75! Couldn't get any better. We stopped at some pizza place overlooking the lagoon and had pizza and prosecco, and were in heaven. All we did the rest of the day was walk around, take pictures...stop for gelato. We did venture over to St. Mark's square as I wanted to see what it looked like crowded...put I just wanted to see it. It was crowded..but again I imagine it could have been worse. About 9:30 I had had enough. I didn't have jetlag the entire day...and I worried so much about that. Maxed out words..will continue next post.