A photo story showcasing the city of Venice and the islands of Burano and Murano.

VENICE

Above: A Gondola ride along the Venetian canals; Below: Venetian cuisine. L-R: “Catch of the Day” seafood plate, seafood pasta, gelato and cicchetti*.

*Cicchetti (pronounced chi-keti) are light snacks usually served with wine, similar to tapas in Spain.

Above: St. Marks Square; Below: Acqua Alta Bookstore

Here, books that were damaged by flooding are used to make a staircase that leads to a scenic view of the canals.

Above: View from walking along the Venetian canals.

BURANO + MURANO

Above: Burano. Known as “The Rainbow City” for its vibrant colors that can be seen on building walls, windows, boats, and outdoor furnishings. Legend has it that the houses in Burano were painted different colors so that fishermen coming in from the sea could easily see their houses from afar.

Above: Murano. Here we visit a glass-blowing factory and watch as artisans create intricate shapes out of red-hot fire and sand. The artisans work silently and carefully in a beautifully choreographed dance that shows years of practice. We watch in awe as a ball of heated glass is drawn from a flaming oven and molded into the shape of a horse.

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Of the three Italian cities I visited, Venice felt like the most romantic. I loved the twisted steel lampposts that illuminated the streets at night, the mini bridges arched over the canals, the narrow alleys that form a maze inside the city, and the way sunset colored the sky in soft amber and pink.

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Good to Know

• You can get around Venice by walking or water taxi. In our 3 days there, we walked everywhere, only taking taxis from the train station and to the airport.

• English is spoken, but I always try to learn simple phrases like greetings and thank you.

• Credit cards are accepted in most places. However I often try to have a little bit of cash on me, between $20 and $50.

• In my opinion, 2-3 days is enough time to spend in Venice and also the islands of Burano and Murano. You can spend longer, but if you have only have 2/3 days, that’s okay.

• You can book a tour to the islands via Viator or Get Your Guide. I recommend a tour because they take care of logistics and you get to learn historical context, which I always find interesting.

• Venice is a seafood-lovers paradise, and restaurants do a great job of delivering fresh, tasty seafood. Some noteworthy restaurants are: Osteria Alle Testiere and Ristorante Centrale. Alle Testiere is popular and only has about 12 tables, so you want to book reservations here a few weeks in advance.

• Gelato is abundant in Italy but not all of it is good. We loved the Gelato at Gelato di Natura.

Thinking about a trip to Venice? Plan your stay with the Same Footprints Guide here: https://bit.ly/3J2FJHe

As always,

thank you for reading!

T in Transit is an 8-part series featuring some of my favorite travels from 2022. The 8th and final part will feature Paris. Click the follow button to subscribe and receive the Paris story as soon as I hit Publish.

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Same Footprints, Different Sands