Love and Life

Venice: The city of Romance

Venice is so unique. The buildings, canals and city design exude a character that so many others have tried to replicate-- but without success. I went to Venice with friends while I was living in London for Study Abroad and always wanted to return with my husband one day.

Now, I do have to admit- when we first got to Venice we were less than enchanted. It was congested, busy, hot and we were a little bit jet lagged. We found ourselves walking in circles for lunch when finally we decided to just pop in to a little store to grab some water. Lucky for us, I noticed the store owner (a sweet Italian woman) also had meats, cheese and bread. A few euro’s later we were happily sitting on the steps of an old church enjoying our picnic lunch. A great way to get started. 

We lucked out finding this cute little deli. The woman who owns the restaurant was Italian, could barely communicate with us -- so cute. And the sandwich was delicious.

On Rialto Bridge fighting for a spot for a photo!

 We walked all over the city and made our way towards St. Marc’s Square. Again, crowded small streets, and St Marc’s was just jam packed. We appreciated the buildings and the architecture but were glad to leave the area and find ourselves negotiating with a few vapparetto’s for a canal ride. 

In front of St. Marc's Square.

I love the detail on these buildings.

For us, a gondola ride was a must-do in Venice. Lucky for us it did not disappoint. Our guide took us on the quiet ‘streets’ (canals) and we were so relaxed and in awe of the incredible city. The bridges, buildings and city all of a sudden changed into this incredible place before our eyes. 

Ryan negotiating for a good deal on a ride.

Ryan's thinking pose.

Gorgeous.

We spent the afternoon getting lost down quiet streets and canals and before we knew it, we were trying to find a restaurant for dinner.

Pretty tight alley/street!

I LOVE these windows and flower boxes.

After a few places being booked, we decided to grab a pizza and picnic in a square.Wow. What a great decision. This may have been my favorite pizza of the trip! 

The weather was gorgeous that night and we were so happy to be outside on the square admiring the amazing buildings around us. We stopped for our first gelato after dinner, and it was AMAZING. Just the first of many, many gelatos. We walked hand-in-hand to our hotel and were excited for our next adventures to come. 

The next morning we enjoyed quiet streets and canals while we savored Venice just a little bit longer before heading to the train station on our way to Florence.