EURAIL to Venice Italy

My brother, our mother and I traveled to Venice the last week of December, 2017 by train. We had spent the previous day and morning in Rome, barely managed to make our morning train out of Rome because I took us to the wrong train station; had a relaxing 6+ hour train ride and spent the last twenty minutes fretting about which station to get off the train as we had such trouble getting out of Rome.

Gio & Gio Bed and Breakfast Ristorante Piccolo Martini and La Caravella

In Venice, we stayed at the Gio & Gio Bed and Breakfast. It is a nice three story building not far from the alley that was momma's sad first impression of Venice. It is just on the corner of Calle de le Ostreghe and Rio dell'Albero - very charming and an easy walk, even with luggage, from the San Mario del Giglio ferry station. The shared living room and kitchen were ample enough for us three and the other guests. Plus, the living room windows overlooked the Rio dell'Albero where many gondola boats gathered every day and pushed off from the docks full of tourists.

Venice Italy 2017 San Marco Dorsoduro

The next day, we spent our time walking the small streets and canals of Dorsoduro and San Marco (our bed and breakfast is in the south section of the San Marco area). Being December, Venice was chilly, foggy and a misting rain; but we did not mind. The history, the architecture, the winding streets and back alleys, the canals and bridges all make up an intriguing mystique that make you anxious to see what is around the next corner.

Venice Italy 2017 Museo della Musica

One of our first stops along our walk was in Campo San Marizio where we came across the Museo della Musica (Music Museum). It is located in the San Marizio Church and admission is free. The museum enshrines 300 years of Italian violin making along with other Italian musical instruments.

Venice Italy 2017 Squero di San Trovaso Gondola Makers

Squero di San Trovaso

We happened by chance to walk past the squero di san Trovaso - a small shipyard used in Venice to build and repair small boats such as gondolas. I recognized it just because I had seen a picture of it in some magazine or online while traveling to Italy. Its website bills it as Venice's most famous squero. It does stand out from all of the surrounding buildings with its different architecture and having such an open area on the corner of two intersecting canals. Even today, they build gondolas by hand - no machines. 

Venice Italy 2017 Rialto Bridge

Rialto Bridge

The next day had better weather for us and we ventured out even further on our walking. We walked back through St. Mark's Square, north to the Rialto Bridge, lunch just across the bridge and then along the north side of the Grand Canal until we made it back across the Ponte dell'Accademia bridge to Gio & Gio. We took many wrong turns and backtracked often. We didn't mind though. The walk afforded us plenty of exercise and pictures.

Venice Italy 2017 Hotel Bauer Hotel on Campo San Moise

While Troy and momma rested, I walked down to the Grand Canal for some photos. Looking across the Grand Canal, I could see a lot of the area we had walked the day before.

Venice Italy 2017 Hotel Danieli Breakfast

Hotel Danieli Rooftop Restaurant. Doge Palace on the right. Basilica della Santa Maria, too.

We had another day of great weather on our last day in Venice. We walked back through St. Mark's Square and along the Grand Canal to the Hotel Danieli for breakfast at its rooftop restaurant - Restaurant Terrazza Danieli.

Venice Italy 2017 Departing by Water Taxi and Train

St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica and Campanile and Doge's Palace

After enjoying breakfast and the views from Hotel Danieli's rooftop restaurant, we walked back through St. Mark's Square (passing the Bridge of Sighs along the way) to our bed and breakfast to finish packing and catch a water taxi to the train station. Walking back through St. Mark's Square, we thought about taking a tour of St. Mark's campanile (tower), but the line had already gotten too long for us to wait, take the tour and make our train. I didn't realize at the time that I would be coming back through the square very soon.

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Helpful Travel Tools for Venice and Italy

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