A long weekend in Venice

Staying in the Castello area of Venice meant we could escape the tourist hubbub and enjoy a more laid-back vibe. Space to sip our Aperol Spritz overlooking the water, wander the quiet green Giardini (gardens) and streets around the Arsenale di Venezia. We could buy fruit and veg from boats that pulled up in the canal, a pleasant change from the 'Amazon by boat' deliveries.

We loved just getting lost in Venice. We didn’t make a lot of plans, simply followed our noses along the maze of cobbled stoned streets and alleys, over bridges and into grander squares, marvelling at the incredible feat of Venetian architecture. Just being amongst the tall, imposing buildings is an inspiring experience and on every corner there’s a café waiting to serve you a coffee and tasty snack. When in Venice, its customary to go for an apertivo at a local bar to enjoy drinks and 'cicchetti'. As we had our fair share of rain, we were happy to partake. Across most of the tables in Venice you'll note the drink of choice is generally orange; a trademark Aperol spritz. The cicchetti served are a range of small snacks such as meatballs, crostini, sandwiches and pickled or baked seafood or vegetables. Cichetti is eaten at any time of the day and it will only set you back a few euros.

Getting around in Venice is easy on foot, though there are many bridges and cobblestones, the vaporetto (water bus) is convenient, you can also catch water taxis or take a trip in a gondola, though be prepared for the eye watering prices. If you're interested in art, then you shouldn't miss a visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood, which displays 20th Century European and American art. I would recommend taking a boat around the lagoon to the islands of Burano, Murano and Torcello, to see the brightly coloured houses, wonderful architecture and maybe go to a Murano glass workshop & wander the lace shops. Another highlight of a trip to Venice is a tour of St Mark's Basilica, one of the most incredible cathedrals in the world, to witness the marbles and mosaics. It is recommended to book ahead as the queues are enormous! On arrival at the Marco Polo airport, we opted to take the ATVO bus to the Piazzale Roma, which takes around 20 minutes. From there we caught a vaporetto (water bus) around to Castello, giving us a wonderful evening introduction to Venice by night. It's also possible to have an airport transfer arranged, where you'll be taken directly from the airport to the pier to meet a water taxi - taking any hassle out of the journey. Please get in touch if you're thinking of a trip to Venice, I'd love to help you plan it!

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