Saying Goodbye to Venice

After our cruise, we still had one full day to spend in Venice before returning to Utrecht. We disembarked, dropped our luggage off at the hotel (this time using a taxi to avoid any more bus disasters), and made it back into the city before 11:00.

In our few days in Venice before the cruise, we'd already crossed off the museums and sites on our must see list, so for our final day we focused on relaxing and enjoying the Venetian culture instead of jam packing our itinerary.

We decided to start off at the Biennale Gardens and just meander from there. The public park at the opening to the gardens was pretty, but we opted not to go into the area which required an entry fee (and contained most of the art displays).

Statue in the Biennale Gardens

Instead, we stopped for lunch, beginning a day full of food and drinks, which after all seems to be what Venice is all about. I enjoyed one last pizza, while Mr. Traveler chose a local fish, served whole with potatoes. As we ate, we watched as both locals and fellow tourists went about their business, stopping to pick up groceries or inquiring about menus in a mix of English and Italian. Some of my favorite moments in Venice involved seeing the local culture -- children playing ball in narrow passageways and adults and their dogs meeting up with human and canine pals. Realizing that Venice was not only a tourist destination, but also a home, seemed to bring the City of Bridges to life.

After lunch, Mr. Traveler concocted a plan and programmed an address into his phone. We meandered through alleys, across bridges, and stopped in some of the open plazas to enjoy the architecture. I would have assumed we had no particular destination in mind, except that Mr. Traveler kept peeking at his phone to see that we were on track.

At one point, we stopped in a little bookstore with a sign that proclaimed, "Welcome to the Most Beautiful Bookshop in the World". I'm not sure I would have even put it on the top 10 list of most beautiful bookshops I've visited, but the books piled in a seemingly disorganized fashion in boats, on shelves, and even on the floor, did have a certain charm. 

Bookstore in Venice

Many photo opportunities later, we arrived at Mr. Traveler's destination.

Wine Store/Bar/Cafe

Mr. Traveler had spotted a bottle of wine he wanted to try on our last visit to the small wine shop. We'd asked for the same bottle later the same day, and another shop wanted to charge us an additional 20 euros. So, now that we were back in Venice at the same shop, Mr. Traveler decided it was now or never.

The bartender/shopkeeper opened the bottle for us and gave us a couple of plastic cups (classy, right?) so we could enjoy our wine and chichetti (bar snacks) across the street in a little grassy square. (By the way, drinking in public is totally acceptable in Europe, so we weren't being complete weirdos.)

After our wine, I was a little sleepy, but we continued our walk around the city. Even though I'd already taken hundreds of pictures, I felt like I still hadn't captured the uniqueness of the peeling stucco, the varying colors, and the contrast of small passageways and magnificent buildings. There was something so magical and romantic about Venice. (I felt like this the whole time. So it wasn't just the wine talking.)

I love the charm of these old doors.

At times, even the graffiti brought a smile to my face.

Venetian Graffiti

After a while, Mr. Traveler suggested we stop for some coffee. I immediately agreed as I needed something to pep me up. We both ordered a double espresso, which did the trick. Energized, we explored the area a little more.

Cute Dog in Venice

Soon, it was time for dinner. I wasn't extremely hungry, so I opted for a salad. Mr. Traveler ordered a sliced steak dish that our waiter recommended. Our food was good, but after seeing the food preparation at other tables, we both had ordering regret. We watched as the waiter gutted and skinned a raw fish, cut it into extremely thin slices, and added olive oil, salt and garlic, creating an Italian style sushi. At another table, he brought out a grilled fish and chopped it up with potatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Even though fish isn't normally my first choice, these dishes looked amazing. (I wish I had photos to share with you, but I'm sure even if I did, they wouldn't do the food justice.)

Even though we hadn't visited any museums or consulted our guidebook, our final day in Venice ended up being one of my favorite memories from the vacation. I felt like we really saw Venice that day, between our long walk and the moments we just sat and watched the people around us, enjoying each other's company.

The next morning, we woke up, wished each other a "Happy Anniversary" and started our journey back to Utrecht.

Walking in Venice

This brings me to the end of our travels along the Eastern Mediterranean. If you missed any part of our trip, you can catch up below:
Bus Misadventures
Culture on the Canals
Friday in Venice
All Aboard
Biking in Croatia
Enough of Athens
A Few Hours in Izmir
A Split Second in Split