You might remember Venice as the city who was suffering from mass tourism so much that even the major begged people to stay away. And rightfully so. Roughly 25 million tourists visit Venice every year. And then Corona happened… The sloppy water turned transparent, the squares were empty. The city could breath again. From 25 to 28 June, we were in Venice. A bit over a month after it reopened. It was surreal and at the same time felt amazing to experience the city this way.
“This is amazing, I’ve never seen Piazza San Marco so empty”, I grasped. “eh cara mia, Corona”, my mother-in-law smiled. I was turning around at the square, soaking it all in because I knew I would never see Venice this empty ever again.
My husband’s parents bought an apartment in Venice last year, so we were staying there for a few days. We travelled to Italy by car, since I’m not to keen on taking a plane just yet. We could not have imagined a better time to be here. A few pics, since those say more than a thousand words:
Of course we also had to go back to thé bridge where it all happened a bit over a year ago 😉 Read that story here.
Insider’s tip: Trattoria alla Madonna
As a tourist, it can be a challenge to find a good restaurant to eat in and not get “tourist-trapped”. Luckily, my parents-in-law introduced us to a traditional Venetian restaurant that specializes in fish. Trattoria alla Madonna, write that down in case you go to Venice. We recommend taking Il risotto ai frutti di mare (sea fruit risotto) and then the Fritto misto. You will not regret it!
Doge’s Palace (Palazzo Ducale)
Normally, I’m not much of a museum person (sorry cappuchiotto!) but since I love the looks of the Palazzo Ducale, and the prices were reduced from € 25 pp to € 13 pp, even I could not let this slip. We booked a time slot for Sunday at 11 AM, mouth mask and all. And it was amazing!
The Doge was basically the leader of Venice. Once elected, the Doge lived in the palace until he died. He never left the palace, not even to go on holiday.
In the Doge’s Palace, justice was administered. It wasn’t difficult at all to get arrested: a single anonymous accusation dropped in the “Mouth for secret accusations“, was enough.
If found guilty, you would be sent to prison (surprise, it is also inside the Doge’s Palace).
To end this post, I’ll share some beautiful sunset pictures, taken from our apartment:
Alright, this was it! I’m extremely grateful to have seen Venice this way. I’m still in Italy right now, enjoying time with my husband’s family and friends. I am trying to get as many recipes as possible from my Italian “Mamma” while I am here 😉
Until next time xoxo,
Claudia
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