I feel like this might have been one of our busiest days, even though we started with no set plans! Of course, we kicked things off with cappuccinos. We visited Cafe Florian, the oldest café in Italy, built in 1702. The interior was really cool, and we enjoyed two cappuccinos and some tea sandwiches to start our day.

Venice is known for its Murano glass, and there are jewelry shops everywhere. It didn’t take long before I gave in and bought something! After a bit of shopping in St. Mark’s Square, we headed to our next adventure—the Bell Tower.

We originally wanted to tour the clock tower, but tickets were sold out. So, we decided to go up the bell tower instead, where we were treated to panoramic views of Venice. The tower has some fascinating history: it’s where Galileo introduced his telescope to the Venetian Doge. Although the original tower built in 1513 collapsed in the early 1900s, it was rebuilt in the same style, so it still feels like a piece of the past.

Afterward, it was time for more coffee, so we found ourselves at Rosa Salva, a lovely pastry shop. The case was full of tempting treats! I know I ordered a chocolate croissant, but as for the rest, we just pointed to what looked good. Whatever it was, it was delicious!

For lunch, we went back to Farini’s for more pizza to hold us over for our next stop—Palazzo Grimini. This former Venetian residence is now a museum, restored by the Italian government. It was fascinating to explore, though I wish we could have seen it as it was when it was first built when it was still a residence!

Next up was something I was initially apprehensive about, but Jordan convinced me to try—a gondola ride! I’m so glad we did it. Gliding through the canals, especially the ones without walking paths, gave us a unique perspective of the city. Fun fact: gondolas were once exclusively used by Venetian nobility, as the canals were essentially their streets. Now, they’re reserved for tourists!

We had our sights set on a Venice Crimes, Legends, and Mysteries Walking Tour at 6:00 PM but had some trouble booking it. So, we just showed up at the meeting spot, hoping the guide would let us join—and she did! Our guide, Kiki, was amazing. Born and raised in Venice, she had a real passion for crime history, which made the tour incredibly engaging. Her father had been in the Venetian police force, so she grew up surrounded by crime stories and Venetian history.

We expected the tour to focus mainly on crime, but it ended up being a fascinating mix of crime and Venetian history. One fun fact we learned: Venice is built on 118 small islands connected by over 500 bridges! The wooden foundations driven into the clay by the original Venetians have since turned to stone under layers of sediment, and that’s what holds the city up to this day. It’s mind-blowing to think about how they even came up with such a construction method.

After the tour, we asked Kiki for a restaurant recommendation, and she pointed us to Vittoria al 1938. It was an amazing suggestion, even though the menu was a bit out of our comfort zones. The menu was divided into two sections: a ‘traditional’ section with classic Venetian fare, and an ‘innovation’ section with modern twists on Venetian dishes.

We started with an appetizer of sarde in saor, which is in fact a very traditional Venetian dish! This dish dates back to the 1300’s when Venetian sailors needed to preserve fish during long sea crossings. In absence of refrigeration, the sailors would cook the fish, and combine with a mixture of onions and vinegar to preserve the food. I just find it super interesting how a dish created out of necessity is now a delicacy! It’s a living piece of history you can taste! It reminded me a bit of sushi. 

For my main course, I ordered from the innovation section: figs and pastin ravioli in Tom kha kai broth, and it was the best dish I had in all of Venice! Jordan opted for cod ravioli with coconut milk, lemongrass, and katsuobushi. It was a little too fishy for my taste, but Jordan loved it. 

After dinner, we wandered around a new area that we hadn’t explored yet, even though we’ve been here for three days. Venice may be small, but there’s always something new to discover. We grabbed our nightly gelato and headed back to the hotel, eager to make the most of our final morning in Venice before catching our train tomorrow at 1:30 PM. Next stop— Florence!