Our first glimpse of Venice was from a Vaporetto (water bus) that took us a short way before we got off and walked a little further to our hotel.

Our accommodation was not originally built as a hotel, but as a former palace. The rooms and hallways were smaller than in our last hotel. This was made up for in the ornate fixtures.

Emily and I had chosen an optional tour for our first evening. Magical Venice was a walking tour of Venice in the quieter early evening hours. It was lovely to see the sights without the normal crowd of tourists.

We stopped at the Bridge of Sighs for a photo. This bridge connects the courthouse to the prison. The prisoners were taken directly to prison from the courthouse, crossing over on the bridge. They could catch their last glimpse of the outside world through the two small windows and their sighs at the loss of freedom were what gave this bridge its name.

After the tour we had a little time to explore before meeting at an outdoor restaurant for a drink. I had a Limoncello Spritz and Emily had gelato. We enjoyed listing to a quartet playing classical music before walking back to our water taxi as the sun was setting. It really was magical and Emily couldn’t stop smiling!

The next morning we joined a small group for a Hidden Venice walking tour. Our local expert guide was born and raised in Venice. She had interesting trivia for us.

Venice is made up of 118 islands and over 400 bridges connect them! The lowest point is St. Mark’s Square and it floods a little every day in the winter. The dam has cut down on flooding but in 2019 the whole city flooded. Everything on the ground floors of buildings was ruined, including the marble floors in the cathedral. We could see the water marks high above doors on many buildings.

Barbara told us later that someone forgot to push the button at the dam and that caused the flood. She also said the dam is called Moses, because it splits the water.

We also learned that it’s more economical to have a boat here than a car. You can park a boat in a dedicated spot outside your house for about $300 per year. Car parking is limited, a distance from the houses and costs $250 per month!

The mosaic on St. Mark’s church is made of glass tiles, some infused with pure gold. The tiles are still vibrant. The columns and four horses at the top were stolen from Constantinople!

We stood at the clock tower and looked up to see a statue at the top turn and strike the bell! The face of the clock actually contains three clocks. The outer one is a 24 hour clock. The centre is the zodiac signs and the inner shows the sun and the moon. The colouring on the moon changes to depict the moon’s phases. What an incredible work.

The highlight of the day came when we boarded a gondola. This was the moment Emily had been waiting for. We were told to sit still and I didn’t know if she’d be able to as she was vibrating with excitement! Later she told me this was the best day yet.