(This is a continued series from Travel Freely Member Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles around the world. Read his introduction here and see links to more posts at the bottom.)
Switzerland was an extremely entertaining and active 10 days. While sad to leave, there was a small sigh of relief from our wallets – Switzerland certainly earns its keep as an ‘expensive country’! And flights leaving the country were no exception. The cheapest cash fares from Zurich to Venice (nonstop) were around $200! Luckily, our Chase points came to the rescue. We transferred only 6,000 Chase points to United to book a one-way award ticket from ZRH to VCE – these flights did have taxes of around $35, though. Still, the points came in clutch with an almost 3 cent value per Chase point!
Venice was a relatively short stop for us compared to the rest of our destinations. We only had 2 days to explore the floating city – however – I think this was the perfect amount!
Our journey, appropriately, began with a relaxing coffee and snack at Pasticceria Rio Marin, eating at a table alongside a canal. The AirBnB – only costing $50 a night (plus city tax) – did not allow check-in until 3pm, so we spent a couple hours sipping espresso and munching on some baked goods since touring with our luggage would have been too difficult.
After dropping off our luggage we explored the immediate surroundings of our neighborhood. We ate ice cream at Gelateria il Golosone and enjoyed a pizza along Canale de Cannaregio. Since we had an early morning and were already feeling the day of travel, we decided on an early night so we could wake at a good hour to explore without the crowds.
Our morning began with a walk across the city to Farini restaurant where we had some incredible fresh pressed OJ and flaky croissants. Since Venice is relatively small, we were able to traverse all of the ‘must-see’ spots on foot that morning and afternoon. St. Mark’s Square and the Basilica were impressive, but some of the impact was lost due to some serious construction/renovation that was underway on the Basilica itself.
My favorite moment came just after our time in the Square. We walked over to the opening of the Grand Canal and – for whatever reason, perhaps the early hour – there were no tourists at the gondola docks. I had my camera with me, so I walked out a few meters to the edge of one of these docks to capture some shots and had a surreal moment. The shining dome of the Santa Maria della Salute stood out across the waters, casting rays of light about. There was a warm breeze coming in off the water and the gentle lap of the waves caused the gondolas surrounding me to rise and fall in rhythm. I imagined it would be difficult for any moment to *feel* more like Venice. And I was right!
We spent some time that day visiting other hot spots, such as the Rialto bridge and Santa Maria dei Miracoli. The best lasagna in Venice (and possibly the world…) was at Bacaro Quebroda. Another highlight of our short time in Venice, this restaurant had the most pleasant and fun-loving staff. The atmosphere was downright joyous and you could tell everyone *wanted* to be there! All the workers joked and laughed and danced around with each other and customers as they served the food. We came for the delicious food… and stayed for the incredible character of the restaurant.
After turning in for the night, we woke up for breakfast at the Panificio Pasticceria Trevisan before boarding our high-speed train to the next Italian city: Florence!
More from Adam’s 70 Days on Points and Miles:
