Venice : Love Lock -

February 19, 2014

Venice : Love Lock

There is nothing quite like waking up in Venice. For a moment you wonder if you are in a dream; you even consider pinching yourself for a reality check. Then you look outside the window and learn to accept the fact that life can indeed be a fantasy!, especially when you only have one goal to accomplish for the day: go on an adventure. Not just any adventure, but one lived by the legendary Marco Polo and romancer, Casanova himself.

If you have been to Venice, hi five! If you have not, make sure you turn that wish into reality one day. If you are planning to go soon, may i say this post is dedicated specially for you? Here i’ve compiled Top 10 MUST See & Do when you have a full day in Venice. (You may check out my half-day itinerary here.) At the bottom of each section, i’ve also included my expenditures so that you may budget your trip better.

#1. Hunt down Casanova’s apartment

Depending on where you stay, from our hotel, this is one fun and easy mission. Casanova might be enjoying his punishment by a thousand bitches in hell right now, but his place is surely still standing strong. To find it, set your Google Maps to Calle Malipiero. What really tickled my fancy was this cute ol’ skool doorbells with names on it! 😆

Cost: 0 €

#2. Caffé Florian, “contender for the title of the oldest coffee house in continuous operation” – Wiki

{loving everything classic, i selected Caffé Espresso miscela Florian – ‘espresso coffee own brand’}

Established in 1720, this elegant coffee house is more than just about coffee – it is also about history and art. Though extraordinarily expensive compared to other usual cafés, you MUST try this and you can’t blame them for being unreasonably priced. (Who could when friggin’ CHARLES DICKENS was here?) This is a place you should experience with a mindset that says “it is okay to splurge”. Grab breakfast with a grandiose cup of coffee to accompany, alone or with a partner. Do, practice bel far niente.

Cost (1 cup of coffee): about 10 €

#3. Doge’s Palace / Palazzo Ducale (MUST BOOK TICKET IN ADVANCE)

{heart the world}

{can you spot Malaysia?}

This palace is a wonder for its amazing architecture of Venetian Gothic style. After you’re done admiring its details, move fast, as there are 3 parts to our #3 visit: the palace, prison and museum. i leave this picture of a bird above with you to ponder – how would it feel to see such a fragile life full of freedom flying around such a lovely city, if you were a prisoner in one of these cells below?

{little door, huge hole, missing key}

{Big Guy trapped inside 😛 }

After too much Prison Break, we mused about broken clays and worn out shoes at the museum. On the way (in/out), remember to catch a glimpse of #4 through the wall holes . . .

#4. Bridge of Sighs

This bridge, which connects the prison to the interrogation rooms of Doge’s Palace, is named as such because it was the final view of beautiful Venice that the convicts saw before they were locked behind bars.

Cost (all-in-one): 16 € per ticket

#5. Basilica’s Byzantine

For the most part of this picture, it is actually Doge’s Palace from the inside. Basilica’s Byzantine is that dome you see behind the palace but this happens to be the prettiest shot i could get, as sandblasting work was being performed at that time.

Cost: 0 €

#6. Campo Santa Maria Formosa

{took a few shots around the area and that’s about it really. this is Big Guy in Supernatural mode}

Cost: 0 €

#7. Marco Polo’s House (very near Rialto Bridge, see #8)

Another ‘figure hunt’: Marco Polo’s place! Isn’t it just so so amazing, to see where he actually LIVED, for the price of . . . nothing?

Cost: 0 €

#8. Rialto Bridge

It is no surprise to see so many bridges when you are at a city floating on water, but there are two you shouldn’t miss. First is Rialto Bridge, the oldest across the canal. You will find a hard time squeezing through crowds of tourists to get the best picture spot; so go get it, snap snap and move on!

Cost: 0 €

#9. Ponte dell’Accademia

To be honest, i was disappointed when i saw this bridge. It’s name, romantic: Ponte dell’Accademia. But something was missing – a lock. Couples bring their padlocks there to ‘lock their love’ on this bridge. Since we found it by chance and missed the opportunity to do so, i hope you do bring / buy a padlock should you visit Venice with your lover.

Cost: ~~0 €~~ Your lock

#10. Shopping + Art

With the remaining time that we had, it literally required a conscious decision to use it wisely. i went all out feasting my eyes on quirky paintings, murano glass and leather goods shopping. Lunch required to be squeezed in between, as the inevitable SIM card ‘business’ had to be settled as usual, on the very first day in a new country.

SIM Cost: 25 €