Day in Venice

There will be a lot to do today - plan an early rise, and you can skip breakfast or limit yourself to a cup of coffee and croissant (in an hour and a half we will definitely fill the gap).
Early in the morning we go to the train station of Mestre, where almost every ten minutes trains go "to the island", to the station Venice Santa Lucia. We quickly buy tickets (which can be done the day before) and remember to stamp them just before boarding.
The train goes over the dam, laid on the Venice lagoon - the water on all sides. The ride is not long at all, about 15 minutes.

We leave the train station building and there it is - Venice! In front of us is the Grand Canal and our first bridge. How many more are coming today... If you're interested, you can start counting.
We go to the opposite side of the river together with the others and get into a maze of narrow streets, canals and bridges. We need to get out to the market and the Rialto Bridge.
It will be hard to get lost and pass by. The big canal makes a loop and blocks our way again, and the bridge we need is the main and almost the only crossing. One way or another we'll get there. Also, if you look up, there will be signs "per Rialto" quite often along the way. Sometimes they are simply painted on the walls of houses, but they make it clear which direction to go.

The old Rialto Market is a very colorful and perhaps one of the most "non-tourist" places in Venice. No, there are no shortage of tourists, but there are more local buyers and sellers. For several hundred years, every morning housewives come here to buy fresh fish, seafood, fruits and vegetables.
The market closes quite early - no one is here at noon. That's why we came here early in the morning - to see native Venetians doing their traditional occupation of trading, to see all sorts of fish and sea creatures laid out on the ice, bright scatterings of colorful fruits, sly seagulls dreaming to steal something tasty and photographers sneakily shooting scenes of city life... It's all worth it.

Near the fish market there are traditionally many different restaurants, trattorias and eateries. Let's go to one of them, especially since we skipped breakfast...
How about "pulperia"? It's a place where they make octopus snacks. Believe me, it's very delicious! By the way, all sorts of bruschettas and even oysters, you'll find here, too. And a glass of Prosecco, of course. No, not early - we're in Venice!

In case you don't like seafood, on the way from the Rialto market to the bridge of the same name, we'll pass a tiny wine bar called Al Merca. It looks like a stall where you can have a glass of wine and eat traditional Venetian "cicchetti" - sandwiches with prosciutto and salami seasoned with truffle oil. Mmm... Even if you just refueled with octopus, you'll still linger here too - a thin slice of lard (lardo) on a slice of fresh white bread and another glass of Prosecco or Valpolicello. No, not too much - the atmosphere calls for it!

You don't have to worry about having such a big breakfast. The fact is that lunch is not planned for today. If you want to get everything done, you have to sacrifice something...
So, let's move on. We go out again to the Grand Canal, where one of the main and most beautiful bridges in Venice, the Rialto (yes, yes, that's the same name as the market), is located.
In its present form, this marble bridge has existed for more than 400 years. It serves not only as a crossing, but also as a place for trade. There are still jewelry and souvenir shops here to this day. Let's take a good look at it and, of course, let's use it for its intended purpose - to cross the canal to the other side.

The "secret" place of the travel bloggers is the observation deck that offers a wonderful view of the Grand Canal and the surrounding area. It's located on the roof of the T Fondaco dei Tedeschi shopping center and opens at 10:30. We found ourselves there just in time.
Enter the mall to the left of the Rialto Bridge and take the elevator up to the terrace. Entrance is free, but there are restrictions - no more than 40 people at a time and you can stay there no longer than 15 minutes.
To be sure to get there at the time you expect, you need to book your visit on the website of the shopping center - reference here. Don't thank...)

After seeing the Grand Canal, the surrounding rooftops and bell towers, we go to see the most important thing of all, Piazza San Marco and its "must see" attractions.
We are now in the heart of Venice - the streets are getting narrower and more and more tourists. On the way we are guided by the signs "per S. Marco".
If we don't photograph ourselves for a long time in front of a particular picturesque bridge, canal, or palazzo, in about 10-15 minutes we'll be there. The cramped alleyways suddenly end and the famous Venetian square opens up in front of you. Let's walk around for a while, look around, and of course, take pictures again.
But please keep in mind that it is not a good idea to feed the local pigeons. It looks romantic, of course... But first, it is very unhygienic, secondly, they scratch your hands and clothes, and thirdly, it is very expensive. You could be fined a few hundred euros for it. You can do without it, can't you?

There is a tower in Piazza San Marco with a unique clock - Torre dell'Orologio. It was built more than 500 years ago. It is more than a venerable age, without major repairs and restorations of course, but we are assured that the structure itself and the clock mechanism have remained more or less in pristine condition.
Very rarely, just a couple of times a year, you can see a unique performance - the figures of the Magi, who make a procession from the windows located near the clock face. This was the custom hundreds of years ago, but nowadays it happens only on major holidays.
But we can still, as for more than five hundred years, hear the chime of the old clock! It sounds especially long and beautiful over the square at noon. And we are again in the right place at the right time. Let's stand for a while and wait for the bronze Moor at the top of the tower to strike the ancient bell with his heavy hammer.

If you turn 180 degrees away from the clock, the first thing you see is the tall, main bell tower of Venice's Campanile di San Marco.
It was built in the 16th century, but after several earthquakes and lightning strikes it collapsed in 1902. It is said that from the general wear and tear of the entire structure. The destruction was total, but fortunately there were no fatalities. The tower has always been a symbol of Venice, so it was decided to restore it to its original form. Which they did just ten years later - in 1912.
If you want, you can climb it by standing in line, buying a ticket and taking the elevator.

Right next to the bell tower is a real "pearl", one of the main attractions not only of Venice, but also of the whole of Italy - St. Mark's Cathedral. Of course, you noticed it right away, strolling through the square. Now it's time to take a better look at it from the outside as well as from the inside. It's very beautiful!
I hope the line to get in is not long. At any rate, it usually moves pretty fast. Entrance to the cathedral itself is free, but you have to pay to see the treasury, the "Golden Altar" and the second floor terrace. Everywhere you have to pay a few euros, but believe me, it's worth it.
In a nutshell: The treasury contains jewels - religious utensils and relics that have been accumulated here for hundreds of years (the collection began with trophies taken during the sacking of Constantinople). "The Golden Altar" is a large altar image of gold, painted enamel plates, inlaid with placers of precious stones. Here is also the main altar, where the relics of St. Mark are kept (secretly taken from Alexandria in Egypt). On the second floor you can see the original ancient quadriga of gilded bronze (you won't believe it, but it was also taken out of Constantinople after it was sacked). The one outside is a later exact copy.
See it all, as well as the rich mosaics and decoration of the cathedral, and step out onto the terrace - you'll be right behind the four horses, which stand outside for all to see. From here you have a simply magnificent view of Piazza San Marco and the Venice Lagoon. Do you still have enough room on your smartphone for a few dozen new photos?

Next door to the assembly is the Doge's Palace, the former residence of the rulers of the Republic of Venice. Now it is a museum, where you can get acquainted with the rich and very interesting history of the city, see rich interiors, paintings, priceless artifacts and exhibits.
Buy tickets and go for a tour. A couple of hours should be enough.
By the way, not far from the entrance, there are two columns with the symbols of Venice - the sculptures of St. Mark the Lion (brought out from the Middle East) and St. Theodore, the patron of the city, defeating a crocodile (brought out from Constantinople, though, I'm not surprised).

When you have finished your tour of the museum, go out to the promenade. Another famous attraction is the Bridge of Sighs, just next door. In fact, you've already walked across it when you went from one museum building to another. Now look at it from the outside. You have to walk to Ponte della Pagila, which is also an ancient bridge, but not as famous, and stay in the middle of it. Now look to the left - the crossing between the buildings over the canal is what we need.
The covered bridge is a gallery with barred windows. It is believed to have been used to escort convicts from the courtroom to the place of detention and execution. As they passed by the windows, they could cast a last look at the "will" and sigh sadly over their fate. Hence the name of the bridge.
You too can sigh now, but with a sigh of relief. For this was the last item on our "must-see" program.

The tour can end at one of the nearby cafes or bars.
Walk a little further to the monument to the first king of united Italy, Victor Emanuel II, riding a horse right in the middle of the promenade. Pick the first place you see fit and order the local aperol spritz cocktail. Just be prepared that the prices here will be a bit "above average", after all, this is Venice...
Aperol Spritz, by the way, is another local celebrity. This light and perfectly refreshing drink made of orange bitter liqueur, prosecco and mineral water was invented right here. Help yourself, you deserve it!
Take a little break, exchange impressions, and decide what you're going to do next. There are several options:
You can fulfill the "housewives' dream" and take a ride in a real Venetian gondola through the canals. And then go for a late lunch (or early dinner, as you prefer).
You can go straight to the restaurant on foot, about the same route we took to Piazza San Marco.
Or go most of the way there on the local vaporetto (the stop is nearby, on the promenade).
Alternatively, you can take a local cab boat to get to the restaurant faster and see the city from the water.
The choice is yours.

An eight-hour walk is no joke! Your appetite must be working up quite a bit. It's a good time to eat, and if possible, thoroughly.
Finding a decent restaurant in Venice is a challenge. The thing is a huge number of tourists visiting this city every day. Because of this, most restaurants will either be overpriced or underpriced. Or sometimes both together. We don't like those options, right?
Let's get out of the overcrowded tourist areas and head to Cannaregio, again a "non-tourist" part of Venice where we're sure to find what we need. Especially since it's also not far from the train station, where we'll soon have to go.
Here, for example, are the two partner restaurants Al Timon and All'Antica Mola - one is meat and the other is fish. They are generally praised and often quite deservedly so. We have to be there a little earlier than usual dinner time in Italy, so the chances of getting a table are pretty good. At the very least, there are other places in the neighborhood.
What to order? First of all I would look out for spaghetti vongole. It's traditional for Veneto pasta with clams. And something for an appetizer - a couple of cicchetti, or mozzarella, or whatever they have. And a cool glass of soave, if you don't mind. The vongole is just right!

I hope you had a good meal at the restaurant and an even better walk. It's time to go back to the hotel and get some rest.
We go to the station Santa Lucia, on the way we are guided by the signs "alla Ferrovia". Trains to Mestre leave very often, almost every 5-10 minutes. Buy a ticket if you did not buy it in advance and do not forget to stamp it before boarding.

Back along the same dam as in the morning. The same 15 minutes.
At the train station in Mestre, there's nothing to do there, unless you need to check the schedule and buy tickets for the next day. This is in case you have a trip to another city in Italy.

Five minutes and you're in your room! How nice that the hotel is so close to the station, isn't it?
Now you can finally get some rest. You've had a great and very busy day today.