First Trip to Italy: Venice

Bank holiday #3... Venice! As the June holiday quickly approached, we still hadn't decided where we wanted to go until 3 or 4 days beforehand. So, I searched RyanAir for cheap flights and we settled on Venice.

I have wanted to go to Italy for as long as I can remember. If you were to ask me before we moved here, "what country in Europe would you visit first?" I would have answered Spain or Italy. I suppose I've always wanted to experience the culture, the food, the beautiful architecture and beautiful people, the weather, etc., all there is to offer! Venice was just the beginning of many trips I intend to take to Italy while we're here...

Grand Canal

I've heard people say that they don't like Venice -- that it's smelly, dirty, or not that pretty. I couldn't disagree more! It may be worse in the summer, but early June was a fantastic time to visit. Venice is unlike any place I've ever seen before... a city built entirely on water. When we first arrived in the city center, we made the amateur move of walking up to a taxi and giving the address for our hotel (again, I don't know Italian, aside from my choice Mario Bros phrases picked up from the Nintendo years, so it was a nice challenge). He just shook his head knowingly and said "no," then explained we needed to take a water taxi or walk because there are no roads. Good to know! We then proceeded to drag our luggage and get lost several times on the walk to our hotel, ha.

Venice is divided into six "Sestieri" or neighborhoods, each with their own character. We stayed in Sestiere Cannaregio, a lovely neighborhood that is close to all the tourist sites, but also more quiet and residential.

Our second day was spent visiting the nearby islands in the Venetian lagoon (which I'll cover in a separate post), but the other two were spent getting happily lost in the maze of canals and alleys, sipping prosecco in the various squares, and visiting some of the main tourist spots, i.e. Grand Canal, Rialto Bridge, Piazza San Marco, etc.

Rialto Bridge

Piazza San Marco

We also took a private Gondola ride on the canals, which I absolutely recommend! It's pricey, but worth it. Venice is an incredibly romantic city, and there's no better way to experience it than riding in a gondola with a bottle of wine!

Port where we hired our Gondola, near Piazza San Marco

Along with sightseeing, we had amazing Italian food. The pictures below are a few standouts from the trip... fresh caprese salad, fettucine with duck ragu, lobster gnocchi (mouth watering yet?)... and of course, gelato!! I can't get enough gelato. What's the saying? A gelato a day keeps the doctor away... busy? Ha. All bets are off on vacation!

Lastly, one of the best parts was seeing Venice at night. It's stunning! 

Such a beautiful city and also one of my favorite trips we've taken. A definite "must see" on any trip to Northern Italy.

Grand Canal at night

Ciao Venezia!

Easter in Barcelona

We returned from our mini moon on a Tuesday, Brandon went in to work on Wednesday and Thursday, then we left for another trip on Friday. Our first trip outside of Ireland... to Barcelona for Semana Santa, or "Holy Week" (last week of lent before Easter). We really hadn't had time to settle down in those 2 days between traveling, but there was a Monday Bank Holiday to be seized. There are 4 or 5 bank holidays throughout the year in Ireland, and we try to take advantage of each and every one of these long weekends to start checking off our extensive "hit list" of travel destinations. With no particular order in mind, we chose Barcelona first...

Panoramic view from Museo Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

We arrived on a Friday evening and, by the time we got to the hotel and freshened up, it was already close to 11pm. Conveniently, people don't eat dinner in Spain until 9 pm or later anyway! We went to Cervecería Catalana, a restaurant recommended by our concierge and put our name in to wait (yes, there was still a wait at 11pm... nuts!) Well, it was worth it! We stayed until 1 am, drinking house Rioja (house wines are actually very good in Spain) and eating a delectable variety of tapas. The meal was so enjoyable that we veered from our typical routine and dined there twice during our trip!

Over the next couple days, we took a Hop on/Hop off bus all around the city to see the various sites. We walked down Las Ramblas, the main promenade inundated with street vendors and crowds passing through.

Las Ramblas

On a side street off La Rambla is Mercat de la Boqueria, an enormous public market filled with fresh meats, fish, cheeses, fruits, spices... you name it! Very cool place to walk around and grab a bite to eat.

Mercat de la Boquería

La Rambla ends at the Monumento a Colón, the tallest Christopher Columbus Monument, located at the site where Columbus returned after his first voyage to the Americas.

Monumento a Colón

We then strolled through Barri Gòtic, the gothic quarter with stunning architecture and a labyrinth of narrow streets opening up to little plazas. 

La Seu Cathedral

 Barri Gòtic

... And into La Barceloneta, an adjacent neighborhood that meets the beach boardwalk.

La Barceloneta

Of course, you can't go to Barcelona without hearing about Gaudí, a famous Spanish Catalan architect. His well-known works consist of Casa Milà, Casa Batlló, Sagrada Família, and Park Güell. All are amazingly creative and awe-inspiring.

  

 Casa Milà - or La Pedrera

Casa Batlló

Sagrada Família

Park Güell views

Park Güell

Finally, we visited the modern beach strip near Port Oliímpic. What I love about Barcelona is the juxtaposition of architectural style throughout the city. You can go from the Gothic Quarter with all the historic and intricately designed buildings, to the Catalan Modernism of Gaudí, to the "Miami Beach" type clubs (mojitos are a must).

Port Olímpic

Combine that style with sunny weather and tasty cuisine, and I'm sold! It's just an awesome city, and still one of my favorites of all we've seen. I wouldn't mind living in Barcelona for a while :) Without doubt, I'll be back to visit again!