I had one of those queue busting tickets for the Palazzo Ducale, the Doge’s Palace, I had visited before a few years back, a distant memory it rained that day but for some reason it hadn’t stuck in my mind like other memories do.

The legend of sotoportego dei Preti is worth spending a few minutes trying to Iocate, its story romantic and haunting. I read the story, wandered and found the famous ‘stone’.

Wednesday fulfilled some of the wishes that Tuesday did not deliver. Wandering though the streets and alleyways the planning was working well, the first major stop was to be The Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paulo, where 25 of Venices Doges are buried.

But before that, a small sojourn to another famous, and food related destination, Cafe Rosa Salva, in existence since 1879 and 4 different locations to choose from, the one I had a snack stop at was right next to the Basilica, perfecto.

Delicious coffee and delightfully patisserie the coffee did its stuff and the cake was a delicious energy booster, as usual, the pigeons and seagulls were in full swing, eying their targets with precision, the customer behind me lost his croissant in seconds, it was sadly amusing.

The Basilica is nothing short of stunning, I was really taken aback by the atmosphere, reverence and majesty of what is an absolutely massive structure. By the way, Venice does have quite a few public toilets and freshwater fountains where you can fill you water bottles safely, for free, The toilets have a small charge. Download the app WC Venice and you will never be caught short.

It was around 10:00, the Basilica was open and very empty, just how I prefer things. I spent at least 45 minutes to 1 hour wandering around, looking at the paintings, architecture and finally, an original and old, Doges chair. It was a memorable visit, I managed to get lots of pictures and the website linked above in the text will take you to the official site with lots more information available, the Basilica is also on Instagram!

Wandering through the streets opened the eyes to such wonderful, and eye catching views, the villa above left, 3 sides surrounded by water, also the location of a famous film scene. Gondoliers were carrying partners, loved ones and those who were maybe to ask that special question, whilst gently navigating the canals of such a romantic and legendary city.

Who needs a crowded and fully booked DFS department store when you can have Scala Contarini
del Bovolo, quiet, and with some magnificent views over the city, all for €8 and booking is not required if you pick a quiet time to visit, I was there at 11:45. It was stunning, the architecture interesting, I was starting to notice strengthening bars on many of the buildings to help stabilise them, like in the middle picture above.

It was that time again, lunchtime and a special treat was in store. Enoteca Al Volto has been serving traditional Venetian food for years, since 1936, local dishes some might consider challenging due to their simple, and unusual flavours and textures. Cicchetti (small snacks on bread) and Ombre (small glasses of wine) feature heavily as well as traditional dishes such as Sarde in Saor with Polenta, my chosen starter and a must have, Spaghetti Vongole (clams), served simply with some bread, both dishes were delicious, a ‘must do’ stop to experience a tradition going back for years.

After a later than usual lunch, back to the hotel for some rest before the next food experience after a short trip down the Granda Canal. There are many palaces lining the canal, the one above is most catching, with mosaics of Murano glass applied in 1886. Palazzo Barbarigo has some interesting history, the hyperlink will help you learn more.

Osteria Bancogiro was going to prove to be another brilliant choice, located close to the Rialto Bridge and market it has a terrace overlooking the Grand Canal, which, when the weather is not too windy, or its not tipping with rain is a perfect spot for some excellent food. It was windy so I was led to an upstairs cavernous dinning area, which soon filled to the brim, obviously popular.

Osteria Bancogiro has a great selection of wines, I opted for a Dalle Ore Chardonnay, which was just delicious, reading their website “In order to retain the specific features of the land, which makes all of these wines unique, no chemical fertilizers, herbicides or insecticides (which can damage the micro flora and the aquifers and indiscriminately eliminate beneficial insects) are used.” It’s a RAW wine, biodynamic, organic and damn tasty.

The dishes I went for were the Seared Scallops in Rhubarb Cevice, and Bigoli in lobster sauce with black fish eggs and zucchini sauce. Bigoli is a thicker kind of spaghetti shaped pasta, I had eaten this before last year in Sienna and really enjoyed its slightly chewy texture.

The meal was awesome, staff engaging, polite and not over fussy it was a beautiful and lovely end to the day. Chefs Jacopo Capponi, Jacopo Zamboni and Andrea Masutti and all the team back of house did a brilliant job with the food, the owners Davide, Gianluca and Mauro are running a great place to have some Venetian inspired delights with a twist, fresh and delicious. Graci Mille.

The trip back to the hotel was as usual delightful, the weather was warm, but not hot, the lights sparkled on the Grand Canal, the Palazzo’s lit up in glorious splendour. The hotel welcomed me back to enjoy a comfortable nights sleep.

I didn’t visit the Doges Palace, it was way too busy!

……………………… Until Next Time ……………… L8ers ………………..