Thursday, April 19, 2026
At 09:30, after checking out of Hotel Mioni Pezzato in Abano Terme, we began our drive to Venice Marco Polo Airport to drop off our Opel Corsa at the Hertz Car Rental return center.
The drive to Venice was fairly smooth. When I reached the airport, I stopped to refill the Opel Corsa's gas tank (it was close to 1/4 full). I filled it with E10 gasoline for 66 euros (at 2.00 euros/liter, this equals 33 liters). The Opel Corsa worked very well, and my only real complaint was the lack of a rear-view camera.
The Hertz return was on the 3rd floor of the large parking garage, and I had to navigate some narrow climbs to reach it. Once there, I parked the Opel in a Hertz return spot and dropped off the keys. Since I had prepaid for insurance, the agent didn't even bother to inspect the car.
We had two alternatives to reach the Baglioni Hotel Luna at San Marcos Square in Venice:
- private water taxi (25-minutes, for 150 euros one-way)
- Alilaguna airport boat (120 minutes, for 15 euros/person)
Since we only had one day in Venice and time was precious, we decided to splurge on the private water taxi, arriving at our hotel at 11:30. The water taxi felt like a private boat tour, and we took lots of photos.
Venice looked stunning (as expected), and I had forgotten how beautiful it was. There is nothing else like it.
We checked into our Baglioni Hotel Luna, but our room was not ready (though an upgrade to a larger suite was in the works). We put our bags in storage and decided to visit Piazzo San Marco to see if we could buy tickets for the Basilica di San Marco. Luckily, online tickets were still available for the Basilica for the 12:00 - 12:30 entry to the Basilica and the Pala d'Oro.
St. Mark's Basilica was amazing, and I was amazed yet again by the amount of gold leaf throughout the cathedral. The Pala d'Oro was also an amazing item. The view from the top of the cathedral was also quite stunning. We could have spent many hours admiring the beautiful cathedral.
Right in the heart of Venice, next to Piazza San Marco, this is one of the most extraordinary churches in the world—less like a typical Italian cathedral and more like a shimmering jewel box of East-meets-West art.
✨ What makes it special
🟡 The “Church of Gold”
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Nicknamed Chiesa d’Oro (Church of Gold)
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Covered in over 8,000 square meters of gold mosaics
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Inside glows with a dim, golden light—very different from bright Renaissance churches
🏛️ Byzantine, not Italian style
Unlike most churches you’ve seen in places like Padua or Verona:
This reflects Venice’s history as a trading power deeply connected to the East.
🦁 The symbol of Venice
You’ll see the winged lion everywhere:
Legend says Venetian merchants stole his relics from Alexandria and brought them here in 828.
💎 Must-see highlights inside
🔶 The golden mosaics
💠 The Pala d’Oro (main altar)
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A masterpiece of gold, enamel, and gems
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Created over centuries
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One of the most valuable altarpieces in Europe
🐎 The Horses of St. Mark
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Ancient bronze horses displayed inside (originals)
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Taken from Constantinople after the Fourth Crusade
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Symbol of Venice’s power (and controversial history)
🪞 The floor
🏛️ Not technically a cathedral (originally)
Even though it feels like one:
🧭 What to notice when you visit
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The mix of cultures: Italian + Byzantine + Islamic influences
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Dim lighting → creates a mystical, almost otherworldly feel
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Exterior domes and arches → almost look like something from the Middle East
After visiting the Basilica, we decided to stop for lunch at a nearby restaurant, Ristorante "Dallo Zio" San Marco. After sitting down indoors, we ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Glass Grigio, Glass Merlot
- Appetizer: Caprese con Bufala (Caprese Salad with Bufala)
- First plate: Linguine alle Meraviglie (Linguini with Seafood Marvells)
- Second plate: Filletto di Branzino (European Seabass)
The Caprese Salad was excellent. The Lignuini was delicious, but we had to crack some of the lobster and crab legs ourselves. The Branzino was light and excellent.
After lunch, we decided to see the Galleria dell'Accademia Museum. On the way there, we stopped at another exhibition of a lesser-known French painter, Jaques Cordier.
🎨 Jacques Cordier – Venise
This is a small but very atmospheric exhibition currently on in Venice, and it’s quite different from the big Renaissance museums like the Accademia. It’s more intimate, modern, and poetic.
📍 Where & when
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📍 Palazzo Franchetti (near the Accademia Bridge)
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🗓️ Feb 6 – April 10, 2026
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🎟️ Free entry
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🕒 Typically open 10:00–18:00 (closed Tuesdays)
👨🎨 Who was Jacques Cordier?
Jacques Cordier
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A French painter who died young (late 30s)
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Influenced by landscape painters and especially light-focused art
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His style evolved toward soft, luminous, almost dissolving forms
🌫️ What the exhibition is about
This show focuses on the final years of his life, when Venice became his main inspiration.
👉 The key idea:
He wasn’t trying to paint Venice accurately—he was trying to paint how Venice feels.
We stopped by Moro Cafe for a quick drink and a light pastry. The Cafe has exceptional desserts, and Inna and I were impressed by the quality of the pastries. Plus, the view of the nearby Palazzo Cavalli-Franchetti was amazing.
At the Galleria dell'Accademia Museum, we put our coats into storage and walked around for about 90 minutes. Inna was hoping to see fewer religious paintings, but we saw mostly religious art.
🎨 Gallerie dell'Accademia
This is Venice’s most important art museum—the place to understand how the city saw itself, its power, and its beauty over centuries. If St. Mark’s Basilica is about religion and splendor, the Accademia is about painting, storytelling, and Venetian identity.
🏛️ What it is
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A collection of Venetian painting from ~1300 to 1700
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Housed in former religious buildings (a monastery and school)
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Located right by the Grand Canal
🎯 Why it’s special
Venetian art is different from Florence or Rome:
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Focus on color, light, and atmosphere
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Less about perfect anatomy, more about mood and richness
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Think glowing skin, dramatic skies, sensual textures
🌟 Must-see masterpieces
🖌️ The Tempest – by Giorgione
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One of the most mysterious paintings in Western art
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A stormy landscape with unclear meaning
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Nobody fully agrees what it represents
👉 This is a “slow looking” painting—stand with it for a minute.
🔥 Feast in the House of Levi – by Paolo Veronese
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Huge, theatrical banquet scene
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Originally painted as the Last Supper—but got the artist in trouble with the Inquisition for being too wild
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Full of characters, humor, and drama
⚡ Works by Tintoretto
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Known for energy and movement
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Dramatic lighting—almost cinematic
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Look for bold compositions and action
💫 Works by Titian
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The master of Venetian color
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Rich reds, glowing skin tones
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Emotional and powerful religious scenes
👑 Coronation of the Virgin
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Earlier (medieval-style) Venetian art
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Gold backgrounds like Byzantine icons
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Shows where Venetian painting began
After 90 minutes in the museum, we grew tired and decided to explore more of Venice on foot. We decided to head to the beautiful Ponte di Rialto bridge.
Despite being very touristy, we enjoyed our time on the bridge and stopped by for a quick gelato at Suso Gelateria. We had been there last time, 10 years ago, and really liked the fig & walnut gelato flavor. Unfortunately, fig & walnut was not a flavor currently available, and we picked a few new flavors in two cups:
- Boris: peanut butter, pistachio
- Inna: opera, cherry
We didn't really love any of the flavors. Opera was too sweet. I like pistachio gelato with a stronger flavor (not watered-down). Perhaps our tastes had changed, or the Suso quality has dropped?
For dinner, we decided to dine inside our Baglioni Hotel Luna (as we had an 85 euro credit) at 19:45. We sat down at a corner table and ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Sparkling water
- First plate: Tartar di spigola (Seabass Tartar)
- Second plate: Zuppa di Fragolino
- Dessert: Lemoncello (free)
Although the Seabass Tartar was small, it was well prepared, and the delicious bread and freshly ground mint were served with olive oil and vinegar. The Zuppa di Fragolino soup was delicious too. Service was fast and efficient (as a 5-star hotel should have). The only part of the dinner we disliked was a nearby Russian-speaking guest who was swearing the whole time we were eating (apparently, good manners are not that common anymore).
Friday, March 20, 2026
In the morning, I woke at 07:00. During the night, there was a lot of noise (tourists banging their suitcases against cobblestones, car alarms blaring) that woke me a couple of times. I didn't get the best sleep, though the hotel was excellent in all other respects. I did have to leave the window open, as it was a bit stuffy inside, and this 5-star hotel does not have air conditioning.
After we dressed, we took the elevator downstairs for breakfast in the Marco Polo room. It was an excellent buffet, with all the usual items arranged neatly. I selected the following:
- Drinks: Cappuccino, water
- First plate: Scrambled eggs, sausage, veggies
- Second plate: Yogurt with red currants, pineapple chunks, and granola
The breakfast was excellent, and the service was very fast and efficient. After breakfast, we walked downstairs and ordered a late checkout for 13:00 and a water taxi (160 euros to Marco Polo airport).
We decided to stroll around the city instead of visiting
Palazzo Ducale (which we had seen 10 years ago). The weather was beautiful, and it would give us a chance to explore Venice further. We walked around the Castello neighborhood, and Inna stopped by to look at the many Murano glass souvenir shops.
For a coffee stop, we decided to try the
Caffè Florian (the
oldest European Cafe located right in Piazza San Marco. Caffe Florian opened on Dec 29, 1720. We sat down indoors and ordered the following:
- Boris: Cioccolata in Taza (Hot Chocolate)
- Inna: Blooming Teas
- Treats: Biscotti Florian
The Hot Chocolate was not bad (though not as good as in Thierry, in Vancouver, Canada). Inna liked her hot tea. The Biscotti were quite ordinary; nothing special (and overpriced for the small quantity offered at 18 euros). Overall, I was not too impressed, except for the cafe's history and the beautiful indoor setting.
At 12;50, Inna returned from her shopping, and we repacked our bags and rode the elevator downstairs. For a few minutes, our elevator got stuck, and we had to push the alarm button to get attention. Eventually, it started moving, and we carried our bags from floor 1 to floor T. It was a bit unnerving to get stuck in a confined space.
At 13:00, we checked out of our room #358 and boarded the water taxi for Marco Polo airport. It was quite enjoyable to motor through various canals on the route to Marco Polo airport, and I took lots of photos. It was a bit sad leaving Venice - only one day seemed too short. We hope to return again!
We docked at Venice's Marco Polo Airport at around 13:30. Unfortunately, I realized a bit later that I forgot my eyeglass case, which had my normal (non-tinted prescription glasses). We waited in line through security, and then Inna stopped for 15 minutes at the Customs section, so she could get some VAT refunds for our purchases in Italy. There were multiple machines for doing the refunds, and it took some time to get all the refund processing started. Let's hope they actually succeed.
We re-packed the two MooRER coats that we purchased into our suitcases (I discarded some old shoes and old shirts to make space. We decided that it was time for lunch and stopped by the Villa Sandi/de Canto restaurant. We ordered the following items:
- Drinks: Sparkling water, 2 x cappuccino
- Boris: Caesar Salad with chicken & wine special
- Inna: Buffalo Mozarella,
My Caesar Salad was not bad (for airport food) and reasonably priced with a glass of wine at 22 euros.
Our BA597 British Airways flight for London's Heathrow Airport was scheduled to depart at 17:40 (but was delayed).
Venice Trip Report
Highlights
Lowlights
- Water taxi costs are very high (150 euros) to transfer from Marco Polo to San Marco's Square.
Links
