Venice

Oct 5-9, 2023
AC834 YYZ-BRU, SN3201 BRU-VCE, EN8199 VCE-MUC, AC837 MUC-YYZ

I am a sucker for a good deal and very much appreciate flying business class over the ocean, so when I found out about an inexpensive business class fare from Venice to Auckland, NZ, I jumped on it. To start the trip, first we had to fly to Venice, and I found a nice business class points ticket that did the trick. Venice is a love it or hate it type place, and is very touristy, to say the least. By staying in Murano, we had the best of both worlds, a relatively quiet oasis away from the tourists, and a quick boat ride to all that is Venice.

Oct 6

After our overnight flight and connection in Brussels, we were picked up by the hotel water taxi and sped to Murano. After checking in and freshening up, we went out to explore Murano, and get back into the heart of Venice by taking the Vaporetto boat into Venice.

Donato bell tower on Murano island

Canale San Donato near our Murano Hotel

Looking further down the relatively quiet canal

Some people-powered transport around Murano

Arrival in Venice at Ponte Panada

Looking across to San Michel island

Deeper in the narrow canals with traditional gondola

Church of Saint Mary of Miracles

Gondola navigating around the church walls

Couple enjoying the scenery

Gondola traffic jam

St. Mark's Square

St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Clocktower

Bridge of Sighs leading across the canal from the Palazzo

Looking up the canal towards the tower of the Church of Saint George of the Greeks

Having our fill of Venice for the day, we caught the Vaporetto back to Murano, and enjoyed dinner in a local family restaurant near the hotel.

Oct 7

After breakfast at the hotel, we caught the express Vaporetto to the train station, and grabbed a Vaporetto that worked its way up the canal through the heart of Venice. In addition to the outdoor sites, we visited the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Basilica of Saint Mary of Health. We covered it all on foot with the aid of the Vaporetto to speed things along.

View as we leave Murano with St. Peter Martyr and bell tower

High speed traffic as we enter Venice

Zooming on carvings adorning the Rialto Bridge

Looking back on Rialto Bridge

Morning traffic, further along the Grand Canal

Approaching the end of the Grand Canal and the Basilica of Saint Mary of Health

Marini's Angle of the City statue, first introduced to me by the Spirit of the West song Venice is Sinking

Interior of Basilica of Saint Mary of Health

More intricate carvings in the church interior

Looking at St. Mark's square from the Valparaiso

Exterior brick wall showing its weathered age

Interior of Basilica S.Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

Chiesa di San Marcuola

Chiesa dei Santi Geremia e Lucia

Pleasantly empty vaporetto at the end of the day

Palazzo Vendramin Calergi, our last photo along the Grand Canal

With a full day’s worth of Venice, it was again nice to escape to Murano, where we enjoyed dinner and drinks along the canal.

Oct 8

We had one last day in Venice, but also had to check out of our Murano hotel by 4pm. We headed into Venice early to get slightly ahead of the crowds, and mostly explored by Vaporetto. We did end up at some military ceremony at St. Mark’s Square, before heading back to Murano with a stop at the cemetery on San Michelle island. Before catching the hotel water taxi to the airport and our nearby airport hotel, we did make it to the Murano Glass Museum, celebrating Murano’s famous glass.

Some open water Gondola traffic

Gondolas docked and ready for the daily demand on the Grand Canal

Vaporetto route 2 provides quick transit along the Grand Canal

Full perspective of the Basilica of Saint Mary of Health

Making our way into St. Mark's Square

Very crowded Ponte della Paglia

Monument to Victor Emmanuel II

Looking back on the crowded waterfront

Some samples in the Murano Glass Museum

View as the hotel water taxi drops us of at the airport

After enjoying our last gelato and getting dropped at the airport, it was a relatively short walk to our hotel where we are able to grab some nearby pizza before turning in for the night.

Oct 9

We had a very early flight out of Venice and onto Munich and Toronto for the start of our business class journey to New Zealand. Thankfully, the cheap fare allowed us to spend a month in Toronto before continuing our journey to New Zealand and starting a new trip. For this trip, our connection in Munich went well and we had a lovely flight back home to Toronto.