ITALY Venice | Day 13

Ciao, Italy!

Venice, Italy

DAY 13: If you've been following my previous posts, then you will know that today is the last daily recap on Italy. I can't believe the trip is over. I feel like doing these posts has really helped me to re-live it! Now, what will I do? How can I go back to blogging about my boring old life? *Sigh*

We woke up {in Venice!} and started our day with and I quote "American buffet breakfast" at our hotel. Why the hotel would think I want an American buffet breakfast while I am in Italy is anyone's guess.  Ironically, it was really the smallest breakfast out of all our hotels. But, I loaded up my plate with pastries {if you know me, you know I love sweets} and some meats and cheese.  I don't really know why they called it an American breakfast because it was Italian food.... Anyway....  

We took the Vapretto to the Frari church, our first stop as recommended by Rick Steve's.   The amazing thing about the Frari church is the art! Technically, we weren't supposed to take pictures, but we did snap a few.

Frari Church

Inside the church (see the choir loft seats built in?)

Tombs

Not sure what this is.. but I liked it.

Altar

Courtyard - so eerie and abandoned

In one of the altars

Canova's actual heart is in there. His body is buried somewhere else.

We listened to the Rick Steve's audioguide about the Frari Church and it was very interesting and informative. Again, I highly recommend! After our tour concluded, we hopped on another Vapretto to the Accademia.  I wasn't that impressed with the museum - and it was undergoing a lot of construction, plus there was no pictures allowed. 

at the Accademia

We walked to a restaurant and had some small appetizers {no pictures, I guess we were too hungry}...meanwhile Jake accidentally ordered a sandwich with just cheese. It was probably the cutest thing ever. But, he didn't realize he did it.  He ordered a sandwich with "formaggio". I was like, you know that is a type of cheese right? He's like yeah, but I thought it came with other stuff. Nope. Just cheese. Cheese sandwich. Too funny!

Bright yellow! Can I please paint my future house this color?

I was loving this red/pink color too!

Next, we walked to San Marco square to check it out and then went back to the hotel to rest and relax before our 3:30 reservation to get inside St Mark's basilica. 

Jake, St Mark's Square

Me, St Mark's Square

Making a reservation for St Mark's square was probably the best thing I ever did. I had no idea the line would be so long and its actually free to get in - but it was probably the longest line we saw in all of our travels. I think I paid 3 euros for the reservation and we got to skip the line and go in the side door! It was pretty amazing and that is when I felt most proud of my planning. 

St Mark's Basilica

The Altar

Golden ceiling

Next, we headed to Doge's Palace which is a palace built in Venetian Gothic style, and it's one of the main landmarks in Venice. The palace was the residence of the Doge of Venice {the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice} opening as a museum in 1923.

On our way to Doge's Palace

The back exit of the Doge's Palace

Inside the Doge's Palace

Grand Exterior Staircase

Courtyard

Paradise, by Tintoretto -- it's the biggest oil painting in the world

View from Doge's Palace

Water view from the bridge

You may have heard of the Bridge of Sighs.   The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge name, given by Lord Byron in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells.

Convict's last view

Prison cells

I loved this sculpture for some reason.

Jake's co-workers told us about this little speakeasy place called Harry's Bar, where the Bellini was invented! So, we stopped by and tried one. Seriously, best Bellini of my life!

Harry's Bar!

Cheers to Bellini's!

It was so hard to get a pic of us in front of that door!

After our Bellini's, we headed back to our room to rest {and check our bank account! Ha!}, then we met up with our good friend's parents for a big group dinner.  They also happened to be in Venice at the same time as us so we planned to have dinner together.  We just had the best time!  It was fun to be with a big group after spending so much time alone {with just the two of us}. I don't have any group photos, buy I'm trying to get some. Will update this post when I get  few.

My pesto pasta

Jake's ravioli

 They ordered us a "fertility dessert" --

One of my favorite pictures of us! With our fertility dessert

Good bye, Venice!

Our flight was scheduled to leave Venice at 7 am the next morning. So, we woke up at 3:30 am and took a 4:30 private water taxi to the Venice Marco Polo airport. Overall, we had an amazing time and I was so sad to leave Italy. I know in my heart that we will make it back there someday.

View from the airport dock

Ciao, Italy! I will miss you. Until next time.