I sat on the window side chair and took a sip of my molten hot cup of tea. I had been back in England for 3 weeks now, an extremely long time for a wanderer like me. The thrill of ‘normal life’ was fast wearing off. Part of me enjoyed the easiness of life back in Cheshire, but most of me longed for an adventure.

I booked it. A one way flight. My heart pounded as I realised that I would be jetting off in just 2 days, with no plan and no return date.

This was more like it.

I packed just a backpack and a sensation of deja-vu overcame me. For the past few years I’ve been unable to spontaneously travel because of my job as an English teacher. Part of me remembered how I felt when I took the first flight of my sabbatical, with no clear plan. I was so brave, so fearless.

My Priority pass is one of the best things that I’ve ever bought. As a frequent flier It makes the airport so much easier. I sipped on prosecco and felt excited about going back to Italy. About travelling to one of the worlds most unique destinations.

I was flying to Venice.

I arrived at Marco Polo airport and made my way to the water buses. I had to wait quite a long time for the boat to arrive but once on the boat I loved looking out of the window to see Venice come into view. Venice is a man made series of 118 islands connected by 400 footbridges. As I sailed down the Grand Canal, Venice looked just like I had always imagined.

I disembarked at the Rialto bridge and was greeted by swarms of clueless tourists, scurrying around the narrow side-streets like ants. I put my head down and started searching for my hostel, I was staying right in the centre. Close to Saint Marco’s square. It was impossible to walk purposefully though. Along the way I saw iconic sights that blew my mind seeing them in the flesh. On one bridge I stopped just as a goldolier swooped under the bridge I was stood on, kicking the wall and wailing “ooeeeeeee!”.

My hostel was great, run by a Japanese family too! The people at the hostel were friendly  and I spent a few nice evenings eating brie, pesto and a hot baguette whilst drinking sumptuous red wine with friends. Venice can be an expensive city so it’s wise to buy some food and drinks from the local Spas.

Venice by day is heaving with expectations and body heat. As I ambled around the centre I was amazed at the throngs of people. I tried my best to walk away from the crowds and was greeted with narrow passages bereft of bodies. Heaven. I stopped at a local gelateria to try the famous ice cream. I think it even surpassed Turkish Domdurma for its creaminess and weird elasticity. This ice cream started a 3  a day gelato habit….

Venice walking tour

I decided to try out two free walking tours whilst in Venice, both covering different areas of the vast island city. Although the tours were interesting, they lacked the passion of walking tours that I’d been on elsewhere. They focused on weird minutiae such as why certain lamp-posts were used. I wanted to know the history of the place, the people and the food. I guess they have so many tourists on each tour that they’re guaranteed a tip, however they do. I’d advise doing one tour though, just to orient yourself in the city.

How I avoided the tourists

Although Venice is a dream destination, it can also be oppressive and chaotic due to the sheer amount of often clueless tourists. In the midday August heat this was hellish at times. To avoid the tourists I employed my usual tricks:

1. Wake up early to see the most popular attractions.
2. Avoid the main area at peak times.

I visited the small but intricately beautiful Gallerie dell’Accademia at opening time. To my surprise there was no queue out of the door and I was the only visitor! I had the whole museum to myself for five minutes and after that shared it with such a small number of tourists. I had expected it to be packed like when I went to the Accademia art gallery in Florence!

The Doge’s palace was something I’m ashamed to say that I never heard of prior to Venice. One of my favourite things about Venice was learning the mystical and exciting history of the Doge’s. It reminded me of the Volturi in Twilight (They’re probably based on them). If you go to the Doge’s palace, go early and bring your passport so that you can hire an audio-guide. The palace is so divergent and opulent but that means nothing if you don’t know about the macabre and compelling history of the place.

I arrived there at opening and there was no queue to get in. I could explore all of the rooms and cells at my leisure. When I left at about 1pm the queue was snaking on to piazza San Marco in the scorching summer sun.

One afternoon I escaped the crowds by exploring the Dorsuduro area of Venice. I felt that this area had a more authenic feel and it was the only place I found decent looking restaurants. I enjoyed an afternoon of meandering across the waterways and spotting beautiful, tourist-free sights on my way. I even happened upon a Venician mask workshop, replete with a mask maker hard at work in the back room. If I wasn’t backpacking I would have snapped up one of the masks to put in the home I don’t have…

Venician food

Italy is the home of the worlds best food right? A place where delicate flavours and time honoured traditions produce a simple yet delicious plate of food each time.

I’m sorry, but Venice is not the place for tasty food, especially not in the San Marco area. The only great meal I had was when I was traversing the Dorsuduro area. I found a small restaurant and tried cuttlefish and polenta for the first time, with a carafe of red wine that would have cost 40 euros in the main area.

Most of the food choices in the San Marco area are aimed at tourists who want a quick bite. Most restaurants seem to serve sloppy, Americanised pizza and bland pasta dishes. I did find a place that sold delicious pasta, but it was a takeaway. So not an option unless you want to join the throngs of people perched on the may steps and bridges, slurping their pasta.

I’d recommend buying food from the local Spa shops. It’s delicious and a lot cheaper than paying rip-off tourist prices. If you fancy a main meal, head to the other areas of Venice such as Cannaregio, Dursuduru and Castello for a more authentic dining experience.

Gondolas

Finally, Gondolas! The iconic symbol of this romantic city! I’l l admit they were beautiful to watch but I was shocked at the bad attitude of nearly every goldolier. They seemed to take pleasure in trying to overcharge tourists, even if there was a sign with the price on right next to them (80 euros). I thought long and hard but I eventually decided not to go on a gondola. I love solo travel but it would feel a bit weird just sitting on a boat myself, surrounded by selfie taking tourists and smooching couples. It just didn’t seem worth the money to me. You never know, I might visit Venice again with a husband in the future.

So Venice! Iv’e heard so many blog posts saying don’t visit and that its over-rated. Don’t believe them. Venice is such a unique destination that it definitely deserves a visit. It can be done on a budget too as there are plenty of hostels dotted over the islands and scrumptious food can be bought from the Spa shop. Many things cost a lot to enter but the best thing in Venice is free! Just wandering around the canals and tight side streets, getting lost, watching the goldiliers and occasionally enjoying a 2 euro gelato.

Have you ever travelled to Venice? What season do you think is best to visit this sodden city?