Buon giorno Venice :)
We got the bus from Treviso to Venice. It was a long enough ride and I couldn't sleep on the bus. We bought a Venice Travel ticket for 72 hours when we got the, which we definitely got good use out of.
First stop was our hotel Casa alla Fenice which we found quite well with the directions of the website. All we wanted was a bit of sleep because we had been up since 4am today :(
After a nice sleep we decided to wander about a bit and went to San Marco. The Piazza was still very busy and I couldn't believe they were selling food for the pigeons! I wouldn't let them near me. Some people had them sitting all over them....I don't know about that. Anyway, the Basilica was closed already but the Campinale (bell tower) was still open. It was €6 to go up there, quite steep for just a bell tower but you have some amazing views over Venice from up there.
We were a bit hungry afterwards and were looking for a nice restaurant and found one in San Polo. After a lovely meal we walked up to the Canale Grande and sat down with a glass of wine. Unfortunately it started raining soon and we were heading back to the hotel. Easier said than done though. Everything looks the same in Venice. Especially at night. Every Campo has a church or 2 and a couple of restaurants. We ended up in San Marco again and then tried to find our way back but still no luck and all this in the pouring rain :) Would you believe, there were people walking around selling umbrellas!!!
We finally managed but decided to buy a map the next day.
We were wandering around Venice the first night and din't know where we were. We found this restaurant just passing by and we decided to stay. Not sure if I would find it again though :) The menu looked simple enough and there were a few locals sitting outside, that's why we thought we can't go wrong.
We ordered Spaghetti Carbonara and Bean Soup for Starters (who can eat 4-5 courses anyway?) and they were both delicious. Very well seasoned and the pasta was al dente. We got lots of bread on the table too. For main course I decided to have a melon and rucola salad with Parma Ham and Ed had Pizza Diavolo. The ham (San Daniele) was delicious with the melon and rucola and the pizza was quite nice too. We also ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio, which was the nicest I had so far (can't remember the name). The whole bill was around €70, reasonable enough for a delicious meal.
We have booked this hotel through www.laterooms.com and have read a few reviews about it on tripadvisor as well. It looked pretty well and it was reasonable enough for late August. We payed €105 per night and that includes breakfast.
The location is superb. It's only a few minutes walk from San Marko and the Rialto Bridge. The directions given on their website (www.casaallafenice.com) sound funny but will bring you right there :)
Inside the hotel you will be amazed. The decor is amazing. They have certainly spend a lot of time and effort to make it look this way. The staff is super-friendly and very helpful.
The room itself was a bit on the small side but spotless and prettily decorated. The bathroom (ensuite) was big and very clean as well. The breakfast is not great but it is brought to your room...wow! You can specify a time when you want to have it and you can choose between tea, coffee, hot chocolate, milk and juice.
I would highly recommend Casa alla Fenice.
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