Berlin Milan Day 5 - Day trip to Venice

March 26, 2023

Berlin Milan Day 5 - Day trip to Venice

We were catching a 7:15 am train to Venice today. Unlike the train to Lake Como, the train to Venice is operated by Trenitalia. Our train will depart sharply at 7:15 am from Milano Centrale and arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia station at 9:42 am. There was no train change in this journey.

We were up early and hope to catch the metro to Centrale but we did not realize that Milan Metro do not operate until 6:00 am. We ended up taking an Uber ride to Centrale. We also had to wait outside our usual breakfast spot for a few minutes before it opened at 5:30 am. We encountered an American family in front of the Duomo also trying to catch the metro to Centrale. They were going to Cinque Terre.

Empty Milan Street at 5:20 am, the Castello Sforzesco can be seen at the end of the Street

The Duomo, Statue of Vittorio Emanuele II, and the Galleria at 5:24 am

MM at the historic Centrale, squeezing out a smile at 5:38 am

Now we are happy

Getting my espresso fix for the day

7:15 am train to Venezia

Joanne and I had been to Venice in 2004 when we toured Italy. But it's the first time for GG and MM. We slept most of the way during the 2.5 hour journey since we were quite tired from a late night and the early morning train.

We arrived just shortly before 10:00 am, and MM decided to get some gelato right away at the train station. The Santa Lucia State is located at the western side of the Grand Canal. Our rough plan was to zigzag through the island to Piazza St. Marco and slowly make our way back to take the 5:40 pam train home (arrive at 8:12 pm).

Venice is probably one of the most photogenic cities and also one of the most crowded places to visit. We visited in late November which is considered off season but there was still significant number of tourists. We walked and admired the canals and historic buildings. We did manage to ride the gondola before having a classic Venetian cicchetti in one of the small cafes tucked away in an alley.

We had lunch at Ai Barbicani, a restaurant located just north of Piazza S Marco. After lunch, we toured the historic Jewish district or ghetto in the neighborhood of Cannaregio, a much less touristy part of Venice.

We got back to Milan past 8:00 pm and had a late dinner at a great pizza place called Napiz Milano. We closed out the night by visiting the Castello at 11:00 pm and dragged out tired legs back to the apartment before flying back to Germany the next day.

First stop - gelato at the train station

Stepping out to Venezia along with tons of other tourists

17th century Santa Maria degli Scalzi by the train station is a Roman Catholic Church for the order of the Discalced Carmelites

View of the Grand Canal from Ponte degli Scalzi

Crossing to the San Polo district (sestiere)

The classic canal view of Venice in San Polo

A small coffee shop by the canal

It's a great view everywhere you look

Entrance to the 13th Century confraternity Scuola Grande di San Giovanni Evangelista

Windows of an apartment in San Polo

Realto and S. Marco to the left

Apartment in the center of San Polo

We are now under the jurisdiction of the Venetian Republic

Walking through one of the countless arrow alley ways

Every view is to be savored

A Venetian well, once the source of drinking water for the city population, is an engineering marvel to its own right

Windows of Venice

San Cassiano, a 14th Century Church in the heart of San Polo

Another canal view

On the gondola, being tourists

Moving towards the Grand Canal

San Stae, rebuilt in the 17th century but was established in the 12th century

Palazzo Corner della Regina, a Baroque-style palace

Just another day in Venice

Palazzo Belloni Battagia, a 17th century palace

Our easy going gondolier from Murano

View looking west, Chiesa dei Santi Geremia e Lucia is in the distance

Fondaco dei Turchi, a 9th century Byzantine palace

Running into a bit of traffic jam on the way back

Back to the narrow canal of San Polo

Made it to a small coffee shop for some mid-day snack or cicchetti

Our cicchetti plate

Made it to the historic Rialto Market around 12:30 pm

Salmon anyone?

The stands were pretty much wrapped up by the time we got here

There is still fresh produce stands by the canal

Red chili pepper

The mercato

Many gift shops lined the street by the mercato

View of the Grand Canal

Walking under the ancient Venetian style building by the Grand Canal

The 15th century clock adorns the tower of San Giacomo di Rialto

The colorful decoration under the roof of the historic building

Approaching the famous Rialto Bridge, there are a lot more touristy shops around here

Crossing the Rialto Bridge from San Polo to San Marco

There are shops on both sides of the bridge

Looking north on the Rialto Bridge

Bridge view from San Marco side

The hustle and bustle get much more intense on the San Marco side

MM happy for the moment with a slice before the slice was attached by a bird

Poles for the gondolas

Reflection view of the building

Made it to the Piazza San Marco at 1:35 pm

Gondolas basking under the warm afternoon sun

The famous Bridge of Sighs, connecting the Doge's Palace to the prison

View of the San Giorgio Maggiore Island

Making our way to our lunch spot in the neighborhood of Castello

Passing by the 15th century Santa Maria Formosa Church, erected in 1492

Our lunch spot is tucked away here in this little alleyway

Al Barbacani

Our server took this photo for us

Seafood and pasta

Must have the tiramisu

...and the lava cake

stopping by the antique bookstore Liberia Acqua Alta after lunch

View at Ponte Storto

Scene from Mission Impossible VII at Ponte Storto

Mother Mary can be found in almost every street corner

Making our way to Cannaregio

Rio dei Mendicanti, Cannaregio

Another 15th century Florentine Cathedral - Scull Grande di San Marco, now a hospital

The Florentine Renaissance style architecutre

The Equestrian statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni, 1480

Making our way to the old Canneregio neighborhood

The buildings in Cannaregio are much less grand than the San Marco or Venezia neighborhood

Another community well

The tower of San Giacomo dell'Orio, the style is medieval and dates back to 1225

Passing another small canal (Rio dei Gesuiti) in Cannaregio

The buildings are more residential and we are seeing more locals in this neighborhood

Seeing cannoli which is a southern dessert in a northern town

Passing Rio Maddalena

Santa Maria Maddalena in Cannaregio, an 13 century church restored in the 18th century. The portal clearly shows a masonic symbol above the doorway

Reached the gate to the "Gheto Novo", established in 1516

This bridge will take us into the historic Jewish Ghetto

A drinking well in the middle of the courtyard

Homes were the displaced Jewish population from Europe resided. The population was confined to this island and not allowed to leave the premise in the evening