Thanksgiving 2025: Day 6, Venezia

On the early morning of Day 6, we left the hotel while the city was still calm. Except for Rome, we had chosen all our hotels mainly for their locations, and in Firenze that paid off — it was only a five-minute walk to the train station. Our Italo train departed at 7:39 am and was scheduled to arrive at Venezia Santa Lucia at 9:55 am. The fare was a bit steep hike (than from Rome) at 63 EUR per person, but the comfort and speed made it worthwhile. The next city was Venezia, and yes, as much as I love Firenze, I still prefer Venezia to Venice. As usual on the train, we were provided with some coffee and snacks. The surprise hit of the ride was Lindt’s Choco Wafer. It was so good that I’m now on a small personal mission to find it somewhere in the US.

The sudden appearance of water outside the window was the sign — we were approaching Venezia. And then, right after stepping out of the station, I saw the canals for the first time. It was a stunning moment. I had seen “Venice” before, of course, at the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. But the real thing, blue sky, open water, sunlight, and a number of boats moving quietly through the city, was on an entirely different level. I already knew it, but realize it with my eyes was a completely different level.

I chose the hotel in Venezia with the same strategy: close to the station. We stayed at Hotel Ca’ Zusto, about a ten-min walk from Venezia Santa Lucia station. Luckily, our room was already available (as no one was there at the previous night), so we were able to get the key right away. That gave us some precious time to rest and reset before another long day of walking.

This day was full of unexpected changes (such as the public transport strike), and we had to improvise as we went. My original plan was to take the Vaporetto, cruise through the canals, and take photos of the city from the water. But that morning, we learned that public transportation was on strike. The staff at the ticket booth warned us that service would be unpredictable, so we switched to Plan B: walking.

And honestly, it turned out to be perfect. Wandering through the streets of Venezia was an experience in itself. Every corner felt like a sightseeing spot. But instead of the usual cheap souvenir atmosphere, the city was full of character, history, quiet details, and moments that made you slow down and look around.

We reached Ponte di Rialto, the lively heart of Venezia, where the Grand Canal is crossed at its most historic and busiest point. My original lunch plan was All’Arco, famous for its local stand-up bites and casual atmosphere. Unfortunately, we found it temporarily closed. So we followed ChatGPT’s backup recommendation: Osteria Bacogiro, which it described as a similar local spot. The ground floor was exactly what we were hoping for—crowded, noisy, full of people standing at the bar eating cicchetti: small slices of bread topped with fish, cured meats, and other local delicacies. But when we told the staff we were there for lunch, they led us upstairs, which turned out to be a completely different world — quiet, calm, almost formal. A little bewildered, yes. But it ended up being another excellent Italian cuisine experience.

Then we headed to Piazza San Marco, the spacious open stage of Venezia, where the city seems to present itself all at once: the basilica, the bell tower, the palace, and the endless flow of people moving through it. I had booked tickets for Basilica di San Marco, but somehow managed to select the wrong date. So instead of stepping inside, we admired it from the outside, studying the golden mosaics and layered history from the square. Another plan was to take the famous Venetian gondola, but I quickly realized I didn’t have enough cash on hand. The timing didn’t feel right either, so we let that one go.

We also hoped to stop for hot chocolate at the legendary Caffe Florian, but the line was far too long. Another plan postponed. So we walked to our fail-proof destination: Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs. Once a passage of prisoners moving from courtrooms to their cells, it now hangs quietly above the canal while gondolas glide beneath it, filled with laughter and cameras. The contrast between its past and present is almost poetic—a place of old sorrow turned into a backdrop for modern joy.

In the middle of all the improvising, we decided to stick with one of our pre-scheduled plans: Gelateria Gallonetto. I had watched a few YouTube videos claiming that truly good gelaterias keep their containers covered, and this was the first place where I actually saw that in practice. It was another excellent gelato — maybe it’s just that every gelateria in Italy is good, but still, it felt satisfying to finally check one plan off the list successfully. We enjoyed ours right in front of Palazzo Ducale. As the sunset colored the seafront, we realized it was time to move on to the next spot.

For Venezia, my wife had one clear wish: she wanted to watch the sunset by the water. The challenge was timing. It was winter, and sunset that day was around 4:45 pm. I checked nearly every waterfront restaurant I could find, mostly with the help of ChatGPT, but nothing was available. Then I realized the obvious: in Italy, dinner usually starts around 7 pm, and 4:45 is simply too early.

Eventually, I found an afternoon tea program at 4:30 pm at Gio’s and booked it. I even sent a follow-up email asking if it would be possible to get a waterfront table. Their reply was polite and cautious: they would do their best, weather permitting.

Gio’s, located inside the St. Regis Venezia hotel, exceeded every expectation. When we arrived, the waterfront table was waiting for us exactly as promised. In fact, we were the only guests seated in the entire waterfront section. The level of hospitality was quietly impressive. They had set up gas heaters and provided thick, wonderfully effective warm blankets, so even in the chilly evening air, we felt completely comfortable.

The afternoon tea turned out to be much more than tea: a generous spread of small bites, breads, fruits, pastries, and desserts. The volume alone was enough to cancel our dinner plans for the night.

And then came the highlight. At twilight, when the last daylight slowly gave way to night, Basilica della Salute and San Giorgio Maggiore lit up across the water. The reflections shimmered on the canal. The city fell into a kind of beautiful silence, broken only by the slow rhythm of gondolas moving through the water. It was one of those moments that doesn’t ask for words.

We walked back afterward, but the distance didn’t feel heavy at all. On the way, we stopped by Chiesa di San Moisè, which happened to be open at night. It was a relatively small church, but it was filled with a quiet sense of holiness that felt deeper than its size.

And that was another (and only one) night in Venezia. By then, walking through the Italian city after dark had become my favorite part of the day—the soft lights, the empty alleys, the sound of water somewhere nearby. Tomorrow, we would move on again to our last city, Milan.