Holiday Diaries: Sunset Gondola Ride

I don't say this lightly the Gondola ride is without a doubt one of the best experience of my life. Top 5 for sure (after wedding, engagement party and honeymoon in case you wondered).

A lot of people we spoke with said not to bother with a gondola ride as they are so expensive and you can get a similar experience on a water taxi or water bus. But after chatting to a colleague who said it was one of her biggest regrets after visiting the city I knew I couldn't take the risk.

I'm a big believer in going all out on a holiday, we had dinner at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, upgraded to our own private pool in the Maldives so in my eyes a Gondola ride was non negotiable and I'm so glad we did.

If you are planning on visiting Venice, the rides do increase in price on an evening and singing is extra, so if your on a budget I'd recommend getting one during the day - theres more than enough to choose from with Gondoliers easy to spot in their black and white striped top & straw hats.

We choose to start our ride at the edge of Sans Marcos so our Gondola passed under Bridge of Sighs, legend says if you kiss while you pass underneath your love will live on forever.

The ride was worth every penny as not only was it romantic but it also took us to quieter areas that we wouldn't of seen otherwise and the Gondolier pointed out key landmarks.

Including Casanova's house - if walls could talk ey!

We choose a half hour ride which was more than enough and meant we saw the sights, the sunset and wet our appetite for dinner when we were back on dry land.

Watching the sunset over Sans Marco's square from our gondola is an experience I'll never forget and one I can't recommend enough!

Holiday Diaries: The Best Tiramisu in Venice

I don't say this lightly but I have found the best Tiramisu in Venice, wait no the world. Tiramisu is my favourite dessert so I've done my far share of research for this post if you get my drift.

On our first night in Venice I ordered the magical dessert waiting with baited breath for holy grail of cream and alcoholic tang to hit me and I was bitterly disappointed. 

So on our first day in Venice when we walked past I Tre Merchant all was saved! Initially it was the hubby who pointed it out drawn by the colourful Macarons in the window but inside there was so much more than Macarons.

Spot the off duty Gondoliers! 

The shop doesn't look like much it reminds me of a Starbucks with the blackboards behind the counter highlighting todays fresh finds but everything else is authentic Italy. 

With fresh Tiramisu made in the shop every hour on the hour and not just the classic these food gods have made 25 fusion flavours of the stuff - I highly recommend Raspberry & white chocolate but nothing beats the original.

If you are in Venice please promise me you'll pay them a visit... and bring me back a tub!

I Tre Mercanti srl Campo della Guerra, 5364, 30122 Castello, Venezia VE

Holiday Diaries: Piazza San Marco's

The second day of our trip we were up bright and early to make the most of our time, we hopped in the hotels speed boat and sped off to Venice snapping away as we went.

The boat couldn't stop directly at Piazza San Marco instead we docked at Fundament Nove which is about a 20 minute walk from San Marco. 

Initially I was a little worried about finding the square given how far away from it we were but I needn't of worried the majority of the big streets are signposted and the fun of Venice is getting lost in it and exploring all the side streets and random squares and sights along the way.

Every where you look theres another bridge or house that you just have to photograph!

We came across the most beautiful church and had to go in and look around, every part of it was so intricately designed from the marble pillars to the ceiling with portraits of different saints. I didn't know how Venice could top this sight but we went off in pursuit of more!

We stopped off for an obligatory gelato (strawberry & passionfruit for me and double chocolate for Brett) and carried on our travels.

After exploring we were rewarded by San Marco's square, the first thing that blew me away was the amount of people in one place and then the beauty of every detail on every building. 

The symmetry of this building is like a trick on the eye, at first I thought it was having work done and it had rendering on with a picture as I didn't think something that perfect could be real!

We explored, had lunch, explored, stopped for a Bellini, explored some more and had more gelato. 

We decided to hop on a water bus to Salute the home of Guggenheim museum and Santa Maria church, its one stop away and takes a few minutes and is well worth the trip.

Not only is the church stunning its much quieter with less people, certain streets we felt like we has the place to ourself which was a welcome break from the madness of the square.

We decided to head back to the hotel, rest our feet (they were killing after a full day of sight seeing - comfy shoes are a must for Venice) and freshen up before heading back into Venice for a sunset gondola ride. Without a doubt one of the best experience of my life which deserves its own post!

Holiday Diaries: Burano Island, Venice

We were determined to squeeze in as much as possible into our 4 day break so after spending the morning in Murano we hopped on a water taxi to explore Burano. 

When we first started planning our trip one of my favourite bloggers The Londoner was in Venice and her post on Burano made me add it to our list immediately and it didn't disappoint. I fell in love with the rainbow of colour instantly. 

Each house we passed was prettier than the last and we took great delight in choosing which one we'd live in. With our choice changing every time we turned a corner or stumbled across a new street.

This bold pink house was my favourite.

With this trio of primary colours being Brett's.

The whole island burst with colour and the residents take such pride in their houses from keeping the paint fresh to the flowers in their window in perfect bloom.

Ancient legend says that fishermen painted their houses to see them from long distance when they were far away for fishing, now they are one of the biggest draws to the island and you have to apply to the government to be assigned a colour!

The island also boasts great food, we originally tried to get in Trattoria al Gatto Nero after being highly recommend by both the Londoner & The Lonely Planet guide book, but we learnt the hard way that booking in advance is crucial! 

So we set off on the hunt for good food elsewhere and came across Riva Rosa where the pretty pink exterior matched the cold Rosè perfectly.

 I had the gnocchi and Brett was sold by the prawn pasta after the servers mouth watering description, both were amazing washed down with Aperol Spritz and Rose. The restaurant is voted third best on the island and I would highly recommend if you're in the area, a great result to say we were sold by the colour!

Make sure you add Burano to your must see list if your heading to Italy soon!

Holiday Diaries: Murano Island, Venice

Venice.. where do I even start, the last 4 days seems likes a dream! 

Venice has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember and if you follow me on Instagram you'll of been inundated with beautiful photos but for those of you who have visited Venice you'll know just how beautiful it is and understand when I say I still how so many more to share which is I thought I'd do a mini holiday diaries series!

 I'm going to split the posts into days but as we fit a lot into our first day this ones going to be a biggy - maybe grab yourself a cuppa first!

Throughout our holiday we stayed on the Island of Murano, which is a short water taxi ride away from both Marco Polo airport and mainland Venice. 

We stayed in the LaGare Hotel on the island of Murano both for its luxury boutique feel on a budget and the location a short ride from both the airport and mainland Venice.

Murano is famous for its glass blowing and the hotel showcased pieces from the islands rich heritage everywhere you looked. 

The hotel perfectly blended a dark palette of modern boutique chic with classic Venetian style. 

The staff were amazing and couldn't do enough for you, from offering advice on the best restaurants to directions to must see attractions. When we checked in we were told we had been upgraded as we were celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary.

We weren't however expecting the sight that met us, luxury living set across two floors! 

Safe to say there was an excited squeal and jump on the bed moment when we first walked in!

When we were initially booking the hotel we found out they offered free speedboat transfers to and from the airport and Venice each day. We pictured ourselves stepping off the plane onto a speed boat that would make a James Bond villain jealous and it didn't disappoint.

Theres nothing quite like feeling the wind in your hair and sun on your face as you speed past some of the most beautiful architecture in history.

Got the wind in my hair bit down to a T!

Once we'd got over the excitement of the ride in and then stopped jumping up and down in the room we wanted to make the most of our short time and we set out to explore the island.

Everywhere you looked there were shops brimming with intricate and unusual glassware made on the island and huge sculptures, this one lit up on a night like a huge beacon.

We then hopped onto a water bus to another island Burano - but thats a story for another day.