Italy: Part 5 Venice
The last stop on our trip to Italy was Venice. The above picture was taken from atop the famous Rialto Bridge in Venice. It is a city unlike any other in that it is actually a group of 118 small islands separated by canals of various sizes and linked by over 400 bridges! The islands fall in the shallow the Venetian Lagoon. The Venetian Lagoon is connected to the Adriatic Sea which in turn connects to the Mediterranean Sea. This is historically important, because this was the port that connected much of Europe to trade with Africa and the Middle East. In fact, the hotel we stayed at, Ca Di Dia, was the building that housed merchants as they awaited boats coming to and from the Middle East.
We took the train from Florence to Venice, arriving at our hotel around noon with a walking tour of Venice scheduled for 3. The train from Florence to Venice was clean, safe and efficient with lovely views of the countryside. I would highly recommend the train system in Italy. From the train we took a boat and we soon arrived at the newly renovated Ca Da Dio hotel in Venice. It is situated on the lagoon about a 5 minute walk from San Marco Square, the historical center, and the hotel is filled with beautiful Murano glass as well as preserved frescos illustrating its long history. We were immediately struck by how it felt like we were entering someone’s home. Instead of a registration desk, we were greeted at the boat and welcomed inside to have a seat on comfortable sofas and offered a drink.
Soon, someone came over to sit and speak with us, get us registered and escort us to our room. It was a lovely welcome to Venice and our room was outstanding. By this time we were getting hungry (a common theme in Italy, the food is too good to miss a meal!) and the gentleman who was helping us suggested we have a bite to eat in the lounge across the hall. This sounded perfect as we were just looking for a quick salad or snack.
We were welcomed into the lounge by Diego. Again we felt like we were in someone’s home who just happened to have a full bar and a view of the Venice lagoon!
He warmly welcomed us, brought us our drinks and some delicious bar snacks while we waited for the salad and snack we had ordered. He was so attentive and friendly and the food was outstanding! By the time we finished eating, our tour guide was waiting for us to take a walking tour of Venice! We walked all over visiting St. Mark’s square with the Duomo, St. Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace, as well as the Venetian Arsenal, the Rialto bridge and the Rialto market.
It seemed that every bridge we crossed had a different and beautiful rail. In fact, the bridges did not historically have railings and there are still 2 today that remain without. I just loved the intricate railings.
As we toured the various neighborhoods of Venice we found a pasta shop that sold several varieties of GF pasta as well as restaurants galore! Our tour ended with a gondola ride through the canals and the grand canal. It was truly beautiful.
Following our tour, we got ready for dinner at Taverna Scalinetto, a hidden gem recommended by the concierge at our hotel. We walked into a lovely restaurant with a small outdoor dining area, a larger indoor area and a large bar. It smelled amazing! We ended up ordering their specialty, the salt crusted sea bass. They brought us the fish to see how fresh it was before encrusting it in salt and baking it. They again brought it out to us to see once done, before fileting it for us.
It was flavorful, juicy, delicate and delicious and served with delicious vegetables and of course, bread and olive oil. This was not an AIC certified restaurant and they did not have fresh GF bread, though they did have packaged GF bread and they were very helpful in going through the menu with me to meet my dietary needs. The service was fantastic as was the food. The perfect end to our first day in Venice!
After a wonderful night's sleep and a phenomenal breakfast at Ca Di Dio we were ready for our next day. The breakfast at the hotel was really something to behold. They had a separate GF area with wonderful muffins, bread, granola, etc. There was incredibly helpful staff who would bring me anything I wanted from the kitchen that would be free of gluten and dairy, though I never needed to ask because there were plenty of options for me, including freshly squeezed juices and more.
We began our day with a tour of the Cannaregio neighborhood where many Venetians live, on our way to the Jewish Ghetto. In the Jewish Ghetto we were able to tour two synagogues that are still in use today. One has heat and the other air conditioning, so they use them accordingly as needed. There is also a beautiful monument to those that lost their lives in the Holocaust in the Ghetto area that was quite moving. There are 3 other synagogues that are not currently in use, a few kosher restaurants as well as shops here as well. Though no one is forced to live in the ghetto today, it is still the center of the Jewish community in Venice.
Following this tour, we took a boat to the island of Murano to tour a factory where Murano glass is made. It was fascinating to watch the glass master blow the glass from a hot molten state to a beautiful vase or sculpture. Afterwards, we had a quick bite to eat and shopped at the many stores selling beautiful Murano glass. We did not have time to visit the island of Burano as the vaporettos (water taxis) were getting harder to come by as it got later in the day. Burano is known for selling beautiful lace, but most notably for the colorful homes of the fisherman who live there.
After a long, hot day of touring we returned to Venice by vaporetto to get ready for dinner. Our concierge in Florence, Paulo, had recommended his favorite restaurant in Venice so we knew we had to try it. It turned out to be quite a long walk because we were supposed to take a gondola to cross the grand canal only to find when we got there that the boats had stopped crossing at 7. We needed to walk another 30 minutes or so to cross at the nearest bridge. By the time we arrived at Osterio Osottoosopra we were very hungry. The owner greeted us and we were seated in a small, warm and cozy restaurant where the menu is seasonal based on the freshest ingredients they can get from small, local purveyors. I had an amazing GF pasta with a sauce of anchovies and onions with raisins and toasted pine nuts. I followed this with the fish of the day. It was SO good. Again, this was not an AIC certified restaurant, but the owner was very happy to help me select the perfect option and was very sensitive to my dietary needs. Being in Venice is the perfect location for the freshest fish and seafood. We saw the beautiful seafood at the Rialto Market!
After dinner we walked back to our hotel over the Rialto Bridge at night. It was so beautiful. We capped off our last night in Venice with Prosecco on our hotel deck overlooking the lagoon and grand canal. It was a magical night and the perfect end to our trip to Italy! Don’t miss the restaurants I had researched before the trip below!
Pretty much every restaurant in Venice can accommodate GF diners. As I discussed in my Italy overview, menus were clearly marked with allergens and the staff were all well acquainted with GF and DF needs. There were lots of AIC restaurants to choose from if you have Celiac as well. There are so many restaurants in this amazing city that I dare not begin to list them. I will focus on the restaurants I found in advance of our trip and what I had learned:
Trattoria Gazzettino - not touristy, GF pasta, bread and desserts, full fish menu and full meat menu
Mea Libera Tutti Sas - a fully GF market
Trattoria Anzolo Raffaele - a local haunt, outdoor seating
Corte Sconta - high end seafood restaurant
Venissa - on the island of Mazzorbo, a Michelin star multi course experience with fresh GF bread and pasta
Grom - GF gelateria found all over Italy
Gelateria Nico
Vecia Cavana - AIC certified with a dedicated GF menu with GF bread, pasta, etc.
Oke Zattere - AIC accredited pizzeria with GF pizza, pasta, bread, cakes, etc.
Frary’s - A Mediterranean restaurant (about 70% GF and clearly marked menu)
Al Giardinetto da Severino - AIC certified with dedicated GF menu: fish, meat, GF pasta