Such a beautiful morning in the most beautiful city on the planet. But from the 2026 ranking prepared by TimeOut Venice is not even in the top 10! Surprisingly. Cape Town, South Africa, is on the first place.
Our morning strolling is going through The Rialto Bridge.
Rialto Bridge is probably the most famous bridge in Venice. But it was not the first Rialto bridge. Before the current stone bridge there were several wooden versions. One previous bridge even collapsed under the weight of crowds watching a boat parade. So, the current bridge dates to the 1500s, designed by Antonio da Ponte, it was completed around 1591. And it remained the only permanent bridge across the Grand Canal for centuries. Other major bridges, including the Accademia and Scalzi bridges, came much later.
Actually, we are heading now to the local fish market. We want to choose the ingredients for our dinner. And also to buy something for breakfast.
This Fish Market (called Pescheria di Rialto) is particularly associated with seafood from the Venetian Lagoon and Adriatic Sea. You can find here the whole fish, squid, octopus, clams, mussels, crabs and some seasonal catches. Interestingly, yhis market is still used by locals, restaurants and food businesses, rather than being purely a souvenir market.
The fish section here is housed under the historic covered loggias. This distinctive Neo-Gothic market building dates from 1907, although fish trading at Rialto is centuries older.
We are back home. The late breakfast is ready. Actually, we have saved a lot of money preparing food at home. This is one of the reason, why you should choose staying in the apartment with a kitchen.
We are ready for more pictures in the city.
And it is time to visit the booked tour around Saint Mark's Basilica.
The present basilica largely dates from the 11th century, although an earlier church stood on the same site. Unlike many Italian churches, which emphasize Western Roman or Renaissance architecture, Saint Mark’s has a strong Eastern/Byzantine character. And the most famous feature here is its enormous collection of golden mosaics, covering roughly 8000 m2 of interior surfaces!
After such breathtaking views we needed some fresh air, walking under the covered arcades of the nearby Saint Mark's Square.
Many cafes around the square with the average price for one cappuccino 15-20 euro. Maybe another time I would try this exceptional coffee.
Nevertheless, I wanted some afternoon coffee. Italian coffee is the best in the world. But coffee without a dessert is waste of money!
Tiramisu are Cannoli are the most popular and delicious desserts in Italy. And of course, I could miss opportunity to taste them both. By the way, Veneto is widely considered the origin of tiramisu, and specifically the city of Treviso (which is not far from Venice). At the same time, Cannoli is from Sicily (especially associated with Palermo).
However, the iconic dessert exactly from Venice is Fritole Veneziane, small fried dough sweets usually made with raisins and sugar. Unfortunately, I did not have a chance to taste them this time.
Suddenly, near Saint Mark's square we have discovered this purely Instagram place, where many gondolas having rest. So picturesque!
For dinner we have cooked pasta with seafood from the local market. Of course, it was delicious.
It is dark outside. But it does not stop me from going out. I was accompanying with one of my friends, who made some nice pictures of me. She was so patient, I should admit!
Certainly, there were taken some Rialto pictures.
But absolutely amazing the pictures with the beautiful domed church of Santa Maria della Salute, usually called La Salute, which was built after a devastating plague epidemic. Interestingly, the Venetians promised to build a church to the Virgin Mary if the city survived the plague 1630-1631. They survived, so then they built this.
The iconic facade of Saint Mark's Basilica, which has five major domes, also looks magical at night.
Tired but happy we returned to the apartment. One more night in Venice. And tomorrow we will be able to see more of the city.
