Our full day in Venice started with a great breakfast at our hotel in Lido. We had a full view of the laguna and Venice from the breakfast room. Even a Greek ferry passed by.
Piazza San Marco
Actually we wanted to visit the St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) on our first day. But we had to change our plans because of the suitcase incident. So the first sight we visited today was Piazza San Marco where we visited St. Mark’s Basilica (Basilica di San Marco a Venezia) and feeded some doves in front of it. There were hundreds even perhaps thousands of these dirty and distasteful birds. Why don’t they sell poison there instead of corn? That would solve the problem. At least for me. 
Gondola
On our walk straight through Venice we passed a gondolier who invited us on a trip with his gondola for only EUR 80,-. After haggling for a few minutes we had him down to EUR 50,- and started the trip through the small canals. It was a really nice and romantic tour where we came across the former houses of Giovanni Giacomo Casanova Albanase de Seingalt and Marco Polo. I really recommend doing a gondola tour should you ever go to Venice.
Canal Grande and Rialto Bridge
We crossed the Canal Grande and had a really great lunch at a lovely restaurant with a perfect view of the Rialto Bridge. We were seated next to the water and enjoyed the sun while drinking white wine and waiting for our meal.
A great lunch in Venice
The sauted mussels (“Cozze alla marinara”) were a perfect starter and were only surpassed by the main dish, king prawns with herbs (“Gamberoni alle erbe aromatiche”). Their taste was indescribable. Even “delicious” and “exquisite” are only auxiliary descriptions for this dish. 
The mussels in Venice fortunately were as good as the mussels in Paris.
Venice Fast Food
In contrast to these delicious dishes you can also visit McDonald’s in Venice. If you should feel like eating some fast food.
Eyes Wide Shut
The owner of this shop (La Bottega Dei Mascareri) is one of Venice’s most famous mask makers. His masks have been featured in the movie Eyes Wide Shut and in many other Hollywood motion pictures.
Horrible prices
Sitting in a café at St. Mark’s Square is a great thing and the view at St. Mark’s Basilica is grandiose. Even though the prices are crazy to say the least. A cup of coffee costs EUR 8.50, a Spritz (white wine, mineral water and Aperol) EUR 10.10 and one beer (0.5 liters) EUR 12,-. 
That’s absolutely mad when compared to the prices in Vienna – coffee: ca. EUR 2.60, beer: ca. EUR 3.50.
In fact, these are the prices for tourists. Locals get a different menu with cheaper prices. But it’s hard to pretend being a local if you aren’t able to speak Italian.
Some more impressions of Venice
