When it comes to Michelin stars, I have mixed feelings. On one hand, the few 3 star restaurants I’ve dined at have been truly unforgettable meals. On the other, I struggle with how geographically concentrated the guides are and the inconsistency of 1 star restaurants. Nonetheless I respect the Michelin rating system and still seek out their recommendations when visiting a city they cover. While in New York City, home to five 3 Michelin star restaurants, I was lucky enough to add one more to my list of memorable meals.

Atmosphere: Le Bernardin by Eric Ripert was located in the heart of Manhattan, blocks from Rockefeller centre, between Central Park and Times Square. Stephen and I sat in The Lounge to take advantage of their City Harvest Menu, 3 courses for $57 USD/person, an incredible steal to get a taste of Chef Ripert’s French cuisine and supporting a great cause. $5 from each order is donated to City Harvest, the world’s first food rescue organization. The menu is offered only at lunch in the Lounge and no reservations are taken. We arrived 10 minutes before lunch service began and had no issues securing a spot.

The Lounge had about 20 table seats and a row of stools at the expansive bar, showcasing an impressive display of bottles. Modern leather benches and armchairs provided comfortable seating around white square tables. Jackets were required in the dining room and only (strongly) recommended in the lounge.

A 3 course menu is also offered in the dining room for $90/person with a wider selection of dishes.

Service: Service was impeccable from the table side bread basket loaded with treats to the main course being sauced when served. I love when dishes are finished at the table, giving a sense that the dish was just plated and fresh. We were well taken care of throughout our meal and had seconds from the bread basket. I wanted to try everything but restrained myself to just (ha!) 4 rolls. I really liked how diners were seated spaced away from each other, offering privacy even in the tight space.

Near the end of the meal, Chef Ripert came into the lounge to chat with the diners sitting a few tables away from us. We didn’t stay to see if he knew the couple or was making his way to every table but it’s always lovely to see the Chef in person.

Food: Each course of the City Harvest menu had two choices. To start, I opted for the Hamachi Tartare with cucumber and a lemon-citrus emulsion while Stephen chose the Lobster, Saffron-Mussel Potato soup. My hamachi was plated with cucumber slices atop the disc of tartare, surrounded by beads of the emulsion and a side of crostini. Each bite had crunchy, crispy and soft elements with sweetness, acidity and savoury flavour. Stephen’s soup was rich and creamy while being light and incredibly slurpable.

We both ordered the Barely Cooked Organic Salmon with Pea Puree and a Yuzu Butter Sauce. For me, the dish was excellent, Stephen did not agree. The thick rectangular column of salmon was true to the name and just barely opaque up the sides maintaining a perfect silky centre. The peas were sweet and tender while the yuzu butter sauce added acidity and richness. Stephen wasn’t a fan of the combination of dairy and citrus, which unfortunately threw off the entire dish for him. Fortunately for me, this meant I had double. This did affect my overall rating for this post.

Dessert was a selection of Ice Creams or “Tres Leches”, a Crispy Cashew Sponge Cake Sphere with Caramelized Goat’s Milk Mousse and Clementine Sorbet. Ice cream quenelles, heavenly. The clementine sorbet, wonderfully refreshing and concentrated flavour.

Overall lunch at Le Bernardin was a delight and I now look forward to a return visit in their main dining room.

Atmosphere: Peter Luger has been in existence for over a century and has been rated as one of the top steakhouses in New York for the past 3 decades. The steakhouse has been awarded one Michelin star and is a Brooklyn institution drawing regulars and tourists alike. Our reservation was for the first seating of the day at lunch. We took the train to Brooklyn and recognized a few couples later in the dining room. The restaurant simply oozed charm from bowtied waiters to tudor style dining rooms lit with gold chandeliers. I loved the bare wood tables, which soaked up grease like a sponge and the menus with handwritten prices. Dress code ranged from casual to Sunday brunch.

Service: When we visited, reservations were only taken via phone and organized by hand on a giant schedule. Today, reservations can be made through their website up to 6 weeks in advance. Taking a look, there was plenty of availability for parties of 2 at lunch, even the day of but very limited dinner spots within the 6 week window. A portion of the dining room is still held for phone reservations and walk-ins.

Our server was friendly and happy to let us snap a few photos before he served the steak on to our plates. He chatted with us briefly and checked in on us throughout the meal. There was always a server present in the dining room keeping an eye on diners without being obtrusive.

Note that Peter Luger does not accept credit cards or Canadian debit cards. Cash would be the way to go.

Food: As Stephen and I read through the menu, our server brought over a bread basket with soft buns, two pats of butter and a gravy boat of steak sauce. One of the main reasons I wanted to secure a lunch reservation was to try the Luger Burger. We debated between ordering the Steak for Two or Rib Steak and settled on the smaller option. I’m glad we chose the single steak as it was still more than enough to share.

Cooked to a beautiful medium rare, the rib steak was simply mouth watering. I loved the heavy char and the fat cap was exquisite. The taste of the aged beef was meaty and complemented by the house steak sauce. My burger was hefty, served on a sesame seed bun with thick cut fries. Following orders from the Eater article praising the Luger burger, I skipped the bacon and cheese options and stuck to the basics. It was a good burger, meaty, so juicy, well seasoned and perfectly charred. This was the kind of burger that I want to sink my teeth into when I’m craving a burger.

Overall, lunch at Peter Luger was delicious and incredibly satisfying. We don’t go out for steak much anymore as Stephen’s technique gets better and better, but this meal was well worth the trip.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi is one of my favourite documentaries. After watching the film I had dreams of visiting Chef Jiro Ono’s 3 Michelin star restaurant but after learning how difficult it was to secure a reservation, I had little hope of them ever coming true. While planning our trip in 2016 to New York I read about Chef Nakazawa, one of Jiro’s apprentices, who moved to the US and became a head chef at his own restaurant in Manhattan. I made reservations immediately. This was likely as close as I’d get to Sukiyabashi Jiro.

Atmosphere: The entrance of Sushi Nakazawa opened to a waiting area with a handful of seats and a fully stocked bar. We arrived early for our reservation, so after checking in with the hostess, we ordered cocktails to sip on until our table was ready. Complimentary coat check was available. There were no seats available at the sushi bar while we were in New York, so I settled for the dining room, which was in a completely separate room with no visibility to the chefs. The dining room was dimly lit, quite the contrast from the bright sushi counter, and tables angled away from each other for added privacy.

Service: From the very first step into the restaurant to our last bite, service was exceptional. Before the meal began, our server walked us through a display of classic Japanese ingredients that would be used throughout the meal like yuzu, shiso leaf and pickled plum. Compared to other omakase experiences, sitting in the dining room paled in comparison to the sushi bar. Dinner still flowed at a comfortable pace but I missed watching each piece come together, especially when the price difference was minimal. Stephen found a piece of shrimp shell in his bite of tamago and we were offered a complimentary piece of wagyu beef nigiri as apology.

Food: The omakase at Sushi Nakazawa featured 20 pieces plus a hand roll. The quality of the fish was top notch, sweet, buttery with textures that ranged from melt in your mouth to firm and chewy. A trio of salmon nigiri was first, three different species that varied in fattiness and flavour. Next was a selection of white fish and scallop, each uniquely garnished. Snow crab, prawn and mackerel were next. The nigiri on this plate all had stronger natural taste and I liked the progression from sweet salmon to fishier fish. Following this was a variety of tuna cuts from lean to medium fatty. No o-toro but still delicious. Two pieces of uni were next, one from each coast of the US. Our meal ended with a negi-toro hand roll followed by a piece of conger eel and tamago.

At the end of the omakase meal, our server left us with the a la carte menu to order additional pieces if we so wished. I usually double up on pieces like uni and spot prawn or try a fish that wasn’t included, however I was surprised with just how many other fish were available. Double the selection of our meal. To me, ordering omakase infers that a variety of the day’s best selection of fish will be served. While the variety was there, seeing many more premium types of fish available a la carte was frustrating. I would’ve liked more transparency upfront with their menu or a tiered pricing model to include pieces like o-toro and Hokkaido Uni from the get-go. But, I guess that’s part of trusting the chef.

Overall, I feel like my expectations for Sushi Nakazawa may have been to high based on the hype and price tag (over $200 CAD/person after tax and gratuity). It was still a memorable meal, but not my favourite omakase experience.

From day 1 of my maternity leave, Stephen and I talked about taking a trip to Asia before I returned to work. The idea of a long haul flight was daunting but after a successful visit to Seattle when Alivia was 5 months old, we crossed our fingers and booked tickets to Japan with a three day layover in Taipei. In hindsight, we were way too ambitious (4 cities, 5 stops, 3 layovers, 6 flights and 3 train rides) and there’s lots of things we’d do differently, but one thing we got right was starting our trip at The Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.

We decided to stay in a hotel in Tokyo for ease of taking taxis, location and honestly to be a bit pampered after surviving the flight over. Using Stephen’s hotel points we booked a 5 night stay at The Ritz Carlton, which was centrally located in Roppongi and had a ton of restaurants within a 10 minute walk. I also loved that room service offered complimentary baby food suitable for babies from 6 months old to over a year. This saved us at the beginning of the trip when Alivia’s appetite wasn’t the greatest. While staying at the hotel, we had the opportunity to enjoy Afternoon Tea at the Lobby Lounge with a spectacular view of Tokyo and 14 delicious sweet and savoury treats.

Disclaimer: All food and drinks reviewed below were provided complimentary. All opinions expressed below are wholly mine.

The Lobby Lounge was located on the 45th floor with windows spanning two storey ceilings that offered a stunning view of Tokyo. Stephen, Alivia and I settled into a corner table with a comfy loveseat and armchairs facing the view. Our server came by to welcome us and introduce their tea selection. After taking in the aroma of each, Stephen chose the darjeeling while I opted for Royal Bouquet, a green tea with floral tones. Next, a cart was wheeled to us with a selection of artisanal jams for the delicious scones later and petit fours. I chose the yuzu jam that was more tart than sweet (I can’t resist anything yuzu) and complimented the clotted cream.

To begin, we were served a cup of the Ritz Carlton Tokyo special blend tea with our tiered serving tray of delectable treats. After which, our server brought over a cup of our personal selection. Cups were refilled but we did not have the full teapot at our table. Our server was also kind enough to find us an order of baby food from room service for Alivia. The Ritz Carlton also offers a special Kids Afternoon Tea menu for children under 12. A definite future mommy/daughter date.

As for the bites. Wow. Stunning in presentation and taste. The menu changes often to reflect ingredients that are in season but consistently includes traditional Japanese flavours like yuzu and sakura. During our visit, kumquats were in season and featured in a ham & cheese finger sandwich with chorizo and kumquat pepper jam. Other key ingredients of the savoury bites were foie gras mousse, crab, ikura and prawn. Each was paired with a sweet or acidic component that balanced and highlighted the ingredients natural flavour. Foie gras mousse with apple, prawn with pear, crab with lime. The sweets were just as delightful. I loved how they were lightly sweet, which meant I had no trouble finishing all 6 bites. My favourite was the strawberry tart with yuzu cream while Stephen liked the champagne jelly.

Overall, Afternoon Tea was a truly lovely experience from the live piano performance to each heavenly bite. I loved how flavours were present and pronounced without being overwhelmingly sweet or rich.

The last stop of our Europe vacation was a layover in Amsterdam (yay for multiple country flight deals), my second visit to the city and Stephen’s first. With just a day in the city we kept our schedule light and flexible. We weren’t able to fit in a canal ride or visit the Van Gogh Museum, two of my favourite activities from my previous visit, but enjoyed walking along the canals, dutch pancakes and even a bowl of ramen.

Using points we stayed at the W Hotel, which was a great central location that allowed us to walk everywhere. The breakfast buffet at their restaurant Mr Porter was also ridiculous. A wide assortment of freshly squeezed juices, plates of cured meats, hot dishes, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit, so much cheese and a menu with made to order egg dishes. I will be missing Stephen’s platinum status on our next trip.

What We Ate

Cafe de Klos – Deemed the best ribs in Amsterdam by the Internet, Stephen and I headed to Cafe de Klos for lunch after checking into our hotel. After an almost hour wait (you had the option to wait at their sister pub down the street), we were seated at the bar with beers and menus. Unfortunately I was still feeling the after effects of food poisoning from Italy so only nibbled on a smoked rib. We ordered a French Onion Soup for me, which was cheesy and delicious but overpriced at €6.75 for the portion size. Overall, Stephen liked the ribs and the restaurant was cozy but the most memorable part of the meal was the wait.

The Pancake Bakery – Eating Dutch pancakes are a must in Amsterdam and The Pancake Bakery is a popular spot for savoury and sweet crepes. I recommend ordering one savoury and one sweet pancake to split, we opted for the bacon, ham and cheese and lemon and sugar, to get the best of both worlds. The crepes are thin but large and filling. Even though we arrived early in the day, here was a line and I find the queue moves slowly. Once we were inside, it’s easy to spot the slow turnover of tables. On a next visit, I’d be happy to venture elsewhere for my pancake fix.

Ramen-Ya – Full Review Post

Vleminckx – Belgian fries are another must eat in Amsterdam. We headed to Velminckx, a hole-in-the-wall stand, and self proclaimed best fries in the city, which the Internet agrees with. This judgement I could get behind. The thick cut fries were freshly made with a perfect crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. The mayo was thick and creamy. We really should have bought two cones instead of splitting one.

What We Did

Sandeman Walking Tour – Aside from wandering around the city on our own, we signed up for the free walking tour of Amsterdam with SANDEMANs (optional tips for the guide at the end of the tour). The 2.5 hour tour covered most of the inner city and was a good mix of history, fun facts, humour and information. It was a great introduction to Amsterdam with a tour guide who was super engaging and lively. After the tour ended, he stayed around to chat and give out recommendations.

After 12 hours of sleep I felt more human like and up for sightseeing. We took the day slowly with lots of stops and water. I was determined to recover in time to enjoy our Bistecca alla Florentina.

Places to See

Our first stop was the Florence Cathedral with its stunning exterior. We walked the entire perimeter, making sure not to miss the building from any angle. Inside, the interiors were simple and unadorned, save for the painted dome ceiling. Free tours were available in English that were quite informative. In between munching on sandwiches, I loved checking out the street vendors selling leather goods near Central Market. There was a black leather backpack that I fell in love with. While Stephen and I tried to figure out if I had the luggage room to bring the bag home, the seller took my indecisiveness for haggling and kept lowering his price. Alas, I ended up walking away, but I still think about that bag with a touch of regret!

We ended our afternoon walking along the Arno river and taking in the scenery. We walked across the covered Ponte Vecchio and then back across the neighbouring Ponte Santa Trinita to view it.

Sandwiches to Eat

I Due Fratellini – A literal hole-in-the wall spot, famous for their Tuscan bread, fresh ingredients and wine. With 30 sandwiches to choose from making a decision was hard. There was a small counter to place orders and the wall behind was filed with shelves of wine. The shop was easy to spot with a line outside and a crowd of people munching on sandwiches and sipping red wine. We stuck to a basic prosciutto filling, which was exquisite, salty and savoury, exactly what I needed.

L’Antico Trippaio – Lampredotto, cow tripe, is a famous Florentine dish and a must eat. For us, tripe isn’t exactly a unique or odd ingredient (actually one of my favourite foods to hotpot or at dim sum) but for many it could be considered exotic. Slow-cooked and seasoned, the Florentine version of tripe was tender and flavourful. The sandwich we tried at this sandwich stand was also super spicy.

Mercato Centrale Firenze – By the time we made our way to Florence Central Market, a full meal was out of the question (especially since we still had dinner in a few hours). Open from 10am to midnight, the two storey, covered market was a delight to window shop and a great rest spot. I was blown away by the selection of vendors, from fresh seafood and sushi to hamburgers and of course all the tuscany specialties. We snacked on a plate of prosciutto with a glass of wine before heading home for our afternoon nap. If we had more time in Florence, I would’ve loved to spend more time wandering the market.

The Hike: Monterosso to Vernazza

A few parts of the trail were narrow and others overlooked a steep mountain side (those with a fear of heights might have trouble) but overall the terrain was easy to manage, even in my Converse sneakers. The path weaved up, down and around the mountain through lemon orchards, dense greenery and open air with stunning views of the ocean.

Tip: Wear layers! Since we prepared to be out for the full day, we had to dress for it. While the morning and evening were cool, after a few hours of hiking in the sun, I was sweating. A few of the villages also had beautiful beaches and water access so a bathing suit layer may come in handy.

For me the hardest part of the trail was the start, leaving Monterosso to climb up and up the mountain was a lot of stairs. Our first stop was at a lemonade stand run by a family who owned one of the lemon orchards. The fresh lemons were wonderfully fragrant and the drink so refreshing in the heat. Another great restspot was a nook for stray cats set up with little houses and food.

The trail was busy in both directions with a wide variety of hikers. Some were decked out in full gear while others were dressed for a park stroll. I would recommend at the minimum wearing closed toe sneakers and bringing some water. There were two great photo spots once Vernazza came into sight. Catching a glimpse of the colourful city, I felt a sense of accomplishment (and a bit of relief).

The Train

After grabbing lunch in Vernazza we decided to take the train to the next 3 cities. Hiker, I am not. Train passes were available that allow unlimited travel with options of 1 day, multi day and family pricing. We had to be a bit more mindful of our time in each city but it was still a leisurely afternoon.

Tip: The train station at Corniglia was at sea level while the village itself was on the cliffs, 382 stairs up. There is a frequent shuttle bus between the village and train station if stairs are not your thing. The ride takes about 5 minutes and costs €1.50.

After climbing the stairs to Corniglia, I rewarded myself with a gelato before we moved on. Both Manarola and Riomaggiore had direct water access. At Manarola, tourists clambered on the rocks for the perfect shot. We were no exception but I wasn’t as daring to climb too high on the wet, slippery cliffs. Since many tourists were also running on a train schedule, the best time for photos was just as a train arrived to carry a group away before the next wave arrived.

In Riomaggiore, we ended our day with a fried seafood cone. The main street was lined with shops all hawking the local specialty with similar prices. We followed the crowd to the longest line and wasn’t disappointed.

Overall, the day was busy and I loved getting to explore each of the charming cities. If we had one more day, I would’ve loved to hike a few more of the trails.

Another choice I made while planning our Italy trip was deciding between Cinque Terre and Amalfi Coast. Between the two coastlines, what ultimately swung my decision was reading about the hiking at Cinque Terre. In all of my research, the Amalfi Coast had a more relaxed and resort feel while Cinque Terre seemed more active and rustic. After weeks in big cities, both Stephen and I enjoyed our two day mountain stay with fresh air, ocean views and more hiking than I was prepared for.

Where we stayed

We chose to stay in Monterosso al Mare, the northernmost and largest village of the 5. Sticking to Airbnb, we booked a private cottage in the mountains that was surrounded by lemon trees and had a stunning view of the ocean. Our host picked us up at the train station and drove us back, which was wonderful because the steep trek would’ve been very difficult with our luggage and then the entrance would’ve impossible to find without help.

The cottage was a brisk 10 minute walk to old town and the start of the hiking trail to Vernazza. From there, it was a just a few more minutes to the water. I really enjoyed the tranquility and peacefulness of being in the mountains, especially once the sun set. From the patio, the lights of the other 4 fishing villages sparkled in the dark. If you’re travelling with a lot of luggage or are less mobile I would recommend staying in town, which is a lot more accessible. The 15 minute trek down the mountain turned into 30 (maybe 45?) minutes on the way back.

Where we ate

Our first night in Monterosso, we had dinner at a lovely restaurant in the heart of old town. We walked by many seafood restaurants while exploring the beach and settled on Da Eraldo Piazza Agostino Poggi, because it felt cozy and relaxed. Service was friendly and there were no language barriers. We started with a Caprese Salad that was simple and refreshing. I chose the Frutti di Mare Pappardelle for my main while Stephen opted for the Pesto Lasagna. Both dishes were really good. I enjoyed the fresh seafood in mine and while Stephen’s lasagna wasn’t photogenic, it was incredibly flavourful. For dessert we split a molten chocolate cake, fuel for the the hike home.

On our second afternoon in town, we stopped by the grocery store to pick up ingredients for breakfast. At this point in our trip we had been travelling for nearly two weeks and both Stephen and I were missing home cooked meals. Having access to a kitchen is one advantage of booking with Airbnb that I love.

Unfortunately after dinner our second night, I fell ill. I’m not sure if it was food poisoning, but all the symptoms lined up. This made our trek down the mountain from our Airbnb to the train station extra difficult. Stephen had to manage both our carry ons while I tried my best to stay alive. Our original plan had been to stop for a few hours at Pisa on our way to Florence. However, I was passed out in my seat for the first half of the train ride and nearing Pisa, I was still in no shape to move.

Venice was one city where I wasn’t too concerned about food since our plan for the day was to wander. I had researched a few spots but for the most part was content to wing it as I didn’t know where our wandering would take us by dinner time. The one meal I had planned was lunch at Dal Moro’s, which didn’t even work out because they were closed that day. Oops.

Lunch ended up being near St. Mark’s square, which wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t very good either. It was a 3 course set menu at one of the many restaurants with an English menu outside, which should’ve been our first sign to keep walking, but we were hungry. I tried the seafood pasta while Stephen opted for some fried seafood. Neither was memorable enough for me to even make note of the restaurant name. In the same neighbourhood, many of the restaurants had displays of fresh seafood to entice diners.

Around mid-afternoon we found a grocery store and picked up fresh buns and prosciutto for under €5, making two very filling sandwiches. We ended the night at a cozy restaurant near our Airbnb that had a great beer selection.

Dal Moro’s: The famed pasta in a cup restaurant, recently opened in Toronto. Pick a fresh pasta and sauce, served in a convenient to go container for €5-€7.

Bigoi: The pasta in a cup restaurant we went to because Dal Moro’s was closed. We both enjoyed the al dente pasta and rich sauces. Each bowl was topped with a generous spoonful of parmesan. The sauces were helpfully labeled in English and with pictures (pig, cow, duck, etc.). Great price and pretty tasty. Their specialty is the cuttlefish in Black Venetian sauce. There was no seating but a small standing counter.

Stickhouse Venezia: Gelato on a stick and gourmet popsicles with multiple locations in Venice. Also offered a variety of lactose free desserts with soy gelatos and sorbets. Once you pick your popsicle, you can have it dipped in chocolate and coated with crushed nuts.

Acqua e Mais: Deep fried seafood in a cone, made fresh to order with a good variety. My cone had shrimp, fish and calamari for around €5. There is also a cone of just squid. The seafood was fresh and the batter very light.

As I planned our Italy trip, I debated between Milan and Venice. After Rome, the two cities diverged in opposite directions and as is we would only have a day to spend wherever we went. Ultimately Venice won out as Milan was more about shopping and our entire trip was more about sightseeing (which also meant I had to get my shopping done in Rome).

Arriving

We caught the 6:50am train departing Rome to arrive in Venice 3 and a half hours later. This gave us enough time to check into our Airbnb and eat lunch in the city. Just outside the train station was the main Vaporetto (water taxi) station. The route maps were easy to understand and we made it to our destination without difficulties. Once we started walking though, it turned out that Google Maps and the actual street signs in Venice didn’t match up for the specific street we were looking for. Stephen and I circled the same two blocks a few times before our host greeted us from a window above. Without that, we probably would’ve never found the apartment.
Tip: Since we were only staying for a day and planned to walk most of the time, we only bought water taxi tickets to get us to and from our Airbnb. Although in hindsight, a 1 day pass would have been more useful and a better value. If you’re staying longer or staying off the island I’d recommend looking into their day passes.

Do you need to stay on the island?

Honestly, the answer’s a definite no. I wanted to stay on the island because I thought it would be romantic and I read about romantic evenings in St. Mark’s Square enjoying a glass of wine and listening to live music. Actually, we ate dinner close to our AirBnB and was in bed by early evening, worn out from the early start and the full day of walking. Maybe with an afternoon nap, we would’ve made it later into the night. Once the sunset, there were also not a lot of people around. This was our most expensive Airbnb the entire trip.
Tip: With easy transit to Mestre (just 30 minutes) late into the night, finding accomodations off island the island would be more economical and you’re really not missing much.

The Tourist Sites

My plan for Venice was just to wander. I had made note of the 3 main tourist attractions but had no real plan or course plotted. The entire island was gorgeous and filled with adorable shops and eateries. Pretty much every bridge, building, street was stunning.
Tip: On every corner, there were street signs on the buildings, which made the confusing city fairly easy to navigate. However, because of all the canals and bridges, getting from point A to B usually took lots of detours and there were no straight lines. Be sure to allocate more time if you’re on any kind of schedule.

We didn’t venture inside St. Mark’s Basilica or the Doge’s Palace but enjoyed taking in the sights walking through St. Mark’s Square. Do not eat near the area though, most restaurants were tourist traps with overpriced and mediocre food. We thought we had ventured away far enough however with the winding streets, actually ended up at a restaurant just around the corner. I really liked walking through Rialto Market and we strolled across the famous Rialto Bridge although it was under construction. By this point in our trip, I was content with all the historic sites we saw in Rome and Naples that I was ok with spending our time exploring the shops and streets of Venice versus touring buildings. Every corner and building was picturesque.
Tip: There were lots of signs leading to paid public washrooms, although the signs start far away from the actual washroom. We followed them for at least 10 minutes before getting to the facilities. Be sure to have some change on you.

To Gondola or not to Gondola

Heading into the trip, I was very much on the fence about taking a gondola ride, on one hand it seemed really expensive and I’d rather spend the budget on a meal, on the other it would likely be a once in a lifetime experience (I don’t foresee us returning to Venice in the near future). While walking by the main gondola stops at lunch, the boats were filled with tourists and the whole deal seemed too crowded and forced. I did not feel like I was missing out and was willing to see if I changed my mind later in the afternoon.

As luck would have it, on our way out of the grocery store with lunch ingredients (bread and so much prosciutto for under €5!), a French couple approached Stephen and I to share a gondola boat with them and a grandmother and granddaughter duo. We wouldn’t have had the courage to arrange to split a ride so this was incredibly lucky. The French lady had already arranged everything with a Gondolier to pick us up right where we were. There are gondola stops all over the city if you’d like to avoid crowds, just look for an empty boat as you’re wandering.

So we got our gondola ride at a reasonable price and we barely saw any other boats the entirety of our ride.
Tip: Find people to split the ride. Each gondola fits 6 people and is a set rate per boat by time (‎€80 for 40 minutes). The ride also gets more expensive in the evenings as most tourists want the sunset views. Split between 3 pairs of 2, the once in a lifetime experience becomes far more reasonable.