Almost nothing beats munching on tapas in the warm Spanish sun, almost nothing, except for “cicchetti” at a wine bar in Venice, Italy.
The Spanish are proud to explain that their tapas, bread with toppings as a snack, were created to top off their wine glasses, keeping the flies at bay. The Venetians have a similar tradition, one that dates back prior to the Spanish version according to some historian. Let’s not quibble about that. The important thing is that both types of appetizers are amazing.
Most travelers to Italy put Venice at the top of their list. St. Mark’s Basilica, the grand piazza, the bell tower, the Murano glass, oh and the gondolas on the water, there is so much to see and do, and often too many tourists in alleyways that are ever so narrow.
Venice from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. is over-crowded from the train station, over the Rialto bridge, all the way to St. Mark’s it can be too much. My advice is to knock-about early, savor a long lunch, nap ideally in a park off the beaten path, and then off to adventure in the evening.
My favorite outing is a Cicchetti and Wine tour. There are several tour operators, but our favorite is Viator. Their guides are knowledgeable and care more about their guests appreciating Venice than they do about tips. The tour includes stops at five wine bars, each serving a unique wine complimented by several types of cicchetti (Italian tapas).
My favorite is the stop near the fish market, with fish snacks oh so good. Buonissimo. The tour meanders through multiple neighborhoods, or sentieri, providing perspective on the heart and soul of Venice, well beyond the tourist shops that string the busiest of streets.
A personal highlight is crossing the Grand Canal. Rather than walking to the Rialto Bridge, the guide leads the group to a traghetto, a large gondola, where all of the passengers are expected to stand during the crossing. Fear not, the price is next to nothing.
See this photo from Wiki commons. We have sat in this exact spot.
I love cicchetti, light enough as a snack…but worthy as a meal.
We loved Venice but didn’t book a tour, unfortunately. We were a little short on time so would love to go back with a Viator guide. We used Viator for almost all of our other excursions and really enjoyed their experienced tour guides because they loved their country and loved sharing personal knowledge.
Loved this blog—thanks Sergio & Molly for sharing!
Thank you for coming along with us! Let us know if you do the tour when you go back
I love the idea of the tour you suggested. It sounds like you really saw the “real” Venice during your visit.
And it was the tasty side, too!
Then let’s have cicchetti at a Bacaro ( or more!). And for fish lovers “Sardon in savor” ate plenty as a kid in Trieste, but common delicatessens in Veneto!
Yum! Let’s!
Never mind the cicchetti with wine…your family is the best pairing possible.
Ah, we love this comment!