A Wonderful 18 Nights in Venice and Sicily
Sep 25th, 2021, 04:47 PM
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A Wonderful 18 Nights in Venice and Sicily
Hi everyone. Posting some thoughts and photos on my trip to Venice and Sicily from last August and early September. This was my 5th trip to Italy and 3rd time to Venice but my first visit to Sicily. In total, I spent 6 night in Venice, including a day trip to Padua to meet up with my brother and two of his daughters, one of whom has been doing graduate work in Italy for the past year and will be interning at a winery in Alto Adige very soon, and then 12 nights in Sicily.
Overall, I visited Venice, Padua, Siracusa, Noto, Catania, Villa Romana del Casale, Caltagirone, Taormina and Palermo. I had planned all the time to also hit Agrigento (only a two hour train ride from Palermo) but by the time I got to that part of my trip, it was day 16 and I decided last minute that I more needed to sleep in than to visit Greek temples.
My top impressions from this trip:
1. It had been 18 years since my last visit to Venice and this one was by far my favorite. There are some personal reason behind some of that but this time, Venice just seemed even more beautiful than I remembered it. I also made it a point to rent an AirBnB in San Polo which allowed me to see more of the “real Venice” away from the tourist throngs in San Marco and Dorsoduro.
2. Padua is charming. The Basilica is beautiful and the Scrovegni Chapel is truly stunning. I could have spent an hour there easily but one gets only 15 minutes. No more, no less.
3. Delicious food can be found in Venice if you get out of the tourist areas. And I discovered the wines of Miani at Bancogiro, an upscale wine bar behind the Rialto market. Miani wines are stunning!
4. The Basilica San Marco is one of the most spectacular buildings on earth. ‘Nuff said.
5. Sicily is not easy travel due to the heat of August/September along with distances between sites. But it was visually, aurally and gastronomically stimulating at all times!
6 The mosaics in Palermo’s Capella Palatina, La Mortadana and in the Monreale Cathedral rival (and maybe even top) those in Istanbul and Ravenna.
7. Catania is very underrated as a travel destination and I loved it. Standing on the roof of Sant’Agata della Badia and hearing Etna explode in the distance behind the clouds was truly memorable.
8. Hiking Mt. Etna for a couple of hours was very enjoyable.
9. I was a bit underwhelmed with the mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale but an still very glad I went.
10. I loved when I’d interact with Italians who did not speak English because it gave me 100% opportunity to practice my Italian. I’m not fluent but I’m pretty good and too often I’d meet Italians who’d reply back to me in English so that they could practice their English.
11. Palermo has an extraordinary number of beautify churches, filled not only with mosaics but many with beautiful Baroque architecture.
12. Wandering the Balaro market in Palermo was great fun.
Italy is truly an incredible country that’s would take years to fully explore. The food, the wine, the history, the art and architecture and the passions of its people are things all travelers need to experience at least once and preferably, multiple times. I know I will be back in the not too distant future for trip 6.
Here are some photos that I hope you enjoy.
Basilica di San Marco, one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth!
Beautiful mosaic of the transportation of St. Mark’s body from Alexandria (Egypt, not Minnesota!) to Venice.
St. Mark’s Square
Campanile
The entrance to the Grand Canal from the top of the Campanille.
Veal with Tuna Sauce. (Note: I generally oppose eating veal for ethical reasons but it’s a famous dish of northern Italy. And it was delicious.
Stunning Murano glass chandelier inside the Ca’ Rezzonico.
Rialto Bridge
Padua’s Palzzo delle Ragione. Inside on the ground floor are all shorts of fun food shops.
Basilica Sant’Ambrogio. . Padua.
Tomb of St. Anthony inside his basilica in Padua
Meeting up with my brother (seated) and two of his girls in Padua.
The breathtaking Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua. The walls are filled with incredible frescoes by Giotto.
Jesus warns Mary Magdalene to not touch him after his Resurrection. Capella degli Scrovegni.
Sunset over San Polo from my rooftop terrace in Venice.
San Giorgio Maggiore from the vaporetto.
Grand Canal
Cool palazzo with what sure looks like gold leaf decorations.
Incredible Miani wine with tuna tartare. Bancogiro in Venice.
King Scallops, octopus and assorted seafood in a shop window the Cannoneggio sestiere in Venice.
.
Overall, I visited Venice, Padua, Siracusa, Noto, Catania, Villa Romana del Casale, Caltagirone, Taormina and Palermo. I had planned all the time to also hit Agrigento (only a two hour train ride from Palermo) but by the time I got to that part of my trip, it was day 16 and I decided last minute that I more needed to sleep in than to visit Greek temples.
My top impressions from this trip:
1. It had been 18 years since my last visit to Venice and this one was by far my favorite. There are some personal reason behind some of that but this time, Venice just seemed even more beautiful than I remembered it. I also made it a point to rent an AirBnB in San Polo which allowed me to see more of the “real Venice” away from the tourist throngs in San Marco and Dorsoduro.
2. Padua is charming. The Basilica is beautiful and the Scrovegni Chapel is truly stunning. I could have spent an hour there easily but one gets only 15 minutes. No more, no less.
3. Delicious food can be found in Venice if you get out of the tourist areas. And I discovered the wines of Miani at Bancogiro, an upscale wine bar behind the Rialto market. Miani wines are stunning!
4. The Basilica San Marco is one of the most spectacular buildings on earth. ‘Nuff said.
5. Sicily is not easy travel due to the heat of August/September along with distances between sites. But it was visually, aurally and gastronomically stimulating at all times!
6 The mosaics in Palermo’s Capella Palatina, La Mortadana and in the Monreale Cathedral rival (and maybe even top) those in Istanbul and Ravenna.
7. Catania is very underrated as a travel destination and I loved it. Standing on the roof of Sant’Agata della Badia and hearing Etna explode in the distance behind the clouds was truly memorable.
8. Hiking Mt. Etna for a couple of hours was very enjoyable.
9. I was a bit underwhelmed with the mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale but an still very glad I went.
10. I loved when I’d interact with Italians who did not speak English because it gave me 100% opportunity to practice my Italian. I’m not fluent but I’m pretty good and too often I’d meet Italians who’d reply back to me in English so that they could practice their English.
11. Palermo has an extraordinary number of beautify churches, filled not only with mosaics but many with beautiful Baroque architecture.
12. Wandering the Balaro market in Palermo was great fun.
Italy is truly an incredible country that’s would take years to fully explore. The food, the wine, the history, the art and architecture and the passions of its people are things all travelers need to experience at least once and preferably, multiple times. I know I will be back in the not too distant future for trip 6.
Here are some photos that I hope you enjoy.
Basilica di San Marco, one of the most beautiful buildings on Earth!
Beautiful mosaic of the transportation of St. Mark’s body from Alexandria (Egypt, not Minnesota!) to Venice.
St. Mark’s Square
Campanile
The entrance to the Grand Canal from the top of the Campanille.
Veal with Tuna Sauce. (Note: I generally oppose eating veal for ethical reasons but it’s a famous dish of northern Italy. And it was delicious.
Stunning Murano glass chandelier inside the Ca’ Rezzonico.
Rialto Bridge
Padua’s Palzzo delle Ragione. Inside on the ground floor are all shorts of fun food shops.
Basilica Sant’Ambrogio. . Padua.
Tomb of St. Anthony inside his basilica in Padua
Meeting up with my brother (seated) and two of his girls in Padua.
The breathtaking Cappella degli Scrovegni in Padua. The walls are filled with incredible frescoes by Giotto.
Jesus warns Mary Magdalene to not touch him after his Resurrection. Capella degli Scrovegni.
Sunset over San Polo from my rooftop terrace in Venice.
San Giorgio Maggiore from the vaporetto.
Grand Canal
Cool palazzo with what sure looks like gold leaf decorations.
Incredible Miani wine with tuna tartare. Bancogiro in Venice.
King Scallops, octopus and assorted seafood in a shop window the Cannoneggio sestiere in Venice.
.
Sep 25th, 2021, 08:05 PM
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Nice report, thank you! My fingers are crossed that I’ll be in Venice at the end of October. I just googled the Miani wine and - wow- it’s very expensive! But maybe I was looking at the price here in the US. Did you find it expensive?
Sep 25th, 2021, 11:59 PM
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Hi Minnbeef, thank you for your sharing your trip with us. After seeing your pictures of Venice, I wished I included a stop there. I am currently in Lake Como.
Your pictures are beautiful, Italy is truly an amazing country!
Your pictures are beautiful, Italy is truly an amazing country!
Sep 26th, 2021, 05:58 AM
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I guess it depends on what one considers expensive. My friends and I are big aficionados. It was listed on Bancogiro’s menu as a Coravin selection (allowing them to pour individual glasses without removing the cork). It was 15 euro per glass or about $17. Considering many wines by the glass in the US can easily be $12 or $13 per and often not to one’s liking, I thought the per glass price was a bargain for the quality. Certainly a bottle sourced in the US, once it’s gone through the 3-tier markup system would be very high. Probably $100/per.
Sep 26th, 2021, 05:59 AM
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Hi cafegoddess. Hope your trip is going well. You will just have to go back to Italy on another trip and be sure to include Venice. As I mentioned, I gave it 6 nights/5 1/2 days which I am so glad I did.
Sep 26th, 2021, 06:00 AM
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Thank you, TourjoursVoyager. Interestingly enough, that has been my experience also, of loving Venice more each time I visit.
Sep 26th, 2021, 07:34 AM
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Adding in some of my favorite Sicily photos.
Ravioli with Baby Shrimp and Jumbo Prawns in a Pumpkin Sauce. Siracusa.
Beautiful Siracusa Duomo.
Joining the Siracusans on their evening passeggiata
Fresh swordfish for sale at the Ortigia market. Siracusa
Looking out over the gorgeous baroque city of Noto.
Noto Cathedral
La Pescheteria (fish market). Catania.
Sea urchins for sale at La Pescheteria.
The famous “Umbrella Street” of Catania.
Prickly pear fruit is in season in Sicily
Sicilian puppets for sale in Catania.
Mount Etna erupts over the vineyards right before we begin our hike.
Hiking Mt, Etna
Skyline of the interior town of Piazza Armerina
One of the many detailed floor mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale
The famed ceramic tiled steps of Caltagirone
Tile detail.
Looking out over Catania’s Piazza del Duomo
You can’t hear it but trust me, Mt. Etna is loudly erupting behind those clouds. Catania
St. Agatha stands guard over her city from the top of the Duomo on a steamy night in the gritty but delightful city of Catania.
Piazza Bellini, featuring Catania’s grand opera house
The water is naturally freezing cold at the bottom of the Alcantara Gorge
Looking out over the harbor of Taormina
The sun breaks through for a moment just before sunset over Taormina’s 2000 year old Teatro Greco
Beach day at Isola Bella. Taormina
One half of the Quattro Canti (Four Corners). Arguable the symbol of Palermo
The over the top baroque splendor of Santa Catarina church. Palermo
If you’ve seen The Godfather Part III, you’ll recognize Palermo’s Teatro Massimo opera house.
Palermo Cathedral
The sentiment runs strong in Palermo and understandably so.
Stunning mosaics inside Palermo’s La Mortorana chuch.
Death of the Virgin. La Mortorana
17th century Italian rickshaw inside Palermo’s Palazzo Normanni
Your jaw will drop the moment you enter inside Palermo’s Capella Pallatina
Sta. Peter and Paul stand in judgment in front of Nero. Capella Pallatina
A Sicilian Spritz, made with limoncello instead of aperol. Super refreshing on a hot and humid afternoon in Palermo.
Archway in Palermo
Looking over the Palermo skyline from the roof of the Cathedral
Ballaro market in Palermo
I paid $3.50 for these vacuum-packed sun dried tomatoes at the Ballaro market that would have cost me $12 here at home
The beautiful alter and mosaic of Christ Pantocrator inside the Cathedral of Monreale
Farewell Palermo and Sicily!
Ravioli with Baby Shrimp and Jumbo Prawns in a Pumpkin Sauce. Siracusa.
Beautiful Siracusa Duomo.
Joining the Siracusans on their evening passeggiata
Fresh swordfish for sale at the Ortigia market. Siracusa
Looking out over the gorgeous baroque city of Noto.
Noto Cathedral
La Pescheteria (fish market). Catania.
Sea urchins for sale at La Pescheteria.
The famous “Umbrella Street” of Catania.
Prickly pear fruit is in season in Sicily
Sicilian puppets for sale in Catania.
Mount Etna erupts over the vineyards right before we begin our hike.
Hiking Mt, Etna
Skyline of the interior town of Piazza Armerina
One of the many detailed floor mosaics at the Villa Romana del Casale
The famed ceramic tiled steps of Caltagirone
Tile detail.
Looking out over Catania’s Piazza del Duomo
You can’t hear it but trust me, Mt. Etna is loudly erupting behind those clouds. Catania
St. Agatha stands guard over her city from the top of the Duomo on a steamy night in the gritty but delightful city of Catania.
Piazza Bellini, featuring Catania’s grand opera house
The water is naturally freezing cold at the bottom of the Alcantara Gorge
Looking out over the harbor of Taormina
The sun breaks through for a moment just before sunset over Taormina’s 2000 year old Teatro Greco
Beach day at Isola Bella. Taormina
One half of the Quattro Canti (Four Corners). Arguable the symbol of Palermo
The over the top baroque splendor of Santa Catarina church. Palermo
If you’ve seen The Godfather Part III, you’ll recognize Palermo’s Teatro Massimo opera house.
Palermo Cathedral
The sentiment runs strong in Palermo and understandably so.
Stunning mosaics inside Palermo’s La Mortorana chuch.
Death of the Virgin. La Mortorana
17th century Italian rickshaw inside Palermo’s Palazzo Normanni
Your jaw will drop the moment you enter inside Palermo’s Capella Pallatina
Sta. Peter and Paul stand in judgment in front of Nero. Capella Pallatina
A Sicilian Spritz, made with limoncello instead of aperol. Super refreshing on a hot and humid afternoon in Palermo.
Archway in Palermo
Looking over the Palermo skyline from the roof of the Cathedral
Ballaro market in Palermo
I paid $3.50 for these vacuum-packed sun dried tomatoes at the Ballaro market that would have cost me $12 here at home
The beautiful alter and mosaic of Christ Pantocrator inside the Cathedral of Monreale
Farewell Palermo and Sicily!
Sep 26th, 2021, 01:45 PM
#12
I have been to Venice a few times in recent years (pre-pandemic) after not having been in about a decade. Despite people saying Venice is no good for food, that hasn't been my experience at all. There's a terrific food scene there now, but yes, you need to do some research and sometimes go a little off the beaten path. I had a great lunch at Bancogiro (which is central) in 2019, so thanks for reminding me!
Loved Sicily and hope to return some day--looking forward to your photos.
ETA: You posted your Sicily photos while I was typing. Gorgeous! Thanks.
Loved Sicily and hope to return some day--looking forward to your photos.
ETA: You posted your Sicily photos while I was typing. Gorgeous! Thanks.
Sep 26th, 2021, 02:01 PM
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I have been to Venice a few times in recent years (pre-pandemic) after not having been in about a decade. Despite people saying Venice is no good for food, that hasn't been my experience at all. There's a terrific food scene there now, but yes, you need to do some research and sometimes go a little off the beaten path. I had a great lunch at Bancogiro (which is central) in 2019, so thanks for reminding me!
Loved Sicily and hope to return some day--looking forward to your photos.
ETA: You posted your Sicily photos while I was typing. Gorgeous! Thanks.
Loved Sicily and hope to return some day--looking forward to your photos.
ETA: You posted your Sicily photos while I was typing. Gorgeous! Thanks.
Sep 27th, 2021, 02:44 AM
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MinnBeef, many thanks for the stunning pictures and TR. Venice is undoubtedly a gem, we have made multiple visits over the last 40 years and the spell still enchants…
Sicily is on the agenda for late spring next year, have been to parts of the east, but this time want to tour longer and in greater detail. Your pictures just whet my appetite…😊
Sicily is on the agenda for late spring next year, have been to parts of the east, but this time want to tour longer and in greater detail. Your pictures just whet my appetite…😊
Sep 27th, 2021, 03:48 AM
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Great photos MinnBeef! I am glad you enjoyed your trip.
I just left Catania yesterday for Rome. Last week, Etna blew a giant mass of volcanic sand/rock thousands of meters into the air. The ground was covered in it, walking on it sounds like walking on corn flakes. I have seen Etna many times but never this. I agree Catania is underrated and Palermo was so full of garbage this time.. I hope they can get it together.
if you can ever go back to Padova, get a ‘double turn” ticket for the Scrovegni chapel. They only do it at night. You can be inside for 40 minutes. I did it once and it was two groups of people for fifteen minutes but I was the only double turn. So for ten glorious minutes I was COMPLETELY ALONE in the chapel. It was so amazing.. still gives me chills to think about it.
I’ll check out that wine next time I am in Venezia.
I just left Catania yesterday for Rome. Last week, Etna blew a giant mass of volcanic sand/rock thousands of meters into the air. The ground was covered in it, walking on it sounds like walking on corn flakes. I have seen Etna many times but never this. I agree Catania is underrated and Palermo was so full of garbage this time.. I hope they can get it together.
if you can ever go back to Padova, get a ‘double turn” ticket for the Scrovegni chapel. They only do it at night. You can be inside for 40 minutes. I did it once and it was two groups of people for fifteen minutes but I was the only double turn. So for ten glorious minutes I was COMPLETELY ALONE in the chapel. It was so amazing.. still gives me chills to think about it.
I’ll check out that wine next time I am in Venezia.
