Venice + Murano, and the Art of Wandering Without a Plan

Venice… wow. I understand why Jeff Bezos chose it for his wedding. It’s one of the most visually breathtaking places I’ve ever been. The kind of place where you can walk in any direction and feel like you’re inside a movie set. The canals, the tiny bridges, the layers of old meets artistic… it’s one of those “you just have to see it once in your life” places.

We ate incredible seafood, wandered (and got lost) more than once, and spent a morning at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection… her former home on the Grand Canal, now a modern art museum filled with 20th-century masterpieces by Picasso and others. One of the most memorable parts was a bronze sculpture called The Angel of the City by Marino Marini, the one with the very noticeable, very intentional erect penis. It was originally made to be detachable so it could be removed when “proper” guests visited, and it was even stolen once before being welded back on permanently. Bold, mischievous, unapologetic… very fitting for Peggy.

We also visited St. Mark’s Basilica. It’s stunning, but very crowded and touristy. They require your knees to be covered, so yes… I pulled pants on under my dress in the middle of the street to get in. We paid extra for the Pala d’Oro ticket upgrade to see the golden altarpiece, and honestly, I wouldn’t recommend it. The basilica itself is worth seeing. The “premium” part wasn’t.

One of my favorite parts of the trip came next when our hotel arranged a private wooden boat to take us to Murano. The ride went under the Rialto Bridge and over to the island, which felt like a cinematic moment, and it included a private tour of a glass factory, which was fascinating to watch up close.

Murano is the island everyone day-trips to for glass, but we decided to actually stay there for two nights. You don’t need two, but slowing down after the energy of Venice was a great call. We also visited the Murano Glass Museum, which I loved even more because my grandfather was in the glass and mirror business in SoHo for years. Seeing the craft and history through that lens made it feel personal.

And the ending of this trip? Iconic. Our hotel in Murano arranged a boat straight to the airport. Entering an airport by boat felt like the most Venetian way to say goodbye. I absolutely loved it.

Our Venice hotel, Palazzina Grassi, was truly special. We used Hyatt points and paid to upgrade, and it included an incredible homemade breakfast spread every morning. It’s a boutique hotel with really attentive service, and they even surprised us with chocolate-covered strawberries after overhearing me mention our anniversary. I would absolutely stay there again.

In Murano, we stayed at the Hyatt Centric, which we also booked on points. Nothing over the top, but totally fine and did the trick.

I really did love both places for different reasons. Venice is unlike anywhere else in the world, and if it’s not on your list yet, add it. It’s a truly unique and special place that I recommend seeing at least once.