The Venice I Didn’t Expect

Gondolas, the Rialto Bridge, St. Mark’s Square — I had seen them in photographs a thousand times.

But after just a few hours, I realized that the Venice I loved most wasn’t always the one on the postcards. It was hiding down tiny streets, behind old bridges and across the lagoon.

So instead of trying to see everything, I slowed down and let Venice surprise me.

A morning in Piazza San Marco

I started my day in Piazza San Marco, probably the most famous place in Venice.

In the early morning, before the square becomes completely filled with visitors, it feels surprisingly peaceful. The Basilica di San Marco catches the first sunlight while cafés slowly begin setting up for the day.

I grabbed a coffee, watched the square come alive and finally had that moment: *Okay… I’m really in Venice.*

But the best part of my day started when I walked away from the crowds.

Getting lost was the best part

A few streets away from the main sights, Venice suddenly changed.

The crowds disappeared. The streets became narrower, laundry hung between old buildings and tiny bridges appeared around corners I hadn’t planned to take.

There are no cars here. You walk, cross bridges, take a wrong turn and somehow end up somewhere even more beautiful.

After a while I stopped checking the map.

And honestly? That was when Venice became really special.

Then I discovered Mazzorbo

Later, I left central Venice behind and crossed the lagoon to Mazzorbo.

It felt like entering another world.

Instead of crowded streets, I found gardens, vineyards, colourful houses and a kind of silence I never expected this close to Venice.

Mazzorbo is connected to neighbouring Burano by a wooden footbridge, but it feels much quieter and slower.

I walked without any real destination, stopped beside the lagoon and understood why exploring beyond central Venice can completely change a trip.

The taste I brought home

And of course, I couldn’t leave without discovering the food.

One of the flavours that stayed with me was a beautifully creamy risotto — simple ingredients, slowly cooked and finished with butter and Parmesan.

It was exactly the kind of food I love: uncomplicated, comforting and somehow connected to the place around it.

So I decided to recreate my own **Risotto di Mazzorbo** for Carla’s World.

And yes… it tastes even better when you eat it slowly. 🇮🇹❤️

Venice, beyond the postcard

I came to Venice expecting famous landmarks and beautiful photographs.

I left remembering quiet canals, wrong turns, the stillness of Mazzorbo and a bowl of risotto in the evening sun.

Maybe that’s the secret to Venice:

**See the famous places — but leave enough time to get lost. ❤️**