The wonderful thing about going to Venice for just two days is that you can do so much in a relatively short space of time. We booked a private watertaxi transfer from the airport to the hotel which is a very good move, as it was so quick and certainly makes you feel like you are arriving in style. The entrance to the Liassidi Palace is straight from the canal so the boat stops outside the door. The hotel itself is charming and understated, with a lovely inner courtyard. Not that there was much time to sit around as we went out exploring. The obligatory gondola ride was fun, but even better is taking the vaporetti to get around. A one day pass was inexpensive, and once you get the hang of the timetables, it’s as easy as taking a bus around London. A day trip to Murano and Burano cost a fraction of the price compared to the organised tourist boats, and of course you can stay on each island for as long as you want. Burano, in particular, is worth lingering, just to browse through the incredible lace shops. And of course Murano for the glass, glass and more glass. It’s impossible to leave without buying a souvenir. Back to St Mark’s Square for ice creams accompanied by a string quartet, and finding out that Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie had been in town the previous week….. And finally a tour around the Doges Palace – probably we should have spent a day there as it is huge, but even a couple of hours gives the chance to marvel at the sheer amount of space supposedly needed to govern such a relatively small land. Every hall and meeting room seems larger than the last, with the final hall the size of a football pitch -one wonders what kind of important decisions required such enormous space. A fantastic short break, meticulously organised by Kirker Holidays.
