Eyes On The Cloud

Travelling in Covid times – Venice, Italy,

Like for many of us last year, this trip was one of those spur of a moment type. Italy made the most sense – being one of the last countries with no quarantine either way, it’s just a short hop on a plane, and most importantly our flights in CE were a great steal.

I love Italy, and over the years I’ve visited many different cities, town and villages a number of times, including Venice. I think it’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but also utterly unique. So you can imagine how delighted I was to be able to return even just for a short weekend.

With ever-changing government rules on travel we didn’t book our accommodation until 2 days before our trip as we waited for any quarantine updates that are made every Thursday. Luckily Italy was spared and so finally we could start looking forward to our trip! 

On arrival at T5, for Italy there’s a requirement to have your temperature checked before entering First Wing check-in area. Then we had to proceed to check-in desks despite only having hand luggage. They printed out boarding passes as the temperature check status had to be added. The staff also ensured we had our passenger locator form (PLF) ready. (More on that later) The wing security was super quiet, although T5 in general seemed fairly busy which was nice to see. We were through in a matter of minutes and with plenty of spare time we proceeded to enjoy some Jeepers champagne(s) and breakfast at the First Galleries lounge. It was good to see the lounge was about 2/3 full.

Both flights were totally fine and totally full, just different types of crew. I think there were 6 rows of BC on the outbound flight, crew was quite slow, a fair bit assertive and couldn’t wait to draw the curtain to close themselves off at the front of the plane. On our return there were 10 BC rows, yet the crew was so on it, they were very efficient with friendly smiles. Food was the same both ways – cheese with onion chutney sandwich, chickpeas salad and a chocolate dessert with small bottle of water.

Just before landing at VCE the crew was collecting the Italian PLF form. We printed out 2 copies of it as advised by someone on the BA flight forum, but only one was needed. The crew then handed out another form, albeit a shorter version. This one made even less sense than the first one so added a lot to confusion as to what it’s meant to be filled in. Turned out nobody cared for these in the end! We were instructed to hand it to the immigration officers but they didn’t even look at it and with a resolute “no we don’t want any bloody form” face expression, they let us through.

We expected a total nightmare on arrival but it was entirely painless, so we quickly exited the main building to look for the water terminal. Majestic arrival in Venice by a boat is something you should experience at least once. The Waterbus (Vaporetto) takes just over an hour from Venice Marco Polo Airport and it is a fun and romantic alternative to cheap bus transportation. Plus you get to cross the lagoon and arrive in the canal city in style.

Oh Venice – you beauty!

Built on over 100 small islands in a marsh area of the Adriatic sea, it’s uniqueness comes from the fact there are no roads – but rather a series of waterways where boats are the only form of transportation. With its endless narrow canals and small square within the city, Venice can become a bit of a maze.

We managed to tick off all the main sights, and to even experience San Marco plaza under water! High tides and strong winds brought an exceptional acqua alta, or high water, over the past few days. To get around the square people either came equipped with wellies or had to walk on a temporary catwalk past the flooded square.

Venice is very walkable so ideal to work off that wonderful Italian food. Starting with the usual suspected and one of the biggest landmarks of Venice – the Rialto bridge, we then continued to Grand Canal, Bridge of Sighs and onto Doge’s Palace for some unique views of Venice.

If you’ve been to Venice before like us, perhaps instead of chasing sights, you could try and discover other hidden gems. Like the world’s most beautiful bookshop. It’s filled to the brim with – shockingly – books! This amazing bookstore is located in the Sestiere Castello, in a narrow alleyway. Unfortunately it’s no longer all that ‘hidden’, as it seemed to have been taken over by Instagram influencers who were there to capture its ambience and charm.

When in Venice, eat like a Venetian! And so we did. We sampled some fine Italian cuisine – from delicious gnocchi and parmigiana to Chianti wine. We joined the locals for the omni present cicchetti – Italian version of tapas- with Aperol spritz deals for as little as €3 in those cozy backstreet bars by hidden canals. The best ones are where wine barrels serve as tables, and the day’s wine selections are written on a blackboard. Love the Venetians approach that it’s never too early for wine! Of course no trip could be complete without some serious gelato!

We stayed at a lovely and cozy Pausania hotel. Once the sumptuous residence of a noble Venetian family, turned into a small hotel with a nice charm, which enjoys a prime location in the district of Dorsoduro. And as a bonus, we got upgraded to a period-style room.

Our hotel was located in a residential area next to a small canal. Daily, residents shop for fish, fruit and vegetables laid out on the boats. They chat with friends and grab a small glass of wine or espresso as you do, before heading home. A little tip – don’t forget to pick yourself up some fruit for breakfast or snack.

What I love about Venice is that it’s a living breathing city. As we were wandering about this real-life museum, I daydreamed of what it was like to be living here hundred of years ago.

Return to LHR – the lounges at Venice airport are still closed. The airport was very quiet until we got through security into the waiting hall. Duty free shops were actually functioning almost as normal. There are a few shops and places to eat. The space was only just able to accommodate all the passengers, but had there been a few more flights, social distancing would have been entirely impossible. The real shambles began when our flight started boarding. The staff announced we needed a health declaration form which they need to collect on boarding. (Note that this is different to the PLF mandated by the U.K. government.) Total frenzy unraveled, as stupidly all forms were placed on one of the boarding desks so everyone was trying to reach for them whilst others were queuing up for boarding. Covid or not, everyone was on top of each other. It’s utterly non-sensical to me as to why the staff didn’t mention this at any point and thought it acceptable to announce on boarding.

Somehow it didn’t cause any delays to the flight so all good.

All in all we had a wonderful time. Mostly people wear masks and follow the rules. There were a few exceptions as you may guess including on the planes but in general it was totally safe. We spent 48hrs there with one sunny day and one rainy/cloudy day which actually provided for a nice balance between sightseeing and bar hopping. 😉 I wouldn’t hesitate to go back so just hoping Italy will stay off the naughty list for a little while longer – here’s to wishful thinking! Happy and safe travels everyone!