Planning Day Eleven — Art, Quiet Beauty & A Dorsoduro Kind of Day

My second full day in Venice: galleries, slow canals, and the kind of wandering that stays with you.

Today is my gentlest Venetian day — art that stirs, bridges that whisper, and a neighborhood that feels like slipping into the softest version of myself. Dorsoduro has a way of making you feel at home… even when you’re thousands of miles away.

Morning — A Soft Start + A Walk Toward Art

I will enjoy breakfast at my sweet home base, H10 Palazzo Canova, savored slowly before heading out around 9:30 AM. Today begins on foot, winding through Rialto and across quiet bridges as Venice still feels half-asleep.

The walk to Dorsoduro is about 30 minutes, but with Venice’s beauty, it will likely take me closer to 45 — and that feels perfect.

I’ll give myself permission to follow whatever captures my eye:

• A soft canal tucked between ivy-covered buildings

• A tiny paper shop

• A gondola gliding by so slowly it looks like a painting

This is why you walk in Venice — because the city reveals itself one unexpected corner at a time.

11:00 AM — Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Today’s anchor is the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, a treasure that feels both intimate and world-class at once. Peggy’s former home on the Grand Canal is filled with modern art, sculpture, stories, and soul.

I will take my time here.

I will let the garden settle me.

I will let the canal breeze drift across the terrace.

I will let one or two pieces surprise me in that way art always does when it’s meant for you.

I won't rush. This museum is small but emotional — and it lingers.

Early Afternoon — Wandering Dorsoduro

After the Guggenheim, the day opens up into the warm embrace of Dorsoduro — Venice’s dreamiest neighborhood for wandering.

This is the Venice of “If I moved here, this is where I’d live.”

It’s home to bridges without crowds, peaceful canals, university students laughing softly, artisan shops, bookstores, and sweet families strolling with gelato.

Lovely stops along the way:

• Squero di San Trovaso

  A historic gondola workshop I can admire from across the canal.

• Campo Santa Margherita

  A lively square — perfect for people-watching.

• Tiny mask workshops

• Artisan jewelry shops

• Independent boutiques

I will let myself drift.

Dorsoduro is meant for wandering.

A Late Lunch — Something Light & Lovely

✨ Easy, delicious options (solo-friendly & Venetian):

Cantinone Già Schiavi

Cicchetti heaven. Stand outside with a small plate and watch boats pass.

Osteria Al Squero

Right across from the gondola workshop — utterly charming, inexpensive, delicious.

I will choose whatever matches my mood: quick bites, a seated lunch, or something simple overlooking the water.

A Vaporetto Ride Down the Grand Canal

This is the perfect day for it.

I'm already on the Dorsoduro side — so I plan to just hop on Vaporetto Line 1 at Salute or Zattere and ride slowly up the Grand Canal toward Rialto.

This is Venice’s best low-cost sightseeing cruise.

I will lean into the wind.

Turn my face toward the sun.

Let the palazzos glide by like a moving gallery wall.

Late Afternoon — More Dorsoduro or Quiet Canal Time

Depending on my energy, I might:

• Wander toward the Zattere promenade for soft afternoon light

• Visit the Punta della Dogana area for views of the Grand Canal meeting the lagoon

• Sit on a bench and simply watch boats drift by

This is a deliciously unhurried day — exactly how Venice is meant to be felt.

Dinner — Venetian, Cozy, Solo-Friendly

✨ Beautiful options for tonight:

Taverna San Trovaso

Classic, cozy, great for a solo diner — vegetarian and pescatarian options included.

Osteria Enoteca Ai Artisti

A tiny gem — refined, creative, deeply Venetian. (If there’s a table, I will take it.)

Or simply let my instincts guide me — Dorsoduro is safe, welcoming, and full of small restaurants where a solo traveler feels right at home.

Evening — A Slow Walk Home

The walk back to my hotel from Dorsoduro will feel like drifting through a dream. I will cross bridges illuminated in amber light, pass gondolas rocking gently in the dark, and follow narrow paths that eventually bring me back to the Rialto area.

I will return around 8:30–9:00 PM for a restful night — tomorrow is my last, big, beautiful Venetian day.

Honey Note 🍯

Some days aren’t meant to be planned as much as they’re meant to be felt. Today is one of those days — a soft blend of art, wandering, and letting Venice show me the quiet corners that feel like home. Dorsoduro has a way of reminding a woman that she can bloom anywhere… especially in places that invite her to slow down, breathe deeply, and trust her own curiosity.

Con l’arte e la dolcezza di Venezia,

Honey 🐝💛🎨

Wandering with wonder, finding home in every new place.

P. S. Tomorrow I’ll cross the Accademia Bridge, visit Santa Maria della Salute, stroll the Zattere at sunset, and maybe — just maybe — let myself glide across the water in a gondola. Venice is saving her softest magic for the finale.