🇮🇹 Planning Day Nine — A Florence Farewell & A Moonlit Welcome to Venice

From Renaissance sunrise to the magic of the lagoon

There are some travel days that feel like passages rather than transitions — soft doorways between who you were yesterday and who you’ll be by nightfall. Today is one of those days. A final morning wrapped in Florentine warmth… and an evening carried by the quiet shimmer of Venice.

Morning in Florence — A Gentle Goodbye

I’ll begin the morning around 7:30 AM with breakfast at Hotel L’Orologio Firenze, sipping my tea and taking in the stillness before the city fully wakes. Afterward, I’ll step outside with no destination in mind — just the sweet intention of wandering streets that now feel familiar.

I’ll follow whichever quiet paths call to me, perhaps drifting toward the river or through small piazzas glowing in early light. Along the way, I plan to pop into a leather shop for a small gift, then make a stop at Officina de’ Tornabuoni for perfume samples — little sensory souvenirs of Florence.

At some point, I’ll settle into a café for a cappuccino and a few slow breaths. My only rule for the morning? Be back at the hotel by 11:00 AM, leaving myself plenty of time to gather my things with ease.

Checkout is at 12:00 PM, and I’ll leave the hotel around 12:15 PM, suitcase rolling behind me as I cross the piazza one last time. It’s a ten-minute walk to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, but even if I linger, I’ll still arrive with cushion. Walking feels like the right kind of farewell — intentional, unhurried, and grateful.

The Train to Venice — Triple Fortune, Triple Joy

At 1:39 PM, I’ll board Italo 8971, settling into Coach 3, Seat 3 — a little trio of good luck to carry me into the next chapter.

Arriving at Venezia Santa Lucia at 3:55 PM, I’ll step out of the train station and pause. The Grand Canal will open in front of me like a painted dream. A first breath of the lagoon will feel like a blessing.

From there, I’ll choose my welcome:

• Vaporetto Line 1 — slow, scenic, iconic

• Water taxi — fast, cinematic, glamorous

Both will deliver me to the Rialto area and my hotel, H10 Palazzo Canova.

Check-In + The First Taste of Venice

I’ll aim to reach the hotel between 4:30–5:00 PM.

I’ll freshen up, unpack lightly, and if I’m lucky — open the windows to hear the soft lap of water against the stone.

Then comes the best part…

🌙 Venice by Night — Rialto, Reflection & Moonlit Magic

My first evening in Venice will be simple and soul-soothing.

I’ll begin at the Rialto Bridge, watching the sky shift from gold to rose to indigo. Then I’ll wander the narrow calli near the markets, letting Venice guide me with quiet confidence. This is a city that rewards slow hearts and curious feet.

From there, I’ll drift toward:

• St. Mark’s Square

• St. Mark’s Basilica

Both glow at night in a way that feels timeless and tender. Venice will become its own love poem when the crowds fade.

🍝 Light Dinner Options — A Perfect First Night

I plan to keep my meal light and lovely:

Osteria Bancogiro (near Rialto)

• Spaghetti alle vongole

• Grilled seabass

• Burrata with vegetables

Cantina Aziende Agricole

Tiny, lively wine bar — ideal for cicchetti and small bites.

Al Merca

Very light and very Venetian — quick cicchetti standing at the counter.

After dinner, I’ll stroll a little more, letting the night settle around me, then return to my hotel by 9:00 PM. Tomorrow begins with the Doge’s Palace at 10:30 AM, and I want to greet it feeling rested and ready.

The Feeling of This Day

This day is softness:

A Florence sunrise.

A train slicing through Tuscany.

A first breath of the Venetian lagoon.

Water instead of cars.

Marble glowing in moonlight.

It’s not rushed.

It's not cluttered.

It's a quiet, graceful transition — the kind I treasure.

Honey Note 🍯

There is something beautiful about a travel day that allows you to feel both gratitude and anticipation at once. Florence will have held so many tender moments for me already, and now Venice will be awaiting me with her lantern-lit bridges and winding waterways. These in-between moments — rolling a suitcase through a piazza, sipping a cappuccino while the morning light settles, boarding a train with a hopeful heart — are often the memories that stay with us the longest. Perhaps it’s because they remind us we’re always allowed to begin again.

Con dolcezza veneziana,

Honey 🐝🌙

A little softer at sunset, a little braver by moonlight.

PS I can’t wait to wake up in Venice — to open the curtains and see a city unlike any other, waiting to surprise me at every turn.