I somehow managed to miss Venice the last time I was in Italy, so this time I overcorrectedâwith a casual 14+ hours on a train to make sure it happened.
To be fair, the journey was actually pretty incredible. We cut through a different part of Switzerland on the way to Milan, which wouldâve been great if Milan hadnât been in full Fashion Week mode. After about five minutes of that chaos, I was very happy to hop on the short train ride to Venice.
After that marathon travel day, my first Venice memory was asking someone in the train station, âWhereâs the Grand Canal?â He pointed to my left and said, âYou mean that one?â
Turns out the Venice Santa Lucia train station is literally sitting on the canal. Subtle city, Venice. Very subtle.
One of the things that completely blew my mind about Venice is that the water is the road. No streetsâjust canals. Water taxis, delivery boats, construction barges⊠and yes, I even watched a casket float by with the family following along as part of a funeral.
Itâs strangely beautiful and slightly surreal, and somehow all of it works. Watching everyone calmly navigate canal âtrafficâ like itâs rush hour on Main Street was one of the coolest parts of being there.
Pretty much everyone was lounging by the waterfront with a wine in hand, and of course, we all drowned in spritzers like it was a civic duty.
I enjoyed them so much that I stocked up when I got homeâbecause nothing screams âthis isnât Veniceâ like sipping a sad spritzer in Arizona while staring at a cactus.
Itâs not the Grand Canal, but itâs still pretty glorious during a Jayâs playoff game.
Mix some SodaStream soda water with your favorite alcohol flavoring (Aperol, Aperix, or RosĂ©âbecause why not), toss in white wine, fruit, and orange slices, and boom: Venice vibes at home. Bonus: it costs less than a dollar instead of âŹ5â8+ per sad spritzer by the canal. 
Here are a few more GEMs from my Venice adventureâbecause someone has to show off while I sip my homegrown âcanal.â that hauls waste water in AZ.
Want more Grand Canal vibes (without the âŹ8 spritzers)? Check out my videos on YouTubeâwatch canals, gondolas, and chaos unfold from the comfort of your own home.
www.YouTube.com/@NorthAmericanDarrell
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Venice’s history began in the 5th century.
Refugees decided building a city on stilts in a swampy lagoon was a brilliant idea. By the Middle Ages, it became a maritime superpower, raking in riches while everyone else was figuring out taxes. Centuries later, it joined Italy, and today itâs a tourist mecca of canals, gondolas, and carnival chaos. Basically, itâs a city that floats, dazzles, and occasionally smells like history, depending on which alley waterway you visit.