Two Passports

Never go on trips with anyone you do not love

Marco Polo at ten, a mahogany water taxi across the lagoon, and two nights on an island of our own before the ship.

By

chrisandjenmoss

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Sunday Arrival and Dinner with an Old Friend (sort of)

We touched down at Marco Polo around 10:00 on Sunday, gathered our bags, and met the driver who would run us to the pier for the boat transfer to the hotel.

A varnished mahogany Venetian water taxi, registration VE9478, moored alongside a timber dock in front of the hotel lobby.
The transfer that made the hour worth it

The journey took approximately an hour total and was well worth the wait. For our stay in Venice we chose the JW Marriott which sits on its own island with magnificent views of Venice off in the distance.

A large white sculptural sign reading ISOLA DELLE ROSE standing on a mown lawn between cedar trees, with the hotel buildings behind.
Isola delle Rose

A bit weary from our travel we elected to enjoy the property on our first day abroad with lunch, strolling the grounds, and the rooftop pool overlooking the Venice.

An infinity pool of bright blue water with the Venice skyline low on the horizon across the lagoon beyond the glass balustrade.
The lagoon from the pool deck

By late afternoon we retreated to our room for a nap and prepare for a special dinner we had been looking forward to for months. During our time living in Washington DC we frequented several restaurants by Fabio Trabiocchi. He recently opened Fiola at Dopolavoro Venezia and we could not wait to try it.

A red and white industrial building with DOPOLAVORO lettering across the facade and a winged lion of Saint Mark in the pediment above.
Dopolavoro, the old workers’ club

The food and service were spectacular. We really enjoyed conversing with the staff about our prior experiences in the Trabiocchi restaurants.

A plated course of seared scallops with caviar, purple potato and herbs, arranged along a grey ceramic plate on a white tablecloth.
Dinner with an old friend, sort of

After enjoying the multiple (like a lot multiple) course tasting menu complete with wine pairings we wandered back through the property to catch some sleep and plan our first full day in Venice!

A full moon over the silhouette of a church and cypress trees at night, the grounds lit from below.
The island after dark

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