Monday, February 27, 2017

Venice, Day 3: Cafe Florian


JJ insisted he had to ride the gondola and drink coffee at Cafe Florian. Since it was drizzling and there were boat loads of tourists waiting for gondolas, it really didn’t seem like a romantic idea. It was expected that these gondolas were going to hit the traffic jam in the canals. Skipping the gondola ride was the right decision because it’s a gray day and the pictures wouldn’t look nice anyway. For the price you pay for the gondola ride, you better make sure it’s a beautiful day and Venice looks golden with the kiss of sunlight.
We skipped the gondola ride and headed to Cafe Florian. In the morning, we passed by Florian, it was half empty. We thought it wouldn’t be a problem to get a table later. In the afternoon, when we walked back to Cafe Florian, it was full house. We waited for half an hour to get a table. What a chore. But, if we had not let JJ have his coffee at Florian, he would have gone berserk. Don’t ask me why. I don’t know why he is so into those touristy things either. I can be into touristy things as long as it doesn’t involve suffering caused by a huge crowd.


Florian, situated in St. Mark’s Square, is the oldest coffee house dating from 1720. It was where Casanova hung out and where noble people patronized in early days. Later some English writers also came here to get some bragging rights relating to their grand tour and boost their profile. Today, it’s an expensive coffee shop with old world charm. 


The decor is definitely beautiful. It had been through restoration in 1858, 1872, and 1891. There are several rooms. We sat in Sala Orientale (Oriental Hall). The tea was nice. JJ liked his mint chocolate drink. There were musicians performing outside the cafe. Legend says when Casanova escaped from the Venetian prison, he came to Florian first to have a cup of coffee before fleeing.

Many tourists complain Florian is simply overpriced. I do have to inform you that they charge few euros for live music so you won’t be surprised if you visit Florian. Although expensive, it is an experience. After all, this is no ordinary coffee shop. Florian is almost like a museum exhibiting the past of Venice. The historical factor makes it worth it if  you care about the significance from the past. To sum up, I think you should just go ahead and enjoy yourself at Florian while you are in Venice. You don’t go to a historical coffee shop like Florian everyday. Like most tourists, you will probably just move on to the next city you have never been and won’t go back to Venice anytime soon. Therefore, let yourself be surround by the handcrafted mirrors and frescos at Florian to experience Casanova’s Venice.

No comments:

Post a Comment