26 MAY 2017: Venice titles itself La Serenissima — the most serene. But the overwhelming crowds that fill St. Mark’s square daily and stream shoulder to shoulder through every narrow passageway at all hours can quickly make tranquility a lost memory.
Arriving in the square on a vaporetto at the end of a cruise, it was clear there could be a challenge to get our luggage to a hotel. But we’re not staying in the city, but at the San Clemente Palace Kempinski, whose gleaming lacquered speedboat is pulling in at the next dock to spirit us to a private island resort only 10 minutes away.
The idyllic private island of San Clemente is ideal for lovers of the romantic as well as a fascinating piece of the history of the Renaissance jewel that is Venice. The island across the Venice lagoon with a panoramic view of the city from its gardens has always been a retreat.