There is no doubt that Caffè Florian is a tourist attraction. There is even
less doubt that they charge hefty prices for coffee, wine, or snacks. The
minute you sit down, you incur a surcharge for the music. Still, you would
be ill advised to pass this place by.
Our visit was in September of 1994. We had walked all the way to St.
Mark's Square from our pension across the Grand Canal. It was not quite
dusk, and there were few patrons.
A waiter attired in a splendid white jacket appeared and took our order
for a pot of Caffè a Latte. It took a few minutes to prepare, but arrived
on a silver tray. There was a pot of hot strong coffee and another one of
hot milk. The bill came to over $13.00, but we received much in
return. First of all no one spooked us about ordering. We sat there
for the better part of two hours, and although they were alert in case we
wanted something, there was no effort to prod us into ordering. Two
orchestras took turns so there was almost constant music. There was a stream
of passers by to watch, plus the panorama of St. Marks Square. As we sip
our refreshments, we reflected upon the visitors who had preceded us:
Byron, Proust, Casanova, Wagner, and others dating back 280 years.
There was close to a full moon, and as dark descended on the square,
the man-made illuminations emerged. The perspective in Piazza San
Marco is unique. I noticed some of our neighboring patrons simply sitting
there, entranced by the view. Legend has it that if you stay long
enough, everyone you know will eventually walk by. Perhaps so.