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| Venice ...arriving by ship |
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| one of the many bridges |
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| along the canal |
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| can't wait to explore |
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| main intersection |
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| St Mark's square |
La Serenissima (the serene one, as Venice is known) looks beautiful when seen from the decks of a cruise ship.
Perhaps she is not classically beautiful (some of her buildings are run down and damp and some of the water traffic is not attractive –after all everything including rubbish, building equipment, criminals and sick people has to be transported through her waterways) but somehow when all her features come together she is stunning, bathed in a misty light with her grand canal lined with magnificent old palaces, art galleries, grand hotels, restaurants and churches.
We have one night on board while we are in Venice, so I have booked a tour to Verona, home of Romeo and Juliet, the next day.
Verona is a lovely city with lots of shopping and history. The guided walking tour is well worth doing and includes Juliet’s famous balcony, (Oh Romeo, Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?) We spend our free time having drinks and pizza and people watching in the main square.
Back on the ship for our last night on board, we enjoy yet another excellent meal, this time at the Pinnacles Grill where I go all out with Lobster and Crème Brulee!
The next morning all but 300 people disembark. The remaining passengers will be joined by about 1200 more to do another 12 days Mediterranean cruise taking in more of Croatia, Greece and Turkey!
Although I have really enjoyed the cruise, I am happy to be staying in Venice and am looking forward to exploring “la Serenissima”
From the port it is a short distance to Piazzale Roma on the “people mover” (1 euro) a hub of activity and the place where you can get all transport out of Venice (hire cars, buses, trains and taxis) and within Venice water taxis (very expensive-80 euros) and vaporettos (much cheaper and efficient like public buses 6.50 euros) as Venice itself is only accessible by boat and foot.
I catch a vaporetto towards San Marco to my hotel in Dorsoduro and get off at Accademia stop right near the bridge that takes you across the river a short walk to San Marco’s square. (Viv and Hugh stay in the more up market Novecento in San Marco, a boutique hotel with really helpful staff)
Although the trip takes about 40 minutes it is a wonderful opportunity to see Venice by water as we go past the Rialto bridge and markets and the many little bridges and canals teeming with gondolas and people.
At almost every step, you risk being in someone’s photo as everyone is snap happy in a place that has a million photo opportunities.
Venice is always busy but particularly now during the Biennale when the city is full of actors, and dignitaries invited to the various film, music and art events throughout the city.
I manage to pack in a lot in my 2 days in Venice; an Opera (Verdi’s Traviata at the refurbished La Fenice Opera House – (Reuven, I was thinking of you. It was awesome!), numerous art exhibitions- some work by Ukranian Oksana Mas which looked like a giant mosaic but was actually a work made of thousands of coloured eggs, a photo and video project called180 by Catalan Artist Mabel Palacin where Venice is the subject and a fascinating 3D film by a Chinese Artist whose name sadly I can’t find.
We sampled some surprisingly good Venetian fare at Ai Artisti, an enoteca (wine bar) with a great local wine selection (Paul when you are in Venice check it out. You will need to book -0415238944 and Beccafico, a great restaurant in a lovely piazza in San Marco area where the Sicilian chef prepares the best and largest shared seafood antipasto I have ever eaten.
I rediscovered Aperol Spritzers –a prosecco based aperitif- that is great before dinner and is usually served with an orange segment and olives and managed to buy a couple of presents.
Waking up early and beating the crowds to San Marco to watch the sunset was worth the effort as was finding a couple of cute b and b’s in the Dorsoduro area with water views which allowed me to day dream about coming back in the off season one day to write or staying in one of the grand hotels with someone I love.
I am just about to leave Venice and drive to the north of Italy to the small village of Vertova, my Mum’s home town. I’ve been ambivalent about going as it is a place with many sad memories, but somehow it feels right to go there now and I know that my Mum’s spirit will be there walking in her beloved mountains, so I put on my seatbelt and turn the key and the fiat 500 comes to life. Keep right! Keep right! I remind myself as I ease out of the parking space and soon I am zooming along the Autostrada towards Milan with the radio on and the window down and another adventure has begun.
A presto
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