Profiles » Debbie2 » A Week in Venice
Europe » Italy
A Week in Venice - Thursday, May 12, 2005
Travel notes originally written for myself and my travelling companions.
Monday, May 12, 2003-05-30
We arrived in Venice about 11:30 local time. Once we collected our luggage we searched out the taxi stand as instructed by Viewsonvenice.com, confirmed our pre-arranged water taxi, then walked a fair distance past the old airport terminal to the waterfront. (There is a shuttle, but I for one was glad to be moving again.) A man armed with a clipboard informed us that our driver Fabio (!) was on his way, so we sat in the warm sunshine and watched the action in the narrow bay that serves as the taxi-stand. Most of the water taxis look like they belong in a 1950s movie staring Cary Grant - beautifully maintained, lots of varnished wood, open cockpit in front where the driver stands, covered cabin behind, with a further open cockpit at the rear - and the drivers handle them very skilfully, with studied nonchalance. The "docks" where passengers get on and off the boats are remarkably rickety-looking, narrow boardwalks suspended between tall, narrow, crooked pilings. They look far more like homemade lakeside docks in the Canadian wilderness than official Italian water-taxi boarding sites.
Fabio arrived about 45 minutes late (so sorry, previous passengers very elderly and slow, and the police boat enroute meant he couldn't travel at his usual speed) however he made up for it by giving us a fabulous, rooster-tailed, very fast ride to the city. We sat on the cowling in the rear cockpit, held on for dear life and grinned from ear to ear with delight.
We arrived at the Rio Della Frescada taxi stop about 1:15 or so. Alice from Viewsonvenice.com was waiting to guide us to our apartment at San Polo xxxx. It was a very short walk, actually just a little further up the Frescada canal, but like everything in Venice you can?t get there by walking in a straight line.
Mom's Internet surfing paid off in spades, as the apartment was super. On the second floor (first floor in Europe), it had a small kitchen, a good size dining/living area with TV and stereo, two full bathrooms (OK, there were no tubs and one didn't have a bidet), one large bedroom with a king size bed, and one smaller bedroom with small twin beds. There was the usual interesting assortment of dishes, pots and pans, and a pending toilet paper shortage, but lots of towels, bedding and wineglasses. The living area and Teri's larger room looked out over the Frescada canal and the fondamenta, while the other bedroom looked over a narrow dead-end (therefore quiet) alley.
We explored the apartment and unpacked. Mom felt a bite to eat was very necessary at this point, and although 2:30 in the afternoon is an unusual time to eat we found Baristophante in Campieo not too far away. It was a little outdoor café in a rather barren little square (campo), and with the exception of one couple who had finished their meal we were the only customers. The waiter was very helpful and we were soon toasting one another with the house red and dining on farfalle alle verdure (bowties with vegetable sauce - Mom), spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and hot pepper (Teri) and insalatona della casa (salad with tuna, mozzarella, egg, olives and corn - me). Very satisfying.
We purchased a few groceries, returned to our apartment and napped until 5:00 or so, then had blissful showers to wash away the remnants of the long plane trip. The jet lag pills seemed to work quite well as none of us were overly tired or having difficulty coping with the time change.
It was a beautiful evening and we wandered our way through Dorsoduro, over the Ponte delli Accademia to San Marco. We entered St. Mark?s Square just as the light of early evening illuminated the Basilica - very beautiful. After dodging tourists along the Revi deghi Schiavoni we stopped at a small tourist café to share a funghi pizza and a carafe of wine while Teri studied the vaporetto schedule to figure out our best way 'home". Mom purchased 24 hour passes as we have yet to find a place where the seven day passes are sold, and we boarded the #82 vaporettto fairly confident that we would soon be back at the apartment. However, instead of a brief journey down the Grand Canal we were off on an epic circumnavigation of a good portion of the city. We had caught the #82 going the 'wrong' way. However, as night fell we had a lovely tour of Canale della Guidecca, Canale di Fusina, Canale Scomenzera and the western end of the Grand Canal to Rialto. During our trip Teri had determined, through judicious study of the schedule, that the #82 would not actually stop at S. Toma (the stop nearest our apartment), and a bathroom break was becoming imperative, so we disembarked at Rialto. All of the public washrooms were closed as it was now after 10:00 p.m. but a sympathetic waiter took pity and allowed us to use the washroom at his restaurant, which was in the process of closing.
We went back to the vaporetto stop for more sign interpretation. Two fun American women (who told us with great humour about the four hours they had spent that day going the wrong way on a train) advised us that they had figured out the system and we were in the right place to catch the #1. We should have known better than to listen to them! The first #1 to come along sailed right on by, at which point I determined that the station we were standing in had closed at 8:30 p.m. The three of us were getting quite tired and Mom was a bit worried about finding our apartment again in the dark, however we quickly located the correct vaporetto station (with the American women in tow), caught the next #1 and were home in a very short time. A glass of wine, then bed.
Tuesday, May 13, 2003
We were up at eight after a good night's sleep. Teri accomplished café lattes for the two of us and coffee for Mom, and then went off to the market for some bread and cheese to make picnic sandwiches. We set off to meet Sarah, our guide from Walksinsidevenice.com, for our (very expensive) tour of the Doge's Palace and the Frari Church.
Sarah was an excellent guide and the tour was great. As we walked and took the vaporetto to Vallaresso stop, she gave us a brief overview of Venice's history, stressing the city's dependence upon and identification with the water that surrounds it. At the entrance to Palazzo Ducale Sarah noted that it was this imposing view that was the first glimpse of Venice most visitors encountered in the past: the twin columns holding statues of St. Theodore and the Lion of St. Mark, the Venetian Gothic Palazzo to the right, the Basilica ahead, the clock tower and the Campanile and the library leading around to the left. Sarah pointed out how the different archways on the various buildings complemented each other - anything but haphazard, the square has been carefully planned and balanced. St. Marks Square was designed to be the centre of an empire.
Because Sarah was a registered guide, we were able to bypass the long line-up and enter the Doge?s Palace via a back elevator. Inside we saw the Sala delle Quattro Porte where ambassadors awaited ducal audiences. Sarah gave us a brief review of how the doge system of secular government developed, with its careful checks and balances that prevented abuses of power by those elected to office. We saw the Scala d?Oro (Golden Staircase) and Scala dei Giganti (Giant?s Staircase, topped by Sansovino?s statues of Mars and Nepture), designed to impress visitors with the power, wealth and importance of Venice and its leaders. In the Sala del Maggiore Consiglio, the largest room in Venice, we saw Tintoretto?s amazing "Paradiso", one of the world's largest paintings. We had very quick cappuccinos in the palace coffee shop. While Mom and Teri went to the washroom Sarah mentioned that she had reached level two in a sommelier course, so she and I happily discussed the local wines for a few minutes.
We returned to Vallareso and caught the #1 to S. Toma, then walked a short distance to the Frari Church. Along the way Sarah helped Mom purchase seven-day visitor passes for the vaporettos, which is not as easy to do as the guidebooks promise. At the Basillica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari we saw the ornate memorial to Titian (Sarah explained this was completely contrary to his dying wishes), the heavily symbolic memorial to Canova, several monuments to the very generous Doge G. Pesaro and family, the lovely Assumption by Titian (1518) and Giovanni?s triptych of Madonna and Child. Sarah provided lots of details about the monuments and paintings and how the church came to house them. She was extremely informative and enthusiastic and I wouldn?t hesitate to recommend her services. Our tour ended a little after 2:00 and we said our goodbyes outside the church.
We wandered to "Snack Bar Bruschetteria Al Timm" for wine and a late lunch at 2:30. Mom had con porchetta verdure gigliate (a roll with pork and grilled vegetables), Teri had con mozz, maionaise, pommodor picola (mozzarella, mayonnaise, tomato and ricotta) and I had a rather disappointing fagotini al sesamo (a ricotta and spinach mixture baked in a sesame pastry). We returned to the apartment where we all had a nap followed by a cup of tea and some delicious little cookies Mom had purchased earlier.
After tea (about 4:30) we decided to return to the Frari Church and perhaps tour the nearby Scuola di San Rocco as well, however we soon discovered that all of the churches and most of the museums close at 5:00 p.m. We quickly checked our guidebooks and found that the Ca' d'Oro, one of the palaces along the Grand Canal, houses Galleria Franchetti, a collection of bronzes, tapestries and paintings and remnants of Titian's frescos, was open until 7:15. I was quite interested in the frescos having read David Weiss's fictionalized biography of Titian (The Venetian), so off we went. We quickly purchased fruit, coffee, postcards and wine at Campo Santa Margherita, dropped our provisions off at the apartment, took the vaporetto to Ca' d'Oro stop and walked around the corner to the gallery.
Unfortunately Galleria Fanchetti was a bit disappointing as we arrived too late to rent the audioguide (the actual closing time was 7:00, not 7:15) and nothing else was in English. The frescos were all but illegible, we were the sole attendees and the numerous staff (at least ten) were quite obviously waiting for us to leave so they could close up. There was a lovely view of the Grand Canal from the veranda, however.
After leaving the gallery we wandered up the very busy promenade of Strada Nova looking at what the street vendors had to offer. Mom announced she was hungry so we stopped at "Pizzeria Ristorante Pasqualigo" for supper. We ordered a tomato salad (which was just chopped tomatoes), grilled eggplant and zuchinni (very dry and unadorned), tortolini in a mushroom cream sauce which was quite good, and a cheese, penne pasta and tomato dish. Following our meal we took a roundabout route home, stopping by SS Giovanni e Paola to see the large statue of Bartholomeo Colloeni. It was getting dark and it was a bit difficult to see the statue clearly, but it was worth the short detour. We also stopped outside a church to listen to some beautiful chanting/singing eminating from within. We found our way back to Rialto, boarded the correct vaporetto at the correct vaporetto stop and made our way home without any difficulty.
Wednesday, May 14, 2003
It was very windy today, and for the first time I was glad to have my sweater with me during the day. Teri and I had done some guidebook research last night to determine opening and closing hours, special passes, etc., and we had written out a tentative plan of action for the remainder of the week. Today we decided to concentrate on churches as the Chorus pass we had purchased for e7.75 when we visited the Frari Church with Sarah on Monday was only good for three days, and this was the final day. The Chorus pass provides free entry to six of about twenty possible churches, so decisions had to be made as to which churches we most wanted to see.
First on the list was Santa Maria dei Miracoli, a very lovely 'Renaissance jewel ' fully carapaced, inside and out, in marble, bas-reliefs and statues'. Being completely surrounded by marble made me feel a bit like I was inside a large chunk of blue cheese, but the overall effect was charming and unique. There is also a beautiful high wood ceiling (gilt) with pictures of various prophets by Pennacchi and students, and the lower ceiling by the entryway has three paintings by the school of Titian: St. Francis, St. Clair and the Virgin Mary.
Our next stop was Santa Maria Formosa, a beautiful white marble church built in 1492, famous for a Byzantine altarpiece, an altarpiece by Palma il Vecchio and a Renaissance Last Supper by ???
Outside the church we took a few pictures and struck up a conversation with two women from Portland, Oregon. One offered to take a picture of the three of us and promptly dropped Mom's camera. No harm done, although Mom 'retaliated' by threatening to drop the woman's purse into the nearby canal.
Today's lunch was an unexpected delight. Teri was seeking a bathroom and Mom was hungry but nothing we saw seemed very exciting. However, the window display at 'Tratioria ai Nanetti' on Salizzada san Lio (we think) looked enticing and we ventured inside. There were only about six small tables, each bedecked with red and white checked tablecloths. We were the only customers when we ordered our meal, but within minutes all of the other tables filled up with blue collar workers (some of whom were obviously 'regulars' as they set their own tables). The waitress brought them all water and wine without being asked, then the owner/cook stepped out from behind the counter and appeared to tell each customer what he should order (funghi spaghetti seemed to be the daily special, although some chose plates of spinach with meatballs in sauce on the side). Everyone seemed to know everyone else, the men bantered with the cook and waitresses and the whole experience was great fun. As an extra bonus, our veggie panini was fabulous - several storeys of delicious bread layered with cooked spinach in a vinagrette, grilled peppers (red, orange, green), mozzarella, tomato sauce and mushrooms, all pressed and grilled lightly. In my opinion, the tastiest meal we have had in Venice so far.
Following lunch, and with Teri's guidance (she has become the navigator) we wound our way through the crowded alleys behind St. Marks Square. I purchased a glass rocking horse for Claudia and three glass angels for my Christmas tree and we did a bit of window shopping, then we were off to the Riva deghli Schiavoni to catch the #82 to San Giorgio Maggiore. Unfortunately the visit to San Giorgio Maggiore was our first misstep of the day as it was closed until 2:30, a little matter we had missed in our guidebooks. We received a tongue-in-check lecture from a Brit who had made the same mistake. However, there is a lovely view of Venice from the island, so the trip was certainly worthwhile. Jess will be disappointed I did not climb the bell tower, she says the view from the top is much better than the view from the Campanile.
While we waited for the vaporetto to take us back to the city Mom befriended an Armenian gentleman who was visiting Venice in order to add to his 'churches of Armenia' tour of Europe. He was waiting to go to one of the smaller outlying islands where the Armenian church is the only occupant, and which is open only on certain days.
Once back at St. Marks, we went to visit the museum of the four horses at the Basilica. Once again we were able to bypass a long line up, as in order to visit the museum you go in the exit to the Basilica, squeeze through the line up to the centre stairwell and take the very narrow stairs up, up, up to the top. For only e1.50 we were able to tour the small museum, see the original horses inside and then venture outside where there is a fabulous view of St. Mark's square and out over the lagoon. We clambered around a bit in the sunshine, then went back down to the square and over to Museo Correr, as we had a free pass from our tour with Sarah. We were getting very tired, but doggedly wound our way through multiple rooms of historical paintings, maps, implements of war and some lovely Canova sculptures and gesso studies. Too tired to continue, we were forced to end our visit at room 36 (I think there were over fifty rooms remaining). Too bad, as there were some fascinating exhibits we did not manage to see.
We returned to our apartment for tea and wine, snacks and a nap.
After our naps Mom researched recommended restaurants in our neighbourhood, which I believe is right on the border between Dorsoduro and San Polo districts. She found several tempting prospects, however we chose 'Trattoria Donna Onesta' because it is recommended by Fodor or Frommer (Mom's not sure which book her photocopies are from) and it is quite literally around the corner from our apartment. The 'road' or walkway along the Rio della Frescada is called Calle Donna Onesta. Mom says Donna Onesta translates as 'honest woman'.
As usual, we were the first diners of the evening as it was only about 6:30, but the restaurant filled up quite quickly. For starters, Mom tried sarde in soar (deep fried sardines in an onion marinade), Teri had shrimp on a bed of what she believed was raddichio (peppery mesclum-type leaves) and I had steamed mussels in an utterly fabulous broth with garlic, oil and parsley. For the primi Mom had penne in basil pesto, Teri had the house specialty of pasta with a vegetable cream tomato sauce and I had a phenomenal zuppa di pesce (fish soup) chock full of cod (I think), mussels, clams and squid. We also shared tomatoes in oil and a lovely mixed vegetable salad, red and white wines, crème caramel (exquisite) and a huge slice of tiramisu. Mom ended the meal with lemoncello, from which Teri enjoyed a more than occasional sip. Every dish was wonderful, and we all enjoyed every bite. The restaurant staff was very attentive, the ambiance was great and we all had a enjoyable evening.
We were home by 9:00 or so. Teri and I (mostly Teri) figured out the tiny washing machine hidden in the kitchen closet. I believe we may have got the setting wrong, as the two hours it took to do one load of laundry seemed at bit excessive even by European washing machine standards! Everyone else was long in bed by the time I hung everything to dry.
Thursday, May 15, 2003
A glorious sunny day, hardly any wind, warm but not too hot. Perfect.
All three of us slept poorly last night. Teri was up for hours in the middle of the night, Mom and I spent the night throwing off the covers and then trying to find them again half an hour later. (I thought I was having hot flashes until Mom confirmed the temperature fluctuations.) Nevertheless, we were up at 8:00 for leisurely café lattes, coffee and breakfast while we attempted a second miniature load of laundry. The heck with waiting two hours for it to finish, we had too much to see! Today we are off to the islands of Murano and Burano.
We took the #1 to Ca' d'Oro, walked north to Fondamente Nuove where we were lucky enough to catch the vaporetto to Murano (the 'glass island') just as it was about to leave. We arrived at about 11:00 and marched through the centre of town to the Museo Vetrario, window shopping all the way. (I purchased a lovely decorative iron lion door knocker at 'Ferramenta Lunetta Franco' enroute.)
With its many samples of ancient and modern glass items the museum was quite interesting. There were some beautiful vases and bowls, as well as some spectacularly ugly and garish exhibits. Unfortunately, the displays demonstrating where and what glass comes from and how it is made were only in Italian. However, we are now armed with a bit of background for exploring the innumerable glass stores on the island and in Venice.
The museum staff recommended 'Trattoria Busa Alla Torre' for lunch as they felt it did not have inflated 'tourist' prices. The restaurant was in a lovely campo nestled between two churches, and as it was such a beautiful day we sat outside. I ordered ravioli with four cheeses, Mom had gnocci with smoked salmon and Teri had taglionni e porchinni mushrooms. We shared a salad and wine. Each dish was very tasty, especially Mom's choice. Small birds flitted about, the sun shone and the waiter was quite dashing. It was all very wonderful.
After lunch we did some more window shopping and Teri found a lovely amber coloured glass necklace at 'Vittorio Zane'. The owner told us in very halting English through his few remaining teeth that only his family continued to make glass from scratch and make the 'creations', and that they had been doing so for five generations. Teri and I bought some little mini-paperweights and Teri also purchased a blue liqueur glass. A little further along the shopping strip, Mom bought Jessica a lovely bracelet of red glass and matching earrings.
Murano is much like Venice in that it consists of canals, calles, fondamentas and buildings, but there is a much more spacious feel as the buildings are only one or two stories high and the canals we saw are much wider. Most of our walking was out in the sun instead of in the shadow of tall buildings.
We caught the vaparetto from Murano to Burano about 2:50 p.m. Once again we marched directly to the island's museum, this time the Museo del Merletto, which focuses on lace instead of glass. There we read a bit about the history of the industry, looked at lots of lace samples, learned the difference between Venetian style (knobby) and Burano style (mesh) lace, and watched two women demonstrate lace making. Good eyesight is a definite prerequisite to this particular occupation.
We wandered back through the village, which is quite different from Venice and Murano as all the houses are very brightly painted, the walkways are very wide and there is quite a bit of green farmland and parkland. Teri bought a lovely lace curtain and Mom bought us each little lace sachets for our undie drawers. Teri and I also bought small watercolours from a street artist.
We had a quick cappuccino and caught the 5:30 boat back to St. Marks Square. The trip took about an hour as we stopped at several of the lagoon islands on the way. It was a perfect evening to be on the water, very warm with little wind. I felt wonderful sitting on the open back deck, resting my feet and admiring the countryside in the beautiful early evening light of Italy. Mom took the opportunity to lie down inside the cabin and have a short snooze.
We arrived home at 7:15 or so, starving! Too hungry to enjoy a restaurant, Mom and I searched out some provisions while Teri prepared the table and set out the food we already had. Mom and I found a bar not far from the apartment that offered various take-out options and we purchased some interesting antipastos: squid, grilled peppers, carrots, zuchinni, carmelized onions with raisens and pinenuts, and artichokes. At e18.00 it was a bit pricey, although far less than what we would have paid at a restaurant had we chosen to eat out. At any rate, combined with some ham, olives, cheese and bread, they formed the basis of a wonderful meal.
Wine, relax and bed.
Friday, May 16, 2003
Yet another perfect spring day. We were up at 8:00 and out the door by 9:30. Teri signed on for 20 minutes at a nearby Internet café (I borrowed two minutes to send Jessica and Peter a very short e-mail) while Mom and I bought wine, cheese, fruit and kleenex at the supermarket at Campo Santa Margherita. We collected Teri and dropped off our purchases at the apartment, then took the S. Toma traghetto and the vaporetto to the Rialto markets. Travelling by traghetto is quite fascinating. The boarding platforms are the same as the taxi 'docks' at the airport - quite rickety-looking and very narrow. There are no railings to keep travellers from falling into the water, just small upright posts about four feet apart along both sides of the 'dock'. Travellers generally stand up for the short trip across the Grand Canal. The boats themselves are typical gondolas minus the frills, with two gondoliers instead of one. The trip costs 40 cents, and as there are so few bridges across the Grand Canal it is well worth the cost. Teri and Mom boarded for one trip but there was no room for me so I took pictures of their trip and waited for the next boat. I travelled with businessmen in suits, elderly grandmothers and a woman with her baby in a good-size baby carriage. The gondoliers very casually used one hand to hold the boat dockside and the other to help the mother hoist the carriage (baby within) on and off the traghetto.
The fish markets at Rialto were fascinating. We saw a large swordfish head complete with sword, squid of all sizes, octopus, shellfish of all descriptions and much more that we were unable to identify. Given the size of the market it is clear that Venetians eat a tremendous amount and a wide variety of seafood. The fish market area with its many stalls was remarkably clean and fresh smelling.
We did some serious shopping for souvenirs, and Teri purchased a super leather pouch/purse. This area is very busy with vendors, tourists and locals, I think it is second only to St. Marks Square for crowds.
We boarded the vaporetto intent on returning to our apartment for lunch just in time to get caught up in a gondolier protest of some sort. It was absolute chaos on the Grand Canal for about twenty minutes or so as it was completely clogged with gondolas, vaporettos, taxis, workboats and very ineffective police boats, all at an absolute standstill. Quite fun to watch. Our vaporetto finally moved very slowly through the mass of boats under 'police escort' and we were able to get home. Mom was very glad she had her usual snack with her to carry her through the delay.
Lunch was various cheeses, olives, bread, sweet breads and fruit. We all had a nap, then walked less than three minutes to Scuola Grande si san Rocco (just beside the Frari church) to see its fabulous collection of Tintorettos.
The Scuola san Rocco building and contents are quite breathtaking, and the audioguides (which come at no extra charge) are very good. As well, visitors are provided with large mirrors to assist in viewing the many ceiling paintings. An excellent idea, but I found I had to be a bit careful walking around looking down while looking up as I got a bit disoriented. Aside from the amazing paintings, the grand hall upstairs has phenomenal wood carvings all around, including a very realistic bookshelf.
Not quite satiated with Tintoretto, we went into the adjoining San Rocco church to see a few more (along with some paintings by Ricci and others). The interior was undergoing restoration and many paintings were out of sight behind drop cloths, and to be honest after the Scuola it was difficult to be impressed by anything else.
Back to the apartment for a bathroom break (after a short detour wherein I purchased a mask) then off to Santa Maria della Salute, the dazzling white church that graces the tip of Dorsoduro at the entrance to the Grand Canal. A major landmark, it is octogonial (unusual) and festooned with statues. There was a church service in progress and we watched white-robed priests waving incense and singing, which was lovely.
After examining the Baroque altar we left the church and walked out to Fondamente Zattore to stroll along the Canal della Guideca, the very wide canal between Dorsoduro and the island of Guidecca. We passed some interesting looking boat storage buildings where it appears the boats are lifted out of the canal by a block and tackle contraption and rolled inside for repair or for storage. This fondamenta appears to be where health-conscious Venetians jog. It is quite wide, there are comparatively very few people and the going is fairly straightforward..
We searched out a restaurant with a view of the canal (this was a bit difficult as there was quite a bit of construction going on and many views were blocked). Our first choice was very busy but service was not forthcoming so we moved to a vacant spot at the café next door where the staff was very accommodating. It felt good to sit for a while and watch the world go by on yet another beautiful afternoon. We observed a fun moment when someone?s cell phone rang and our waitress and the older waiter each whipped out their corkscrews, unfolded them and pretended to answer their ?cell phones?. It was quite funny, but perhaps you had to be there.
We obtained directions back to Campo Santa Margherita, where we stopped in one shop to see some breathtaking wood carvings (a very realistic coat, tablecloth on a table, bow tie, etc) and a lithograph shop where I bought a lovely print of the Moors striking the bell at the top of the Torre del?Orologio in St. Marks Square.
We dropped off our purchases at the apartment and went "Donna Onesta" again for supper. Teri chose the zuppa de pesche that I had so enjoyed on our previous visit, Mom and I had the mixed fish grill (dory, sole, sea bass and an interesting creature that appeared to be a cross between a shrimp and a miniature lobster), and we all shared grilled veggies, frites and a mixed salad. For dessert, Mom and Teri each had crème caramel and lemoncello and I had a very strange sort of petit four (it was NOT petit!). Once again an enjoyable evening with delectable food.
After supper Teri and Mom walked west as far as the car parks by P. Roma, but I went back to the apartment to put my feet up and write up these notes.
Saturday, May 17, 2003
We were up at 8:00 after a very good sleep. Today?s agenda includes the Gallerie dell-Accademia, ?the most extraordinary collection of Venetian art in the world?, according to Fodors. After replenishing our cash at a nearby bank machine, we took the ?long way? through Campo del Margherita to the Accademia, peering in shop windows and admiring the fruits and vegetables on display on a barge. Mom had read only one or two of these fruit and vegetable barges remain in use.
Mom announced that she required coffee before entering the art gallery, so we nipped in to the closest café - ?Café dei Doge? for cappuccinos and three absolutely delicious almond croissants (all for only 13.70 euro - ouch.) As we were paying our bill, two very attractive police officers with submachine guns slung over their shoulders came in for coffee. I remember seeing what I consider to be heavily armed police often on the Paris subway, but this was the first and only time I saw machine guns in Venice.
The Gallerie dell-Accademia is limited to 300 people at a time, which allows visitors to view the art on display without fighting too much of a crowd. We rented audioguides and spent an incredible three hours with some of the best paintings Venice has to offer: Tintoretto?s ?Transport of the Body of St. Mark?, Titian?s ?Pieta? (his last painting) and Veronese?s ?Christ in the House of Levi? (the ?renamed? Last Supper) - all in one room! We also saw Gentile Bellini?s ?Miracle of the Relic of the Cross? and the famous procession at St. Mark?s Square, Carpaccio?s ?Miracle of the Cross at Rialto?, ?Life of St. Ursula? and much, much more. Many of the paintings in the Accademia were featured in my background reading about Venice, and it was marvellous to see the originals. We staggered out of the gallery at 2:30 or so, famished for food but satiated with art.
We wandered back through various calles to ?Cain dei Norilli? for a late lunch. This restaurant was quite busy considering the time of day, and had an interesting open ceiling concept that certainly helped dissipate the cigarette smoke from nearby tables. Teri had a smoked cheese and artichoke heart pizza the size of a bicycle tire, I had a lovely insulata fantasia #2 (salad with greens, egg, ricotta cheese, artichoke hearts, tomatos and corn) and Mom had bruschetta. It was all very tasty, although Mom felt a bit more basil on her bruschetta might have been an improvement.
We wandered our way back to St. Mark?s Square where Mom managed to sneak us into an Italian group tour of a glass blower?s furnace. By the time we had watched the glass blowing demonstration and followed the group upstairs to the display room to listen to the sales pitch, I was beginning to understand quite a bit of Italian but I suspect I still looked quite Canadian.
We spent another hour or so wandering through the maze of shops and the crowds surrounding St. Marks Square on an unsuccessful search for the small glass shop where I had purchased the little rocking horse several days earlier, then returned to the apartment.
[I believe this is the evening we went to the restaurant in St. Bartholomew's campo where Mom ended up with a tuna steak instead of what she thought she ordered, and we were serenaded by someone singing Paul Anka songs, but I neglected to take notes re: name of restaurant, etc.]
Sunday, May 18, 2003
We had a much later start than usual this morning as we did not get out of the apartment until after 10:30. We took the #1 vaporetto from S. Toma to San Marcoula then walked past the rather barren Campo San Marcoula along various calles to the Ghetto area. We were momentarily sidetracked by what we believe was a rowing club award ceremony, complete with energetic brass band.
Once at the Campo Ghetto Nuovo we purchased tickets to the 11:30 tour at the museum, stopped for cappuccinos and took a few minutes to view the Holocaust memorial (very moving bronze castings of scenes such as loading the cattle cars, etc.) While we waited for the tour to begin we wandered through the small museum and admired lots of silver Jewish artefacts (about the only things we recognized were the menorahs).
The tour was very interesting. We visited three quite different synagogues (Ashkenazi, Sephardim and Leventine) and learned a bit about the architecture and differences of each. Our guide told us how each sect had very different origins and traditions but how all Jews were forced to reside in this very small, easily guarded area of Venice by decree. The area was once called the New Foundry (Getto Nouvo) however with an Ashkenzai pronunciation the area soon became known as the Ghetto, a word which has since become universal for poor, cramped, overcrowded urban areas. As the Jewish population grew, the area became very short of space and the populace was forced to build higher and higher. Some buildings in the area have seven storeys.
I checked my notes from the Internet for a likely restaurant for lunch and, after cross-referencing my recommendations with Teri?s Lonely Planet we set off for ?Osteria Il Paradiso Perduto? along the Fond della Misericorida. This was a wonderful place for lunch: very casual, semi-open kitchen, long tables shared with strangers (in our case, some very gorgeous Italian-stallion-type men) and an energetic but largely non-English speaking staff. We sat close to the kitchen area where we could watch the food being prepared. While we were deciphering the menu Teri saw a huge dish of something come out of the oven and, after making inquiries, decided we were definitely going to try pasticcio di asperagi e castraure. Along with the pasta/asparagus/eggplant/cheese dish we had perfectly deep fried calamari and a mixed salad, and of course a little wine to wash it down. Very satisfying and great fun watching all the action, which included an energetic serenade by a Rolling Stone wanna-be.
After lunch we found Tintoretto?s house quite by accident, then toured the nearby Madonna dell-Orto, a lovely Gothic, Romanesque and 18th Century church with numerous works by the artist, including a mammoth ?Last Judgment? and ?The Isrealites at Mt. Sinai? (the Golden Calf). There were also a few works by Tintoretto?s son Domenico. Tintoretto, his son and his daughter are buried here.
We had a long wander while Teri sought a washroom and wound up on the Strada Nova (tourist central, Cannaregio district) where she finally snuck into a bar. We have come to the conclusion that the public WCs are a myth - there are signs posted but no actual facilities exist.
We then embarked on a lovely cruise around northern Venice by taking the #1 from S. Marcuola to P. Roma, then the #52 up through the narrow Canal di Cannaregio to the outside ?north coast? of the city. We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of an exciting rowing regatta (complete with hordes of boats of all shapes and sizes following the race). We changed vaporettos at P. Nova to avoid going to Lido, and caught the #42 around the eastern edge of the city back to St. Marks (S. Zaccaria). Both the #52 and the #42 are the lagoon-going vaporetto style, black and white with a pointed prow and quite a bit sportier and more ?shiplike? in appearance than the rather sedate, ferry-like Grand Canal boats. There are several marinas along this side of the city, and on the latter portion of the journey we passed the Arsenal, once essential to building and maintaining the ships that secured the empire, now an off-limits naval facility. We also went by the public gardens, literally the only green space of any real size in the city.
We arrived home at about 6:45 and Mom and I had a brief nap. As we had so enjoyed our lunch experience we returned to ?Il Paradiso Perduto? for our evening meal, and we were not disappointed with the encore performance. We shared an antipasto miso per una person, which was a lovely selection of veggies, squid and calamari. Teri and I then shared what appears to be the house specialty, bigoli alla scogliera (homemade large spaghetti with all kinds of seafood in a tomato and garlic sauce). This dish appeared out of the kitchen in an absolutely huge frying pan to be tossed with seafood and distributed among numerous plates for service, over and over again. It appeared that every second plate that left the kitchen was piled high with this particular speciality. Mom had bigoli aglio alia e peperocino (spaghetti with lots of roasted garlic and olive oil and an occasional unexpected hot pepper). Fortunately the waitress forgot to bring Mom the deep-fried stuffed rice ball that she had also ordered!
The evening entertainment began with two ?monks? circling the tables with metal bowls that they were ?ringing? much like one can make a wineglass ring with a wet finger. This was followed by a very strange sort of chanting/singing by several members of what appeared to be a religious group. Not quite as much fun as Mick Jagger at lunch, but very interesting.
After walking back to our neighbourhood, Mom and Teri couldn?t resist the crème caramel and lemoncello at Donna Onesta. I was far too full to think of eating another bite so I returned to the apartment and began to pack. Sad to say we have only one more day in Venice.
Monday, May 19th, 2003
We slept in until 8:30 or so when the workmen next door began their day. We puttered around a bit, packing and panicking - no room! - and inexplicably went out to purchase a few more items to put into already bulging bags. I bought a second mask and we returned to the paper shop by the Frari church where I purchased Sandy?s Christmas gift (a lovely notebook featuring the Grand Canal) and Mom bought gifts for Dad and Sue Greenhaulgh.
After dropping off our parcels at the apartment we caught the S. Toma Traghetto to C. de Traghetto Garcioni then meandered (under Teri?s guidance) to the offices of Viewsonvenice.com, near the Burger King in San Marco district. The staff at the apartment rental agency was happy to confirm our 4:00 a.m. water taxi pickup, confirm our airline reservations and allow Teri to send an e-mail.
Teri then guided us through many narrow alleys (stopping en route to purchase Colin a small bottle of lemoncello) until we found our friendly ?working man?s? restaurant again, ?Trattoria ai Nanetti?. I ignored the uninspiring tourist menu and requested the same dishes the table of workmen beside us were eating: a fabulous four-cheese penne and a plate of delicious, very thinly sliced roast pork tenderloin and cooked spinach. Teri had a slightly disappointing artichoke pizza (it needed salt) and Mom enjoyed a small pizza with anchovies (it had plenty of salt!). We noticed that the tourists sitting nearly didn?t seem to be particularly enjoying their "chicken fingers?n?spaghetti" specials.
We returned to the apartment briefly then set off for Ca?Rezzonico to have a look at how the better half lived in the 18th century. The restored mansion houses various collections of art (good and not-so-good), glass, and ornate furniture, and has some very lovely ceiling frescos and a huge ballroom decorated with (among other things) some very non-politically correct statues of black slaves in chains. There were quite a few paintings and frescos by Tiepolo. English explanations of the contents of each room were available, which is always appreciated.
At about 4:00 my legs told me sightseeing was over for the day, and we returned to the apartment for a rest followed by more packing.
We decided to eat in tonight and polish off as much of our odds and ends of food as possible. Mom made a very tasty penne-with-two-cheeses dish (inspired by our lunch) and Teri went to the market stall and purchased some raddichio and radish leaves to accompany it. Along with stale bread, olives, wine, various sweets and a fruit salad, it was an excellent final meal.
Off to bed at 9:00.
Tuesday, May 20, 2003
We set all three alarms the previous evening, but Mom was awake prior to 3:00 a.m. without their help. We had a quick shower, breakfast and coffee, and were out the door in less than an hour. Fabio and our water taxi were waiting as arranged at the Rio della Frescada stop, and we breathed a sigh of relief and set off for the airport. Take note: if your flight leaves Venice at 6:30 a.m. there is no need to be at the airport two hours in advance, particularly when for all intents and purposes the airport doesn?t really open until 5:00 or so. However, we spent our waiting time making various futile efforts to push the handle of Mom?s roll-on bag back into its pocket. (On our way to the taxi Mom?s bag twisted over, which seems to have bent the handle just enough that it wouldn't slide down. We were able to jiggle it about half-way down, but no further. It could cause a few problems in baggage handling?)
Our flight was about 15 minutes late departing due to high winds in Amsterdam, but caught up the time and was otherwise uneventful. Mom and I said goodbye to Teri in Amsterdam. She is spending a week in Belgium (work and pleasure) before returning to Canada. I then said goodbye and thanks to Mom. Her flight home was in about two hours, but my layover was seven hours so I signed up for a tour of Amsterdam (they guaranteed that I would be back in time to catch my plane).
The tour was polished and entertaining, although it was a wet and gloomy day. (According to our tour guide, it is wet and gloomy about three days a week in the Netherlands.) We toured a cheese-and-wooden-shoe-making farm, had a forty minute canal boat cruise through the city, toured a diamond cutting facility (I resisted the sales pitch that followed) and had a good general tour of Amsterdam. Our guide was very proud of his country and very informative with respect to its culture, economy, laws and history. We returned to the airport in plenty of time for me to have a quick bite to eat and catch my flight home.
Once again I was unable to sleep on the plane despite taking one of Mom?s sleeping pills. There were several babies aboard, most of whom cried the obligatory twenty minutes on take off and landing, but one unfortunate child literally screamed the entire seven hours. The earplugs and the sleeping pill made this bearable and kept me relaxed, but on the whole it was not a particularly enjoyable experience. Even the airline attendants looked stressed by the time we landed.
I changed planes in Montreal and arrived home on schedule at about 10:00 in the evening. By my calculations I had been on the go for about 26 hours since our 3:00 a.m. wake up in Venice. I had a wonderful, fabulous vacation, but was good to be home.
- Created:
- Friday, August 5, 2005 at 11:34 AM
- Last Modified:
- Friday, August 5, 2005 at 12:12 PM