Venice 7/6 - 7/8

7/6

I spent two nights in Venice, long enough to see the sites and short enough to not go broke.  Venice is very, very expense and I spent my normal daily allowance in about half a day.  Everything is expense - the hotel stay, the food and the drinks but it was worth it as it is quite an incredible site to be seen.    

I arrived at the Venice train station around 12:30 and when I stepped out the door to the ‘main street’ I just couldn’t believe my eyes – the main street is the Grand Canal.  No cars, no buses, just boats.   I had seen Venice in movies and in books, but to actually see it in person is just unbelievable.

The first thing I do is by a 48 hour pass for the vaporetto (the water taxi).  I did research before getting here and know that this is the cheapest way to get around Venice.     I asked the woman working the ticket booth where I should go to catch my boat; she said to go the first stop on the right.   I got on the boat, and it turns out it is the wrong one – I should have gone to the first stop on the left.   This is not the first time I have been told to go to the right when they really mean left – I don’t understand this miscommunication in Italy.  I’m pretty sure that right is always right wherever you go and left is always left, but this seems to be a reoccurring misdirection.  So I just need to double and triple check my directional pull in the future.   

As I am on the boat, I keep rechecking my map and finally turn to a woman and ask her for help. She doesn’t speak any English (of course) so I show her the stop I need on the map, then point to the boat, then back to the map and say Qui (here?)?   Non, she replies and then start talking a mile a minute.  I already told her I don’t speak much Italian and as she is asking me questions again I apologies (mi dispiace) and tell her I don’t understand (non capisco).   She nods, smiles and just keeps talking in Italian anyway.  I just smile and nod, what else can I do?  She then showed me on the map where the boat will stop and then tells me how to get back to my stop, which is basically just walking back to it but the way she kept going on and on makes me wonder exactly what challenges I would be running into.  Again, what can I do but smile, nod, relax and take in the sights as we putter along the canal.

My hotel is a few bridges from St. Marks, the main stop.   It is 97 degrees when I arrived at the station so by the time I get to my hotel (Best Western Hotel Ala) I am overheated and drenched in sweat.  My room is the size of a walk in closet and the A/C is working as hard as it can but not making much of a stir in the air.   It is not a whole lot for about 175 dollars a night.  I also discover that the ‘free WIFI’ advertised is not free and my internet connection doesn't work – I’m told the problem is my computer although three other guest make the same complaint moments after I did.  I got myself all worked up and then just took a deep breath, a cold shower and reset my head.  I am only here for a short time and I will make the most of it.   I hit the town to do some exploring and have a grand time ‘window shopping’…

One of the biggest dangers with window shopping is, of course, the temptation to buy.   I saw such beautiful things and fantasized what I would buy and where I would put it in my make believe house.  And then it happened, I got sucked into a jewelry store by the beautiful displays of Murano’s glass jewelry.  I was drawn to a necklace which is weird because I don’t wear necklaces much, other than my father’s religious medal that I wear every day.   I actually walked from the window three times before I stepped in the store and once in and tried on the necklace, I was a goner.    I told the shop owner it was too much, I couldn't afford it.  She then found a similar necklace with a little less babble and a little less price.  I told her it was still too much and after a few minutes she lowered the price and my mind started churning.  A Chicago friend and two relatives gave me spending money gifts before I left the states and I figured if I pooled it all together, I could buy the necklace – and that is exactly what I did.   So a big THANK YOU to the three of you for your gift (you know who you are) and I hope you approve of the purchase.   I have already worn the necklace several times and I will treasure it always as my most wonderful recollection of Venice.   Grazie mille!!!

After purchasing my jewels, I went in the direction of the classical music I could hear in front of me and walked into Piazza San Marco.   This is the main plaza on the island and is a people watching dream location, a great place to meet pigeons, and there is live music being played all around me. 

The music is ‘free’ as long as you don’t sit at a table in the square.  If you sit, you pay an automatic cover charge of seven euros.  I sit.  I figure I will just have one glass of wine and enjoy the music for a bit, but then I couldn't leave.  The music is fantastic!  I am amazed that the small groups/combos can put out such an incredibly powerful sound and the place is a-rocking.   There are three cafes on the plaza and the bands compete for the audience’s attention and acknowledgment, so they take turns playing two songs each.  The non-sitters keep moving from one café to the next to listen to the bands and applauding.  I ended up staying there for over four hours, enjoying the music, the people watching and the beautiful night in the square.  I had three glasses of wine and a small bottle of water, my total bill was 45 euros.   It could have been worse, what I really wanted was a mixed drink but they were priced at 18 euros each.   18 euros!!!   Thank goodness the wine came with small munchies as I had overspent my daily allowance for food.  But it was worth it, it was a wonderful evening…

7/7

One of the greatest things about this hotel is the breakfast spread that is offered every morning.  As I had experienced the town a little the night before and had an idea of the food prices out there, I made sure to eat a good breakfast and store some snacks of fruit and crackers in my purse for later.   The only thing that got on my nerves is that the hotel staff apparently adores Michael Jackson and had his Thriller CD on repeat all during breakfast, both days.   I love MJ as well but there is a limit to how much Thriller I can take, especially full blast first thing in the morning.

After fueling up, I talked with the hotel clerk about gondola rides.  I already knew it was probably outside of my budget and that is why I bought the 48 hour pass for the water taxi (the poor girl’s gondola).  My hunch was confirmed when he told me the cheapest ride I could get would be 60 euros for a 25 minute ride.  Ah, no.  First I will take in the land sites around San Marco and then I will find a vaporetto stop, hop on a boat and spend the afternoon puttering around the town.   

Saint Marks Basilica was built in the 11 century and is incredibly beautiful. 

No photos are allowed inside, so you’ll have to come and see it for yourself.   If you do, they strictly enforce the church dress code which is no bare shoulders on women, no hats on men, and no ‘short shorts’ on anyone.   As it is been 95+ degree’s everywhere I’ve been, I wear tank tops but carry a light sweater for church visits and I wear ‘long shorts’ that come to my knees or ¾ pants, both are acceptable.  I also see a lot of women that carry scarves to cover their shoulders in a church.  


At the big churches, they have paper ‘scarves’ they give you to either put over your shoulders or wrap around your waist to cover your ‘short shorts’ and they make both men and women wear them if they want to come into the church.  Some churches don’t have these, and if someone is working the door, they will not let you in if you’re not dressed appropriately.   I like these rules.  I grew up in Hershey, PA and went to church every Sunday and we were taught what was appropriate church attire.  Hershey is a tourist town and many come to church before doing the town sites, but they come to church with their butt cheeks hanging out of their shorts or their breast bursting out of the top of their tank tops – I think it’s disrespectful both to the church itself and to the rest of the congregation.   I’d like to see St. Joan of Arc and all the churches in Hershey and the surrounding areas enforce a respectable dress code and hand out paper wraps to the people that need them.   I mean, if the entire country of Italy can afford to do it, so can a richest little town in all of Central Pennsylvania.   Shoot, Hershey would even probably figure out a way to make money out of it – like having business pay to have their name on the paper wraps!  Cha-ching!

Here are some street shots around St. Marks and along the streets of the Grand Canal.

These statues rotate and strike the bell every hour on the hour.  I read in my research that many years ago a worker was killed by one of them.  The worker was standing in the wrong place when the hour struck and when the statue turned, it knocked him off of the roof.  (wrong place  & wrong time)

I get tired of weaving in and out of all the people so I decided it’s time to hop on a vaporetto and see the sites by water taxi.  Buying the 48 hour pass was one of the best investments I made.  I had a great time just boating, hopping off and walking a few blocks, then hopping back on and floating again. 

One of the reasons why things are so expensive here, EVERYTHING has to be brought in from the mainland.

fresh produce stands

San Marco’s stop

Hmmm, I wonder if brother John would like this for Christmas….

Another pic for brother John - rather US Coast Guard Chief Waverka, retired.

 As you can see, Venetians also do laundry just like the rest of us…

I jumped off at a few stops to grab a few great Gelato's and Icies or Granite's (we know them as slushy’s and Italian ice).  They also make a thing here, I’m sorry I don’t know the name, where it is more like fresh fruit pulverized in a blender or food processor with lots and lots of ice – it is like eating/drinking  a froze fruit treat.  It’s simple, healthy, refreshing and absolutely delicious.  I highly recommend you try making one yourself.  I know I will once I get my food processor out of storage - someday, and unpack it in my home - somewhere…     

I had a great time in Venice; it put a big dent in my budget but the experience was worth it.  This is another one to add to your bucket list if you are making the trip to Italy.  You can save some money by staying overnight in Verona or Padova (my next stop) as both are short train rides to Venice.  But even if you just come for the day, save up for the adventure as the euros will fall out of your pocket faster than you can imagine.  I am very glad I got so see this incredible place – I hope it stays afloat for a long, long time…

Next stop – Padova

Ciao!