Viva Venice
On Monday, May 28, we made our way out of Bavaria, towards the floating city of Venice. We passed through the Italian alps, stopping at the Europa Bridge on the way. It's the highest bridge in Europe, and it has a convenient McDonald's next door. I generally like to avoid American fast food chains when I'm traveling, but it was neat to see the interior - it was like a chic European bistro.
Much has been said about Venice, including that it is like the 'Disney World of Europe'. I couldn't disagree more. It didn't feel any more touristy than the other places we'd been (in fact, much less so than Castle Neuschwanstein). For us, Venice was filled with color and ornate arches, and unlike anything we've ever experienced. We did have a tendency to become lost - maps aren't much use in Venice - but we took Rick's advice and surrendered to the confusion of the streets, knowing that we couldn't really get too far off the path because we were on an island!
Throughout our travels, I had been reading the paperback mystery I'd brought with me by Jason Goodwin: The Bellini Card, which takes place in Venice. It really brought the city alive for me, as I imagined the dapper Inspector Yashim chasing suspects across the canals.
Our hotel was a short walk away from La Fenice Opera and St. Mark's Square. Our room had a little shuttered window you could open to see the neighbor's clothes drying on the line. After we dropped off our luggage, we did a walk around St. Mark's Square accompanied by Rick's audio tour, and then headed to the waterfront to find a vaporetto to start Rick's Grand Canal Self-Guided Tour. The sun was setting low in the sky and it was a perfect time to take in the city's colorful beauty through photographs. We had dinner canal-side accompanied by friends from our tour group and an accordion player. Roland and I shared a plate of risotto, and of course, tiramisu for dessert. Venice by night was almost eerily calm. We prowled the streets like alley cats. We heard laughter breaking the night silence and walked over a tiny bridge to see where the noise was coming from. To our amusement, we could see some of our tour mates across the canal sharing a bottle of peach bellini. We happily joined them for a glass.
Much has been said about Venice, including that it is like the 'Disney World of Europe'. I couldn't disagree more. It didn't feel any more touristy than the other places we'd been (in fact, much less so than Castle Neuschwanstein). For us, Venice was filled with color and ornate arches, and unlike anything we've ever experienced. We did have a tendency to become lost - maps aren't much use in Venice - but we took Rick's advice and surrendered to the confusion of the streets, knowing that we couldn't really get too far off the path because we were on an island!
Throughout our travels, I had been reading the paperback mystery I'd brought with me by Jason Goodwin: The Bellini Card, which takes place in Venice. It really brought the city alive for me, as I imagined the dapper Inspector Yashim chasing suspects across the canals.
Our hotel was a short walk away from La Fenice Opera and St. Mark's Square. Our room had a little shuttered window you could open to see the neighbor's clothes drying on the line. After we dropped off our luggage, we did a walk around St. Mark's Square accompanied by Rick's audio tour, and then headed to the waterfront to find a vaporetto to start Rick's Grand Canal Self-Guided Tour. The sun was setting low in the sky and it was a perfect time to take in the city's colorful beauty through photographs. We had dinner canal-side accompanied by friends from our tour group and an accordion player. Roland and I shared a plate of risotto, and of course, tiramisu for dessert. Venice by night was almost eerily calm. We prowled the streets like alley cats. We heard laughter breaking the night silence and walked over a tiny bridge to see where the noise was coming from. To our amusement, we could see some of our tour mates across the canal sharing a bottle of peach bellini. We happily joined them for a glass.
The next morning, after pepping up with a macchiato from our hotel, we arrived at Doge's Palace just as the doors were opening. Most of the tourists who come to Venice arrive later in the day from Cruise ships, so we practically had the place to ourselves. From the courtyard, you could see the domes of St. Mark's Basilica next door and hear the church bells chiming the hour. The morning sunlight bathed the white marble statues in its light. We paid a small fee for the audio guide and found it a nice supplement to Rick's printed tour of the palace. On the second floor balcony, I chalked up some vibrations to the age of the building and people passing by. We later learned there was an earthquake that caused significant damage in the city of Bologna.
We continued through the many rooms of the palace. In the Scarlet Room, there was a stunning tri-fold Bellini painting. As I studied the painted faces skewed in agony, I listened to the audio over and over so I could grasp every detail of the speaker's telling of Bellini's visit to Istanbul. On the opposite wall, an angel's blue and gold wings seemed to flutter out of a fresco. The Corner Room held a painting of Jesus being gently lifted from his tomb by a pair of rosy-cheeked cherubs. Next to it was the ultimate family tree - generations of Nicolos and Lucas lined the wall spanning the years 1300 to 1600.
We continued through the many rooms of the palace. In the Scarlet Room, there was a stunning tri-fold Bellini painting. As I studied the painted faces skewed in agony, I listened to the audio over and over so I could grasp every detail of the speaker's telling of Bellini's visit to Istanbul. On the opposite wall, an angel's blue and gold wings seemed to flutter out of a fresco. The Corner Room held a painting of Jesus being gently lifted from his tomb by a pair of rosy-cheeked cherubs. Next to it was the ultimate family tree - generations of Nicolos and Lucas lined the wall spanning the years 1300 to 1600.
St. Mark's Basilica and the seat of the government housed in Doge's palace are conjoined, reminding us that for much of history, the church and the state were one entity. How terrifying to have an anonymous enemy slip a note through a tiny door in the wall, condemning you to trial by biased jury and the lonely walk across the Bridge of Sighs to meet your demise in the dungeon. We walked past ancient prison cells with scribbles from its past inhabitants lining the walls. In the museum, there were displays of weapons and torture devices. Of note was a particularly nasty chastity belt with jagged metal teeth, and a box that could shoot bullets from all four sides. It was hard to believe that such a beautiful city was once a place of such repression and fear. We prefer the Venice of lazy gondolas and moonlit serenades!
Next, we followed Rick's sage advice and checked our backpacks in the building around the corner from St. Mark's Basilica. It saved us from the entrance line that reached almost to the pier. Inside, we gazed up at the gold-tiled domes as Rick's voice on our iPod highlighted the building's features. We saw whole biblical stories illustrated in mosaic. I loved learning how Venetians put their own twist on things, like the city mascot, St. Mark's lion, being the first animal on Noah's ark. Spotting lions in Venice was like a game; we kept trying to see who could find the next one perched on top of a crumbling building.
Next, we followed Rick's sage advice and checked our backpacks in the building around the corner from St. Mark's Basilica. It saved us from the entrance line that reached almost to the pier. Inside, we gazed up at the gold-tiled domes as Rick's voice on our iPod highlighted the building's features. We saw whole biblical stories illustrated in mosaic. I loved learning how Venetians put their own twist on things, like the city mascot, St. Mark's lion, being the first animal on Noah's ark. Spotting lions in Venice was like a game; we kept trying to see who could find the next one perched on top of a crumbling building.
After walking all over trying to find the Frari church, we rested our feet at a tiny bar and sipped drinks that I somehow managed to order with a combination of Spanish, phrasebook Italian, and much gesturing. We then slipped into the Frari just before it closed and saw another work by Bellini and Titian's brilliant assumption painting behind the altar.
That night, we scored reservations at Rick's top dining spot in Venice, Osteria alla Testiere. The staff was incredibly welcoming. I ordered gnocchi with calamari that was intriguingly spiced and practically melted in my mouth. We followed the meal with not one, but two rounds of gelato - hey, we'd done a lot of walking and it's not everyday you can stroll down a piazza with a cup of fiore de latte! Next: Cinque Terre.
That night, we scored reservations at Rick's top dining spot in Venice, Osteria alla Testiere. The staff was incredibly welcoming. I ordered gnocchi with calamari that was intriguingly spiced and practically melted in my mouth. We followed the meal with not one, but two rounds of gelato - hey, we'd done a lot of walking and it's not everyday you can stroll down a piazza with a cup of fiore de latte! Next: Cinque Terre.