Okay, being totally honest, picking photos for this blog was the toughest yet. Why? Because Venice is totally unique and mesmerizing. I was unsure about visiting in January, because I had read it could be a bit cold and bleak, but that was not our experience at all. We had mostly sunny and some overcast days. Yes it was cold (well cold if you’re from California), but avoiding the crowds of this popular tourist destination made it well worth donning our scarves and gloves.
This past week Dave’s mom was visiting us and so this was an adventure we got to enjoy with her. Perfect for the lady who collects cat figurines, and fun for us (Dave especially) to play tour guide.
In preparation for the trip, Dave buffed up on Venice a bit. That is, the Venice of Robert Langdon in Dan Brown’s Inferno. Oh how many times did we hear “this is the spot where…” or "did you know..."
Here’s my best attempt of highlights for our 2 night stay.
We arrived by the high speed train, the Frecciargento, meaning silver arrow, via Firenze mid-day. Stepping out of the station, there it was, the Grand Canal. We were immediately on the water. So cool. Water boats, water busses, water taxis, gondolas, cargo boats, postal boats, construction boats, ambulance boats. Everything is transported by water. No cars. No bicycles. Only the vast array of boats. Boats, and our own two legs used to navigate through the maze of corridors between buildings and over bridges to cross the clouded blue canals.
We spent the majority of our first day exploring. We went into St. Mark’s Basilica and the museum upstairs. The basilica is covered with mosaics, surrounded by gold tiles. As the saying goes, we felt rich just breathing in the air. We saw the original Horses of Saint Mark, also known as the Triumphal Quadriga, in the museum inside, and the replicas on the loggia. St. Mark’s does not allow photography inside, but one of my favorite art pieces was a mosaic of Mary’s family tree from the 1500’s on the interior balcony. The views out on the loggia were remarkable and really gave you a sense of the power felt here in the political capital of the Roman Empire.
Much of our free time was spent exploring the many shops with glass sculptures and figurines, Venetian masks of every flavor, extravagant jewelry, and high end fashion retailers. For dinner we decided that since we get Italian food all the time, we would give the girls a little taste of home and hit Hard Rock Cafe for burgers, mac 'n' cheese, and fajitas.
Our next full day we had arranged for a tour of two neighboring islands, Murano and Burano. Murano being famous for its glass and Burano for its lace. As in London, we booked our tour through Viator and were not disappointed. In Murano, we visited the CAM glass factory where we got to see the local artisans creating their masterpieces. In the first room we watched the apprentices work on pieces for a chandelier. The girls were fascinated with every stop of the process. In the second room we got to watch one of three glass masters on the entire island work on a piece for a sculpture. Yes, that's what a glass master looks like.
On Burano, the most unique sights are the brightly painted houses. Since Burano is a fishing village, and historically boats were made of wood, they needed to preserved often with fresh paint, so after they painted their boat, they used the leftover paint on their house. One building can have several different colors. Each color represents a different owner or home. We also stopped in a family lace shop where on a typical day we would have gotten a demonstration of how lace is hand stitched. Unfortunately for us, the artist was out with the flu. We still got to see the incredibly detailed work that has been produced there for centuries - tablecloths, napkins, dresses, wraps.
That evening, back in Venice, we decided we needed to experience a gondola ride. An expensive treat. It was amazing to see how our gondolier navigated the turns and bridges along the way. No singing unfortunately, but Arya did keep our driver busy with questions like, "How long did it take you to learn how to steer that?" Answer? Seven years. He learned from his uncle.
We took a big lap around many canals and underneath the Rialto bridge and the Bridge of Sighs.
The restaurants we visited for local Italian fare were very touristy and by far not the best cuisine we have experienced. We did enjoy the atmosphere strolling through the lit streets in the evening.
Last day we were told by our Air B&B host that we should do the Secret Itinerary Tour offered at the Doge's palace. She said that the kids would probably find it fascinating. I will now recommend to you NOT to bother. Very long and not that interesting. Definitely would not torture my children with it again. Speaking of torture... we saw many prison cells, and this room where they tortured their inmates for information. They tied their hands behind their backs to this rope and then lifted them from it. Our guide offered a lot of details that I assumed would go right past my children. I don't know why I thought that because four hours later Arya asked me, "Mom, did you hear that when they tortured the people sometimes they went to far and separated their ribs wide open?" I'm still hoping she has no idea what dismemberment is. The best part of the Doge's palace were the rooms on the regular tour. So ornate and massive, no pictures could ever do justice to grandiosity. Just go and see it yourself.
I'll end with my favorite photo of the trip. Dave took this our first evening at sunset. If you ever visit us once we get back to the States, you'll probably find this one framed on my wall! Arrivederci!
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