Day 5 - San Michele, Murano, Burano & boarding the Ruby

Our last full day in Venice today and, while we've completely loved Venice, we're ready to move on to a new city. We were awake about 7 am, and packed up our things. How is it possible that our clothes multiplied by 3 in just 5 short days? Had our last breakfast with Lorenzo - I will truly miss those lovely preserve-filled croissant and that strong Venetian coffee! After breakfast, we dragged our suitcases to the vaporetto stop (good thing it was only a 5 minute walk and only one bridge to cross) and rode to the train station area. Located next to the "people mover" (as I said previously, this is like a monorail that shuttles passengers from the train & bus stations to the cruise port and the ferry crossing to the mainland) is a luggage storage facility where you can pay to "check" your bags for the day. Free of our luggage we jumped back on the vaporetto to spend our last day exploring the surrounding islands of Venice.

On the way back to the vaporetto stop, we swung by the church and the hospital that we saw on our walking tour last evening. The church (brick building) was constructed in 1333, and the hospital (white building) was built in the mid-1400's. Twenty five of Venice's doges are buried in the church, and the hospital is still the main one used in Venice today.

I just noticed Andrew in the lower right corner in this photo.

Next, on to San Michele, or Cemetery Island. Where all locals have been buried since a decree by Napoleon in 1797. It is very large there and the burials range from that early date in late 1700, to now. In fact, there was a funeral going on there as we wandered. You were not supposed to take any photos, but I am not always one to follow the rules...

After our little tour of the cemetery, we jumped back on the vaporetto to the island of Murano - famous for blown glass production. We did pick up a few souvenirs however, after days of cured meat sandwiches and pizza, Andrew was thrilled to find a cheeseburger!

Also in Murano, we saw some glass art. This round bale made of glass shards made me smile!


From Murano, it was on to Burano - famous for lace making. We didn't buy any lace here but I have to say that Burano may be about the cutest darn city in the world. Brightly colored houses line the canals creating a fairytale-like atmosphere as you wander the streets.


For those of your concerned, I am happy to report that we also solved the case of the missing Venetian cats. They have relocated to Burano! Possibly on the vaporetto or a private water taxi. They were every where you looked. Here's one little guy having a public bath...


After Burano it was time to, once again, board the vaporetto for our ride back to the cruise terminal. Even though you can see every island from where you are, the vaporettos are slow, make frequent stops, and require several transfers to reach your destination. The ride from Burano back to Venice took us over 2 hours! Exhausted, we picked up our luggage, rode the people mover, and were on the Ruby Princess in just a few short minutes. We have an extended balcony cabin, which is lovely. One of my favorite parts of getting on the cruise ship is unpacking! They have little cubbies, drawers, and hangers for everything!

Before...

After! Quite honestly, this is one of the highlights of my trip. It's a sickness, I'm sure.

Main area of the cabin.

Balcony (with Andrew on it).

Tomorrow the ship sets sail at 1 pm, leaving us with the morning free. Having spent 5 days in Venice, we are thinking that we are going to stay on the ship and hit the gym while everyone is on shore! Friday it's a sea day, then Saturday we are in Naples.

Day 4 - Dolomites

Today we had a day trip to the Dolomites; the mountain range north of Venice on the border of Austria. We met our guide and our fellow travelers (a married couple from DC & a man & his uncle from Singapore) at the Trochetto ferry station at 9 am, and were on the road shortly after. What a difference only 100 km can make! In no time at all, we were surrounded by stunning mountains and charming little Bavarian towns. If I didn't know that we were in Italy, I would have guessed we were in Austria or Switzerland. In fact, many of the folks we encountered were speaking German.

We made several stops along the way to take photos, hear about the local lore, and, of course, to eat! Our first stop was in a quaint little town that was the birthplace of Tiziano (Titan), a well-known 16th century Venetian artist. The home he was born in (about 1490) is still standing...


Today, Pieve di Cadore is known for making approximately 90% of the designer eye and sunglasses in Italy. Names like Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, and Armani glasses are made in this sleepy little town.

From Cadore it was onward & upward towards the top of the mountains. On the way, we stopped at a few scenic vistas for photos, each more stunning than the next!



We stopped for lunch just shy of the height of the mountain range that you can reach via car. It was a cute little chalet-style place with this view...


We got inside and not one of the staff spoke any English. No worries - we had a good time using charades to ask questions about the menu and place our order. I had some sort of semolina and sausage balls in a broth. Andrew had pasta in ragu sauce, also made with the same sausage that they made on site (along with several different kinds of cheese).

Photo in the parking lot of the restaurant after lunch.

A short 5 minute drive from our lunch stop and we reach the "top" of the mountain. We are at about 6,000 feet and a mere 20 km from the Austrian border. We had time to hike around a bit, which was difficult at that altitude. We both commented on how fast our hearts had to beat to keep things oxygenated after only a 10 minute hike! The view was definitely worth it, though...

Last stop on our tour was Cortina, sort of the Italian version of Vail. Our guide tells us that "anyone who is anyone" is there in the winter to ski and be seen. At this time of year, however, it's as quiet and as adorable as can be. Seriously, who wouldn't want to live here?! I would not have been surprised to see Heidi or the Von Trapp family wander by!

This statue is in one of the piazzas in Cortina. I thought I would post it as my "after" picture for when we're finished this trip - too much good food to be had!

We made it back to Venice about 6:15 pm and grabbed the vaporetto (water bus) back to our hotel. We had just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat (thank goodness I bought some cheese at that little restaurant in the Dolomites), and run back out to the Rialto bridge area to meet for our "Legends and Ghosts of Venice" tour. The tour ended up being about a 90 minute walking tour with a young guide who was born and raised in Venice. She took us to about a dozen different bridges and buildings that have either verifiable or folklore stories about murders, ghosts or superstitions associated with them. It was very enjoyable and we saw several places we had not yet seen on our hours and hours of wandering Venice on our own. Notable was the church below, which was built in the 9th century, and is still used today. It's really quite awesome how old things are here, and how well preserved.

Our guide was also able to answer many of the questions that we had about Venice architecture and history. For example, we learned that the water around Venice is fairly shallow, only about 2 meters, so the buildings are sitting on thousands of wooden footers that have to be replaced "from time to time". We also asked what happened to all the cats that Venice was overrun with and famous for (Michelle - we finally did see two cats on this particular walk, but those were the first two we have seen since we've been here). She told us that about 10 years ago, they just "disappeared" and the Venetians were very sad about it. I didn't say so but suspect the population was reaching some sort of epidemic proportion and the city decided that some poison wouldn't go awry. I can't imagine thousands of cats "disappearing" in a matter of a few months otherwise. We also learned some interesting information about how the streets were named, for the activity common on them at the time (for example "beggar's street" or "mute street") , rather than for location. This certainly helps make some sense of the "non-sensical" themes we've encountered.

So, we're back in our room for the night and it's almost 11 pm here - very late for us! Andrew is already sleeping and I am having a glass of wine while I type this post. The weather has warmed up a bit so we are able to have the window open again tonight. I enjoy hearing the people go by, speaking in their lilting Italian. Tomorrow morning we check out of our B&B, and take our luggage to a storage facility. We can board the ship sometime in the afternoon, but it doesn't set sail until Thursday at 1 pm. If the weather holds (rain is currently forecast), we're planning to take the vaporetto to San Michele/Cemetery Island, Murano & Burano before we board the ship tomorrow in the late afternoon/early evening. See you then...

Day 3 - Doges Palace & the Dorsoduro Section of Venice

Another crisp morning in Venice! Up earlier today and had croissant and cafe with Lorenzo before heading out. On the docket today - a tour of Doges Palace and then exploring the Dorsoduro section of the city.

We head over to St. Mark's square and pick up our tickets for the Doges tour. Doges Palace was actually the seat of the Venetian government and the home of the ruling doges (the duke or Venetian ruler) from 1150 until Napoleon came in 1797. Andrew scheduled us a "secret itinerary" tour, which gave us access to the prison cells (where Cassanova was incarcerated and later escaped) the courtrooms, the transcription and encryption rooms, the armory, etc. The guide explained to us that the doges and his "civil servants" ruled Venice and tracked treaties and political relationships with the rest of the world. Sadly, we could only take photos in the outdoor areas of the palace...

The entrance to the palace.

The "mouth of truth" where you could submit a note accusing someone of a crime. The court would then investigate and prosecute, if true. There were different "mouths" for different types of crime. This one was for fraud or tax evasion.

The ceiling of the "gold staircase". Actual gold!

After Doges, we headed across the Rialto bridge to the Dorsoduro section of Venice. This section is the "arts" district of Venice and home to the Academia, a Guggenheim collection, and other art galleries. There are also several universities in this area so there are less tourists and more "kids". Either we were totally off our game in terms of our very limited directional capabilities today, or this section is much more confusing to get around. Regardless, we found ourselves in the same spots over and over again! We did see some lovely little neighborhoods and an interesting exhibit of Da Vinici's inventions.

Andrew on one of the bridges.

Finally - my cappuccino.

So happy! Have I mentioned that it is freezing in Venice? Sunny but only about 50F/10C and breezy. Also, the streets are mostly in the shade because they are narrow and between buildings. We actually had to buy gloves and hats today!

Andrew on an adorable Venetian street.

Self portrait.

Erberia (produce) market. Amazing food going on there! Sadly, the pescheria (fish) market was not open today. We did have some calamari for lunch though!

So, another day of non-stop walking. We're back in our room for a little break, and then will head out to find some dinner. Likely something light like a sandwich or some meat & cheese. Also, I am going to try and find my elusive tirimisu! No espresso tonight, though - I barely slept at all last night as punishment for my indulgence yesterday evening!

So I didn't get tirimisu....

...but I did get some dark chocolate gelato! Sadly, it was so rich that I could only make it through less than 1/2 of my delectable little cup of joy. I then found a nice chewy cup of espresso to wash it down!

Day 2 - the Jewish Ghetto & the north side of Venice

Well, we nearly slept the day away! I felt as if I was getting a cold yesterday, so took a dose of Nyquil before bed, and Andrew was up for about 3 hours in the middle of the night because of the time change. That, combined with the lack of sleep on the plane and we didn't wake up until after 8 am - can you imagine?! Despite our late start, Lorenzo was kind enough to still have breakfast waiting for us when we emerged. Thick, black espresso, blood orange juice and lovely fresh croissant stuffed with apricot preserves - heaven! By 10 am we were on our way out the door invigorated by our good night's sleep and a lot of caffeine! Here's a few shots from our wandering...

This photo is a good example of why you can't just ask any person on the street to take a photo and expect it will turn out ok. Seriously - was she even trying to get us in the shot?!

An ambulance (was bringing someone back to their house on a stretcher).

One of the small neighborhood markets. Look at the beautiful hot peppers in front!

Our plan was to head over to the Jewish Ghetto today, then wander over to the train station and scope out the area where we would board the cruise ship. Just a few minutes walk from our hotel, we found the mother of all pannini shops - which we marked on Andrew's phone GPS to return to later! Then we continued on in what we thought was the direction of the Ghetto. About 15 minutes later we were surprised to find ourselves on the north side of the island. We were supposed to be heading more west, but it's very hard to figure out where you are here with all the winding streets! Oh well, a happy mistake. From the north side we can see San Michele, which is also known as "Cemetery Island", about a 1/2 mile from shore. We didn't know anything about the history of this island before this instant, but now that we've stumbled upon it, we'll likely check it out on Wednesday when there will be several cruise ships in Venice (including the one we are going to board), flooding the little island with bodies. From what I've read about San Michele, it is fairly untraveled by tourists, so should be nice and quiet.

San Michele entrance.

Re-orienting ourselves, we start off again in what we are once again sure is the right direction to the Jewish Ghetto. This time, we are successful. The Jewish Ghetto in Venice is steeped in history, not all of it good. It was first inhabited in the early 1500's, when Jews were forced in to segregation. Gates guarded by Christian soldiers were kept locked at night - for the protection of the Jews, unfortunately. When Napoleon came in the 1700's, the area was de-segregated, and many Jews moved to other areas of Venice, leaving only a small Jewish population in the ghetto. During the holocaust, the remaining Jews were captured by the Nazi's, and taken to the concentration camps. Only a very small number of Venetian Jews survived to return.

Memorial for the victims of the Holocaust.


Andrew feeding the creepy pigeons that swarm you non-stop here. There are signs everywhere that say "Do not feed the pigeons!"

Next we headed south to the area of the train station and the people-mover. We are likely going to take a train to Verona in the next day or two, so wanted to see where the station was. The people-mover (I pictured an outdoor version of the moving walkway in an airport, but it's actually more like a monorail) will take us to the cruise ship.

Last stop was the Correr Museum, located in San Marco square. The square itself was packed today with Holland America passengers, however the museum was blissfully empty and quiet. Correr houses many works of art and household items portraying Venetian life and history - very interesting. I got one photo of a library of books and a Murano glass chandelier, before I was told "Senora, no foto!" by one of the staff. Oops, scusi!

Fresco on the Basilica di San Marco - construction on this "permanent" version began in 1094, with some additions dating as late as the 1400's. The original/temporary building was constructed in 976. Stuff is so old here!

Bell tower in St. Mark's Square - the Campanile. The original, built in the 900's, was damaged by an earthquake. This "new" version was finished in 1513.

By the time we finish at the museum, we're pooped after nearly six straight hours of walking today. We head back in the direction of our marked pannini shop. Salami, arugula & swiss for Andrew; mortadella, zucchini and peppers for me! We take our pannini to go, and finish them off, along with the remainder of our wine from last night, as an early dinner. We then spend some time relaxing in the room. I read a little and watched a tv show on the laptop, Andrew napped.

As I type this, it's almost 7 pm, and Venice is coming to life for the evening. Lorenzo informed us that most of the restaurants don't open until now, as Venetians eat late! We're about to get up and head out for another evening stroll. Venice is lovely at night, the streets and cafes full of locals walking arm-in-arm, or having a glass of wine. My goal is to find some tirimisu and a cappuccino! Tune in tomorrow to see if I succeed...

Day 1 (and 1/2) - Venice!

It seems like this trip started days ago! It did, in fact, start about 28 hours ago, most of which we have been awake, which may explain why it seems longer than it is.

We left Minneapolis about 11 am, CST, and flew to Philadelphia. We arrived 30 minute early and, having rented a car, we were buoyed with plans to see the Liberty Bell AND to share a cheesesteak from Phil's on our 4+ hour layover. Alas, a rainy Philly day combined with rush hour traffic and bad GPS directions, and we were actually lucky to make it back to the airport with a mere 40 minutes to spare. Sadly, we never once left the car during our driving tour of the City of Brotherly Love. On the upside, this was one instance where my years of Mario Andretti school of driving training was appreciated by Andrew!

Running on the the plane at the last possible minute, we were so happy to be on board that the crowded seats and long flight seemed completely bearable. Working with physicians does have one perk - we were able to get a prescription for 6 Ambien tablets. That helped us get about 3.5 hours of sleep that would have been otherwise impossible.

One thing I will mention about the flight is the food. It has been so long since I have flown on a flight that provided an actual meal that I forgot what a gift the airlines are giving us by withholding a hot meal. We both opted for the "chicken" option, which consisted of "chicken", mashed potatoes and broccoli. All of which was the same color. Seriously. Shockingly, Andrew ate it all, even the broccoli, and proclaimed it to be "fine". I now better understand and am no longer offended that he does not particularly like my cooking.

7 m brought sunrise over the Alps - gorgeous!


We landed in Venice about 8:30 am (30 minutes ahead of schedule), and breezed through customs (before we even claimed our luggage)! We were pleased to see that all luggage arrived, relatively in one piece. Once out of the baggage area we had to search a bit for the booth to pick up the tickets for our private water taxi in to Venice. We should have known it would be the longest line! Here's a photo of Andrew about 30 minutes in, and still about 30 minutes from the front.



Once we finally had our tickets, it was a short 5-minute walk from the airport to the water taxi dock, where our driver was waiting for us with a smile. Andrew had arranged for the driver to take us to our hotel stop through the Grand Canal and we were actually in Venice!

The inside of our water taxi.

Andrew on the Grand Canal.

Lorenzo, our B&B host, greeted us at the taxi stop and we followed him for 5 minutes on foot before arriving at the door. I tried to count the number of times we turned a corner on that 5 minute walk, but I gave up somewhere around 30. As we arrived in the morning we had to wait about 90 minutes before our room would be ready so Lorenzo pulled out a map and, in rapid-fire broken English, gave us a run-down on the area. When he left us we had a map with a lot of pen marks on it that meant nothing to us. Oh well, let the adventure begin!

To secure our internal GPS, we first retraced our steps back to the water taxi stop, which also happens to be right near St. Mark's Square. We then found some lunch at a nearby restaurant, followed by gelato! We were then able to get in to our room, and we were jubilant to discover that we could actually find our way! After a shower and checking email (love the free WiFi in our room!) we grabbed all three maps we have, our bus (which are actually boats) passes, and set out to find a cell phone store Andrew had researched on line. The bus was surprisingly easy to navigate, although slow, and about 40 minutes later we were standing in front of the said store. Which was closed. Of course. Never fear, some entrepreneurial savant opened his own version with expanded hours two-doors down! Ten minutes and 15 Euro later, we had our own Italian phone number and a week of unlimited data streaming! Ahhh - like we never left home! Except for the fact that we're constantly lost.

By this time it was almost 4 pm and all the locals were starting to flood the streets for their after-work stroll and snack. We decided to join them and it was heaven to meander down the narrow labyrinth of Venetian streets surrounded by the musical lilt of Italian voices. The shops were in full swing. Andrew noted that they seemed to go in this order...food, fashion or jewellery or leather, then food again. The windows were full of pastries, breads, gelato and pannini. Produce sellers had small stands selling muscat grapes, zucchini blossoms and figs. Ah - to have a kitchen! We even happened upon the famous Rialto bridge - one of only 4 bridges to span the Grand Canal.

Andrew on the Rialto Bridge, with the famous Rialto Hotel behind him.

About 2 hours later we were nearing the neighborhood of our B&B, so we stopped in to a small grocery store to purchase dinner. Two pannini and a bottle of wine later (10 Euro total, including the wine!) we were back on the street. We made one additional stop to pick up a giant meringue cookie to share for dessert! Who wouldn't want to live like this?

As I type this and sip my wine, the window of our room is open and the sounds of many languages wafts up through. Our plan is to head back out shortly for a little evening stroll, then turn in early and try to get completely on "Venice time".

View from the window of our room.

Europe Cruise Details

Less than 2 months until our next trip so I'm posting the map and itinerary. We'll fly out on Friday, October 14th and arrive in Venice, Italy the morning of Saturday, October 15th. We'll then spend a few days in Venice and surrounding area before embarking on an 18-day cruise. Hope you'll follow along!

Date	Port	Arrival	Departure
Oct 19	Venice, Italy
Oct 20	Venice, Italy		1:00 PM
Oct 21	At Sea
Oct 22	Naples/Capri, Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Oct 23	Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Oct 24	Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy	7:00 AM	7:00 PM
Oct 25	Cannes, France	7:00 AM	5:00 PM
Oct 26	Barcelona, Spain	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Oct 27	At Sea
Oct 28	Lisbon, Portugal	12:00 PM	6:00 PM
Oct 29	At Sea
Oct 30	Azores Islands (Ponta Delgada), Portugal	10:00 AM	6:00 PM
Oct 31	At Sea
Nov 1	At Sea
Nov 2	At Sea
Nov 3	At Sea
Nov 4	At Sea
Nov 5	At Sea
Nov 6	Ft. Lauderdale, Florida