In the morning, we arrived by vaporetto
again, this time taking the one that went down the Grand Canal. We managed to
get seats in front and enjoy the spectacular view of the old buildings sitting
right in the water. Small docks or steps with platforms lead right to the front
doors of some of the hotels along the canal. It would have been fun to spend a
night in one of them. Gardens and window boxes and balconies full of flowers
caught our attention as we slowly made our way to St. Mark's Square.
It was 9 a.m. when
we reached the square and there were few tourists around. The bell tower was
first on our list and just opened for the day. We paid our 6 euros each and
took the elevator to the top. The view of the square was wonderful. Looking
beyond that, all you could see were rooftops. The canals are obscured by all
the buildings. Cruise ships in the harbor dwarfed the buildings and looked out
of place from that vantage point.
We walked directly
out of the bell tower and got in the line for the basilica. It was already
stretching across the square. I had carried our backpack that day and as we
approached the entrance, I knew I was in trouble. Security was sending people
with backpacks to an area around the corner to check them. If he knew English,
he didn't use it. I headed in the direction of where he pointed while the
others went on ahead. There was no place I could see that looked like a bag
check. I went back to the entrance and found another American who was following
an Italian girl to find the place. I followed them. It was not only around the
corner but also down a side street and not marked well at all. (There must not
be many sign makers in Italy.) I checked the pack and received a large tag that
got me to the front of the line and into the basilica in time to see the other
three on their way out. They waited while I walked with the crowd up one aisle,
across the front and down the other aisle.
It is an impressive
church but I didn't think it was as beautiful as some of the others we had seen
in Germany and Austria. There are numerous scenes depicted with mosaics
shimmering in golden highlights in the large domes looming overhead. The floor
is a geometric pattern of tiles. There are no photographs allowed and while you
are inside, you must remain silent. Also, throughout Italy, there is a dress
code for visitors to churches. You cannot wear shorts, sleeveless blouses, or
short skirts above the knee. They will and did turn people away.
After retrieving our
backpack, we returned to the square to see all the pigeons. It rivals Trafalgar
Square in London. For a euro you could buy a small bag of corn and instantly
make friends with hundreds of pigeons. Actually they are very gentle and there
was only one "accident" recorded which was quickly cleaned up.
We went back to the
vaporetto docks and found the line ( #42/43) that would take us to Murano and
Burano. It took about an hour to reach Murano but it was a pleasant ride. We
disembarked at the first stop and found ourselves immediately greeted by
salesmen from the glass factories. They welcomed us into a demonstration room
where we watched with fascination as a red vase was formed at the end of the
blowpipe and speckles of color were added. Next a horse came to life from a
blob of molten red glass. There were beautiful pieces of colorful glass in all
sorts of shapes and sizes on the shelves in the showroom. Prices ranged from 6
euros to...well some chandeliers I understand go for thousands of dollars.
Glass factories are
all over the island. This is the place where the glass manufacturers were sent
when the citizens of Venice worried that they might accidentally burn the city
to the ground. Lots of shops and little cafes line the canals that criss-cross
the island. We enjoyed a delightful pizza lunch along one of the canals.
Our next stop was
Burano. We found the correct place to catch the vaporetta from Murano. It
doesn't run as frequently so we had to be careful of our time. Burano was an
even smaller place than Murano. It is known for it's handmade lace. As you exit
the vaporetto and walk into the little town, there are a few places along the
way were women sit in the lace shops and demonstrate the lace making. Their
hands whip through knots and stitches as the delicate pattern begins to take
shape. Not everything in the shops is made there. You need to be sure to ask
for the Burano patterned lace. They sell small pieces for about 15 euros.
We caught a
vaporetto back to Venice, managing to arrive in time to have a nice dinner
before our scheduled gondola ride. Near the Rialto bridge was a pretty area
full of tables topped with white linen and decorated with small colorful
lights. It sat right on the canal. After our $15 coffees, we knew it would
probably be expensive but we would only be in Venice once. The waiter spoke
English mixed with a heavy Italian accent that was fairly understandable. He
was also a great salesman. He described the specials. One was a seafood dish
with pasta and three sauces. We assumed that he meant there were three sauces
to put on the pasta along with little pieces of seafood. Well, no matter. We
knew we were in trouble when he placed a huge tiered bowl of ice with various
pieces of seafood, including two half lobsters, crabs and oysters. The sauces
were for the seafood. I don't even remember the pasta. The whole thing was
somewhere around $200 by the time we added drinks. It was delicious. The view
was great. And next time we'll ask the price even though it's a
"speciale".
When we arrived at
the gondola
stop there were about 60 people waiting with us--no gondolas in sight. Just
as we were wondering what was going on, a dozen gondolas pulled in between the
striped poles to let their passengers off. We boarded our gondola being careful
not to move too much. It's almost like getting into a canoe. With amazing
skill, the gondoliers used their long tongued poles to manipulate the vessels
out of their dock and into the canal. It was an armada of gondolas that slowly
made its way down the Grand Canal. In the evening, the canal is not as busy so
we did not bob around like those who rode earlier. In the center of the armada,
was a gondola with a tenor and an accordion player who serenaded us as we
floated between buildings illuminated with the colors of the evening sun. As we
entered a narrow canal to navigate the maze of small waterways that lace the
island, the sound of Ole Sole Mio resonated from the exteriors of the
buildings. Romantic? Yes and no. After all we were with our family and 11 other
gondolas filled with people. But the setting could not be matched in the best
of romance novels.
It was good we had
time to relax for our train ride back was to be very stressful. We arrived in
time to catch the last train. The question was--which one went to Mestre? We
finally found someone who assured us we needed to get on the train he pointed
to. Once on we realized we were in a sleeper coach. We got off and another
person directed us to the same train; this time to a coach full of private
compartments. We sat for a while until some others came along with tickets for
the seats we were in. Off again. The signs indicated all along that the train
went to a French sounding place. I was panicking. Again an official looking
individual directed us onto the train, this time in a different car. This car
looked more like the commuter cars we had been in for the ride to Venezia. We
relaxed a little and a passenger assured us again that the train would stop in
Mestre. Polly and I just kept exchanging glances. Would we sleep in our hotel
tonight or in some unknown destination? Thankfully, as the train neared the
Mestre station, it slowed and stopped. On the way out, we asked where the train
was going. France. Cie la vie!
Oh yes, I can't
leave Venice until I tell you about the pay toilets—a must for any
self-respecting woman. They only cost about .50 euro and they were very clean
and well worth the wait. Our guys said the non-pay toilets were indescribable.
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