We left sunny Spain and landed in a much greener but still hot and muggy Italy. As our bus pulled into the vaporetto stop at the end of the Grand Canal, it felt like a dream. We rode the vaporetto (water bus) to our destination and it was more than I could imagine, more spectacular and majestic ruin than I could take in on every side. We got off one stop late which resulted in a hilarious episode of "5 Americans drag 200 pounds of luggage up and over the Rialto Bridge." It's a tourist favorite. Finally, we navigated the maze of narrow streets to our hotel. They gave us keys to our apartment which required one more small-bridge-versus-luggage adventure and we were settled in a back alley right out of a story-book. Pastel and peeling wooden doors, window baskets full of flowers, cobblestone passageways. We spent the evening riding the slow vaporetto from start to St. Mark's Square. As we bumped slowly along the Grand Canal, we learned a little about the magnificent and decaying ca's (houses) along this route...the economic center of the 1300-1500s. Though each a castle in its own right, only the Doge's Palace -- home of the elected nobleman -- could have that name and distinction. As a center of commerce, Ancient Venice was home to every faith, nationality, culture, and people which is reflected in the architecture and decorative flourishes along the canal. Finally, landing in St. Mark's Square -- the political and religious center of Venice -- we got off and took in the "palazzo," the "Doge's Palace," the "Campanile" (bell tower), and the Basilica. We walked through a maze to find a delicious restaurant for a late dinner. After sufficient carb-loading, we wandered back out to the square to hear the competing musicians and orchestras at the various restaurants in the square. Stars above and reflected in the water, it was pure magic.
Up early the next morning to beat the crowds, we toured the Doge's Palace. Ancient Venice was unique for its day since it was ruled not by a King or a Bishop but a medieval version of "self-rule." The noblemen of the city elected senators and councils, and at the head of them all the "Doge." Something like the executive branch, the Doge's responsibility was to enact the laws and regulations created by the Senators. We learned that this system of government worked better under some Doges than others, and like all good governments, was susceptible to corruption. However, it's fascinating to see how at least the rudimentary Greek ideas of democracy held on through so many thousands of years in a variety of cultures and places. Inside the palace we saw great artworks done by Venetian Masters Titian, Veronese, and Tintoretto. The palace is connected to the prison by "the bridge of sighs." (A term coined by Lord Byron.) The Doge and his henchman could charge, interrogate, and convict whom they chose and walk them right over the bridge to be tortured, imprisoned, or executed. We walked through the network of cells and read inscriptions carved into their walls hundreds of years ago; we climbed up and over the bridge. Lord Byron romanticized and named the bridge as a place where the condemned walked over to take one last look at the beauty of Venice and sigh on their way to prison...or worse.
We followed the palace with an audio tour of St. Mark's square. We learned about flooding measures, the pointed bell tower, the variety of periods and architecture styles represented on every side of the square from Byzantine through Napolean's neo-Gothic effort to close the square in a natural way that was not entirely successful.
We had timed-entry tickets to tour the Basilica -- thank goodness because the line wrapped around the square. The church is classic Venetian -- a mishmash of competing styles that somehow works. We found out the difference between a Cathedral and Basilica (Basilicas are designated by popes and are the "highest" form of religious structure in the Catholic Church. They're generally designated after some kind of sacred event has occurred there. In the case of St. Mark's Basilica, the sacred event was the re-discovery by a Priest of the Apostle Mark's remains which had been lost in the construction of the church. Cathedrals are the "seat" of a Bishop. A basilica can also be a cathedral and a church at the same time. Clear? Yeah, we're a little confused too.) Inside, the church has a very Eastern Orthodox style unlike the other churches we have seen. Its footprint is the Orthodox plus-shaped cross and the decoration is icon-driven and very Byzantine. We toured the nave and the transepts, but they really nickel and dime you, charging additional entrance fees to see anything else once you're inside. They're very strict about not allowing shorts or sleeveless shirts, but are happy to rent you a shawl to cover if you come unprepared.
After such a busy first half of the day touring, we rested up in the afternoon. Then we took a walking loop tour between Rialto Bridge to St. Mark's. To fuel our walk, we picked up slices of pizza to eat as we walked. We bought some souvenirs, window-shopped beautiful Venetian lace, Murano glass, and Italian stilettos (gorgeous shoes that cost more than my entire wardrobe). Then we fueled again at the end of the loop with more pizza and gelato. (Walking so many miles every day hasn't seemed to result in my clothes getting any looser -- might have something to do with the fact that there's always food in my hand while we walk, weird.)
We started our last full day in Venice with a run. Such a great way to get acquainted with a foreign place, we ran from our apartment to the end of the island and had only gone 2.5 miles! We intended to do 5, but got so lost on the way back, that it ended up being closer to 7. We took the kids on a walk to the Frari Church, stopping in to mask shops and bakeries on the way. The church is a little out of the way but is also designated a Basilica. It was built by the Franciscans, an order of monks who believed churches should be accessible to their patrons which is reflected in the style of art and structure of their buildings. Inside we saw some stunning artwork by Titian, Canova, and Bellini. What is so cool about these masterpieces is that they are actually still hanging in the church in the places where they were first commissioned to be displayed. The 3-D mastery of Bellini's altarpiece was for me a highlight that my photographs just can't convey. Both Titian's and Canova's tombs are located in this church and the sculpture on both is extravagant.
We found a home-made pasta place for lunch. Noah and I ate delicious squid-ink pasta. It looks pretty gross, but boy was it tasty. The rest of the family stuck with more familiar bolognese. And of course, no walk is complete without a stop for gelato. So far our favorite flavors are cocco, limone, melone, Nutella, bacio, and cioccolate, but to be sure, we'll keep sampling until we find the very best flavor.
The evening was spent running errands...we had to buy more ties (the street vendors sell gorgeous ties for really cheap, so we ended buying 6!), pay our hotel bill, pick up some street art (we like to collect local art on our vacations), eat dinner, and search for pastries. Sometimes this vacation is just work, work, work! We also stopped into the Correr Museum, a kind of ho-hum collection of Venetian art. I figure none of it can be very significant since the museum is barely climate-controlled. The interesting part of the tour for me was the wing that was Baroness Elisabet's Venice home. Known affectionately as "Cissi" to her people, this discovery was like coming full circle to my trip to her Austrian homeland three years ago.
In the morning, we went on one last short run...3 miles intended, 5 miles of getting lost, packed up (we're getting pretty good at this), bought tickets to the vaporetto, and wedged ourselves into the boat to the train station. Arrivaderci, Venezia! You were a dream come true!
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