Italy
San Cristoforo Channel

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    • Day 7

      Last day in Venice!

      January 20 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 3 °C

      Ahhh today the weather was nicer! We spent most of the day just walking around the parts of Venice we didn’t really see much. We visited the San Marco Square which had a bunch of cool restaurants and shops, and this is where I had some spaghetti and clams! (Side thought - it is surprisingly rare to see spaghetti bolognaise anywhere in Italy but spaghetti with clams are EVERYWHERE) after a bit more walking and shopping it was time to go to Vivaldi’s church to see the famous 4 Seasons! Wowee that was special. I’ve never experienced something like that, where the venue felt so important, and the audience felt so moved. Might just have to ditch jazz. After that, we got some last minute snacks at the supermarket and headed home. ZzzzzRead more

    • Day 6

      Venedig Tag 2

      September 14, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

      Heute bin ich wieder ziemlich planlos in Venedig rumgelaufen. Dabei bin ich auf einen wunderschönen Buchladen gestoßen. Zum Glück waren die meisten Bücher auf italienisch und ich hab sowieso keinen Platz um sie mitzunehmen, sonst wäre ich dort wahrscheinlich mit zu vielen Büchern wieder rausgekommen. Drinnen war der Buchladen total vollgepackt und in der Mitte jedes Raumes stand eine Gondel mit Büchern. Auf der Rückseite war eine Art Treppe aus Büchern, die bei der Flut beschädigt wurden.
      Als ich aus dem Laden rausgekommen bin, bin ich noch etwas durch die Gegend gelaufen und habe dann ein Boot zurück zum Bahnhof genommen.
      Nachdem ich mich im Hostel ein bisschen ausgeruht habe, bin ich noch in einem Supermarkt gegangen und habe mir was zum Abendbrot gesucht. Dabei war ich von der großen Auswahl an glutenfreien Produkten ehrlich gesagt etwas überfordert.
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    • Day 11

      Sunday, last day in Venice

      October 2, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

      First I have to mention the most amazing thing that happened last night…we were standing on a bridge outside our restaurant waiting to be called in, when a couple came up and she said “I don’t believe it….” I gazed at them blankly, who could know us in Venice?? Anyway it slowly dawned that is was Cassandra Farrell (my ex-niece!) with her husband Henrik who I had never met!!! Of course, they do live in Europe - in Denmark - but what a coincidence…they were in Venice for the weekend, but to be at the same spot in Venice on the same day!!! So that was exciting and fun, and we hope to see them when they come to Oz at Christmas.

      This morning we got going leisurely as no time constraints. A beautiful day as promised - cool to start, and almost hot in the sun by afternoon. First we went to La Fenice to take a tour to see the whole building. Fabulous…you pay to enter and then download an audio guide on your phone (with their wifi) and we went right through the whole magnificent building. It is huge, and much larger then looks from the front, and in fact, if you walk round the little lanes to the canal at the back there is what was originally the main entrance as the nobility would always arrive by water (they would not walk!!)…the main concert hall is stunning…they were working on the stage, presumably setting up for Daughter of the Regiment which is on in about a week…we could view it from the boxes…very rococo and ornate, but somehow not overpowering. It has twice been destroyed by fire, but like its name, it has twice risen from the ashes. (I had not realised that Fenice means Phoenix).

      After that we walked along the riva Schiavoni, through the slow-moving milling throngs, towards the park at the pointy end of the island. Paused for a juice, coffee and pizza slab to keep us going, and then sat in the park with kindles. That was the plan, but Amr decided to look at the Biennale exhibits which are right there. So he happily did that and I happily sat in the beautiful park. Amr says to report that the Australian exhibit had a welcome to country…Wandered back, absolutely stunning light on the sparkling water, and being Sunday it was difficult walking as everyone was out and there were people traffic jams in all the narrow streets.

      Tonight we go to an opera in a palazzo! Meg and Stephen recommended it so that is good for us, and it will be fun…it is the Barber of Seville….what can go wrong! ….and it was fun! We are now back from the opera. Really intimate, about 70 or so people, and a piano, violin and cello provided the music…very spirited and funny. The barber of Seville is a comic opera so they spoofed it up and involved the audience in a fun way, and modified the story to accommodate fewer characters, but it is such a silly and complicated story that even a purist wouldn’t care, and they sang all the good bits!! A great evening. And it was lovely in the palazzo - each act we moved into another room…hard to describe the whole experience, but we are really happy that we went.

      Now all packed up and ready for an early start to get the 9.42am train to Bologna.
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    • Day 23

      Bridge of Sighs

      October 9, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

      Finally have experienced the Bridge of Sighs.
      The prisoners were reputed to have crossed this bridge on the way to prison from court.
      The prisoners had quite large cells though although the doors were huge!
      Very impressed with how preserved it all this.
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    • Day 8

      Venedigs schönster Buchladen

      April 28, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

      Bücher und Katzen ♡ was will Wu mehr ;)
      Der Buchladen ist leider schon mehrfach überschwemmt worden da er direkt an einem Kanal gelegen ist. Jetzt sind viele der Bücher in Gondeln und Badewannen gelagert damit sie bei einer möglichen neuen Überschwemmung sicher sind.Read more

    • Day 4

      Cibi e bevande (Venezia)

      April 13, 2023 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 11 °C

      Ich glaube, man kann in Venedig gar nicht schlecht essen. Es ist in Italien! Die einzigen Unterschiede liegen wohl im Preis und der Größe der Portionen 😃 Tipps zum Essen gehen findet ihr unter „Dies und das“😊Read more

    • Day 72

      Venice by Gondola

      July 13, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

      Today was another highlight. We had a boat trip into Piazza San Marco, then a couple of hours to walk around and see the sights - the Doges Palace, Bridge of Sighs, the Rialto Bridge and shops with shoes and handbags worth a small fortune.

      A gondola cruise through the canals and under the Bridge of Sighs finished the morning off in a special way.
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    • Day 36 - Venice

      August 14, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

      Today we leave Verona and head for Venice. The hotel came with a breakfast so we had breakfast at the hotel, packed and headed to the car.

      Katie had subtly suggested I needed a hair cut, I had to agree! We went on the hunt for a barber shop - a lot were closed, the first one I walked into, I asked if they spoke English and got laughed at… safe to say I didn’t get my hair cut there. Finally found one in town, The Istanbul Barbers… Very Italian! There was a language barrier but google translate helped and they gave me espresso, Katie believes it’s the shortest I’ve ever gone and was shocked upon seeing it.

      After the haircut we got in the car, filled up with petrol at a really cheap self pump servo and made our way to the autostrada to get to Venice.
      On exiting the Autostrada there was a que to pay and of course our ticket didn’t work so we had to press the assistance button - easily resolved.

      We found the car parking lot I had booked, only to get the main guy signally we weren’t allowed in. Luckily I had a booking and explained this but he was still a little bit rude about it. Though we were lucky to find a park inside, as it was jam packed full, we brought bus tickets off the attendant and made our way into Venice.

      After the bus ride we walked to the accomodation in the blistering heat, we were both sweaty messes once we had got there. We had showers and started to use the washing machine.

      We went for a walk to find a bite to eat and see some sites. We got to the more touristy populated area and found a bakery that sold per grams focaccia pizza, so we ordered that. There was a slight mix up and our card got charged twice so he asked us kindly instead of giving money back he’ll give us more in stock. So we got Katie a coke, me a beer and a few pastries. Upon leaving and walking to a spot to sit on the grand canal, Katie had a seagull come down on her head and steal a bit of the focaccia - these seagulls are massive compared to back home! So we moved quickly to sit down and eat.’

      After that ordeal we went off to see some sites, we walked down to the famous Librería Acqua Alta, a cozy offbeat bookstore apparently. There was masses of people, no cats, a weird lady taking your picture on the staircase made out of books, that can’t take a photo to save herself and more people. So we left quickly! Just down the alley is Palazzo Tetto, a picturesque building surround on three sides of it by canals.
      We venture to San Marco so Katie could see the masses of people… was quieter than I expected but still busy. We were both a bit tired so decided to head back to the accomodation.

      I went to get some supplies from the grocery store for lunch, ended up on deciding to cook dinner as we both couldn’t be stuffed - Basil Ravioli with Bolognese sauce and a salad, with a side of wine from the castle we saw in Tuscany. I also brought some 99cent gelato from the supermarket - superb!

      We had a quiet evening ready for all the walking we will do tomorrow.
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    • Day 2

      Alta Acqua Libreria

      June 25, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

      Alta Acqua Libreria - High Water Library. I stumbled on this super charming bookstore! The store keeps books in tubs and small boats because when it rains heavy, the store sometimes floods.

      I obvs had to get my Venice book here 🐱Read more

    • Day 10

      Venecia

      February 18, 2023 in Italy ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

      Si una encuesta preguntara a la gente cuáles son las ciudades más románticas del mundo muy seguramente saldría Venecia en las primeras posiciones. Venecia se ha ganado por derecho propio este título y es que el encanto que destilan sus puentes y canales la han convertido en uno de los destinos más visitados del mundo. Situada en el noreste de Italia, la ciudad se erige sobre un conjunto de islas a orillas del Mar Adriático. Un paseo en góndola por sus canales, ya sea solo o en compañía, es una experiencia mágica para descubrir los rincones más bonitos de la capital del Véneto.

      Venecia cuenta además con un rico patrimonio cultural y arquitectónico en el que destaca por encima de todo la Plaza de San Marcos. Esta preciosa plaza embelesa al visitante con su diseño, que cautivó al mismísimo Napoleón, que la definió como "el salón más bello de Europa". La basílica que se encuentra en la plaza es un auténtico prodigio de la arquitectura bizantina. En frente, se alza el famoso campanille, símbolo inequívoco de la ciudad que actúa como campanario de la basílica. Cruzar el encantador Puente Rialto y perderse entre las calles de Venecia, recorriendo el Gran Canal a bordo de la mítica góndola o sintiendo la arena bajo los pies en la playa del Lido.

      La Galería de la Academia, los mercados de la ciudad o la bella iglesia barroca de Santa Maria della Salute son algunos de los enclaves que merece la pena admirar, así como la isla de Torcello, el lugar donde se originó la diócesis que daría a Venecia el estatus de ciudad. Transitada por mercaderes, recorrida por enamorados y amada por todo el que la ve, Venecia tiene lugares más escondidos, como puede ser el barrio de Cannaregio, el Ghetto (barrio judío) o la isla San Michele, y es el punto de partida para conocer la región del Véneto, con ciudades como Treviso o Possagno. Sin duda, lo mejor para poder disfrutar de todo el potencial de Venecia es pernoctar en ella. De lo contrario, la visita no solo será mucho más corta, sino que además se cobrará una tasa que entra en vigor en enero de 2023 y que se aplicará a aquellos que no se alojen entre sus bellos canales.

      Se espera que esta medida, que tiene sus partidarios y detractores, dé un respiro al turismo masificado de la ciudad, del que el visitante se puede escabullir escogiendo fechas menos señaladas, esquivando las horas punta u optando por conocer lugares menos frecuentados de la ciudad. Estos planes alternativos pasan por sitios como un hospital con fachada renacentista y acabados de Tintoretto o el cementerio histórico de la isla de San Michele, sin olvidar grandes zonas verdes, canales donde se suceden los restaurantes, palacios y edificios como la Università Ca’Foscari.
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Canale San Cristoforo, Kanal San Cristoforo, San Cristoforo Channel, Canal San Cristoforo

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