Italy
Riva degli Schiavoni

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    • Day 14

      Venetian Downpour

      April 22, 2022 in Italy ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

      Because Venice has banned cruise ships in its waters, Viking has been parking its ships west of the city in the industrial port of Fusina. This port is not the most beautiful in the area, but there is a certain propriety in docking there since it is adjacent to the Fincantieri Shipyard, the place where the Viking Sky and her sister ships were born. However, just a few days ago our crew learned that “a continuing environmental study” would prevent our ship from landing there, and somehow the officers onboard scrambled and arranged to dock at the port at Ravenna, about a hundred miles south of Venice.

      So . . .

      We boarded a bus in Ravenna this morning in a blinding rain, expecting to ride about three hours to drive to the big bus parking lot on the west end of Venice.

      But . . .

      On the bus were told that we would not go to Venice. We would go instead to Chioggia, a very small port south of Venice, to board a boat for a ninety-minute “scenic” boat ride into the city. We got off the bus in a deluge with umbrella-breaking winds. With the rain and fogged windows we saw little beyond the gunwales of our boat. At least we were able to ride inside the boat, not up on the deck.

      Four and one half hours after we had left Ravenna we disembarked in Venice in a pelting rain. It was difficult to appreciate the sights our guide valiantly described because we were working hard to stay dry. She also maintained her composure when at least two residents of the town passed our group and shot her with some rather strong insults. I had on rain pants, a water-resistant jacket with a rain shell over that. I was not soaked, but my underclothes were damp. Glenda danced to avoid being poked in the eye a third time by the tip of an umbrella rib. Our guide was wise enough to shorten her usual presentation to allow us passengers to find shelter and warm up in nearby coffee bars.

      With only an hour and a half in the city, no one had time to visit churches or museums. Some of our group did not finish their lunches. Of course Glenda and I have been here a few times before and have soaked in the wonderful sights, museums and religious buildings. However, I felt sorry for the people who were here for the first time. They left here today with no idea of the art, history or culture of this magnificent city.

      Glenda had the foresight to make two ham and cheese rolls in the ship’s buffet at breakfast. I packed them in my travel jacket with two bottles of water, several bags of peanuts and two granola bars. Our first time here we paid forty dollars for a little personal-sized pizza and a coke in St. Mark’s Square. But hey! We weren’t paying for a lunch: we were paying for a thousand years of architecture and culture surrounding us in the square. Today we huddled under a sotoportego on a quiet street to avoid the rain and had our own little Venetian picnic.

      Venice has banned cruise ships in her docks. Next year the city will also begin to impose a stiff fee for visitors here. I was troubled by the obscene comments residents directed at our guide today. It may be that such measures will reduce large number of tourists who flood the city and make Venice more pleasant for its citizens. We passed the beautiful docks built just a few years ago by the Port Authority of Venice. They were empty—not a single ship. They looked like a ghost town. Perhaps Venice will go too far in reducing the number of visitors. Perhaps she already has. The city may already have made visiting Venice more trouble than it is worth. For us today, that was certainly the case. And that breaks my heart.
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    • Day 10

      Goodbye to Venice

      October 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 54 °F

      Another early start to make our train to Milan.. Venice was incredibly unique. Putting our laundry out to dry on the clothesline felt so Venetian! Seeing all the gondolas, watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer since that's the only English thing on Italian TV, going to Murano and walking for HOURS just to find that glass we saw and liked in the very beginning, sitting on the edge of the piers listening to the water. I'm so glad you were by my side for it all.Read more

    • Day 13

      Wenecja

      October 15, 2022 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

      Zaczynamy od kawki w Wenecji.
      Wczoraj nocne zwiedzanie. Dzisja upajamy się słońcem nad weneckimi kanałami.
      Sławetna gondola. Kanały weneckie. Druga z najstarszych kawiarnia na świecie. Najsławniejszy most w Wenecji, jedny przez wiele stuleci.Read more

    • Day 8

      Road to Rome

      June 2, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

      Had a driving day from Lucerne to Innsbruck on Saturday with a short stop in Lichtenstein. Tiny little place with on Main Street and many tour buses. Got to Innsbruck and went for Tyrolean dinner and show. Yodeling and singing and dancing, a lot of foot stamping and leg slapping by the men and twirling by the women.Read more

    • Day 9

      Road to Rome

      June 3, 2018 in Italy ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

      Had a busy day leaving Innsbruck and driving to Venice. Stopped at a small winery Alba Rossa that makes prosecco which is sparkling wine which we think of as being sweet but John said it was dry. Lovely little place. It was their first English speaking group and there was lots of translating bu our tour guide who speaks Italian. They had made home made salami, many cubes of different kinds of cheeses, breads and what I think of as pinwheel fancy sandwiches with cream cheese and roasted peppers! Yummy. We got off the main road for quite awhile and was wonderful to see northern Italy countryside. Views were breathtaking but a picture never captures it. Bus dropped us off when we got to Venice and took water taxi to hotel in Venice. Our guide keeps impressing upon us the extra things we have on this trip and this is one of them “we are staying in Venice”.
      Had a gondola ride. A break and then a 4 course dinner and a ride in a special water taxi just for our group. It was impressive!
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    • Day 10

      Road to Rome

      June 4, 2018 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

      A walking tour of Venice at 8:30 led by a local guide and you could tell that she loves her city. It is so expensive to stay here that she moved to another island close by, Lido? She was very spry and fit and Phil told us she is 82. That’s what climbing all those steps does! We went on
      back streets and ended up in St Mark’s square. Then took a boat to glass making place. Beautiful. The bowl I liked was 600 Euros. Did spend your birthday money Pat and bought a pair of earrings. Had a bit of free time and then took a boat to Burano island, not so busy as Venice. Our tour guide, Phil has a tendency to ramble on and on which makes one very sleepy. A lot of history which is good but maybe too many details. He does speak Italian and French so is able to translate which he did at the winery yesterday. Had a late lunch....lots of fish dishes. Risotto with fish, lasagna with calamari which I don’t like but ate some of it, 4 shrimp and fruit and almond brittle.
      A little nap and at 7 o’clock John and I went out for gelato and more walking. I like gelato but not like you Pat.
      We have an early start tomorrow to get bags and us over to the mainland.
      Heather wondered about garbage....we could see and smell them removing garbage this morning.
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    Riva degli Schiavoni

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