Venice
Days 1 & 2
WE MADE IT! Venice has been on Linda's bucket list for 40+ years.
Getting off the train in Venice, it was HOT! Linda decided we would walk to our hotel, rather than take a water taxi since we would not be able to check into our hotel right away. Hindsight - take the water taxi
Antigo Trovatore was the hotel that RS reserved for our tour group. When we decided to cancel two of our pre-tour destination nights in Milan, and add them to Venice, only one of the dates was available at Antigo Trovatore. They were kind enough to find us another room a block or two away at Hotel Fontana. We probably paid more than we should have, but the convenience was worth it! The staff at both hotels were very accommodating. We left a bottle of Limoncello in the mini fridge at the first hotel, but forgot about it until a few hours later. When we came back to that hotel for our third night, the housekeeping lady knocked on our door, and gave it to us!
The first tour night the whole group met in the breakfast area for orientation with our very knowledgeable, energetic, and personable tour guide, Michela Wicks. Each of us were matched with someone else, and were responsible for that person when we had a buddy check before leaving on the bus.
The breakfast buffet was small, but they served ACE juice, made with orange, carrot and lemon. You MUST try it!
Being a "My Way" tour with no guided tours or activities, we had no idea what was in store for us the next 13 days. Hang on!
We were impressed with the landscaping and planter boxes all around. The streets were really clean. The use of black iron and greenery is very attractive. Prime seating in the cafes and restaurants is always on the water, and hard to come by.
There are many water fountains around the island, so make sure you take an empty water bottle with you when walking around. The water is not just for the dogs, and it is very good!
Be sure to save time for some impromptu events. Walking by a church, we discovered a Concert advertised, so we purchased tickets on the spot for that evening.
Doge's Palace, Saint Mark's Basilica, Venice Opera House, museums - there are so many things to see. One of the most enjoyable things we did was to go to Saint Mark's square in the evening where there were several ensembles set up in front of restaurants, playing live music. There was no charge for the music; As long as you ordered a drink or something to eat, you could sit there all night.
There are many different boat tours that you can take. We chose one that took us to Murano to the glass blowing factory and to Burano where lace is made. It was fascinating to watch both! The shop owner thought we looked like we would make a large purchase, so he took us upstairs to see his private studio where he had his better, more expensive purchases. He was wrong!
Our tour included a glass of wine on the return trip.
Bridge of Sighs - Its name was given because it was the last thing convicts saw before taken to prison.
Linda prefers the romantic tradition. It must be a requirement for any movie set in Venice to have a scene of a couple kissing while riding in a gondola under the bridge of sighs. It had been on Linda's bucket list for quite a while, so we paid the price, and we agreed it was worth it! With all the other gondolas around, and not at night, she said it was not as romantic as in the movies, but it was still a gondola ride in Venice with the love of her life! Lee agreed. We did not hear the church bells ringing, but we did have that kiss under the bridge. Perfect!
Aperol Spritz -popular Italian aperitif, and now ours!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Rialto Bridge
Not only is it a fun thing to do - taking a ride in a gondola, but they make great photos! There are currently over 400 licensed gondoliers in Venice, much less than in the 17th and 18th centuries.
Venice also has over 400 bridges. Linda loves rom-com movies, and many are set in Venice, or somewhere with the "little bridges" over the canals. When we were planning our trip to Paris, Linda asked Lee if that is the place with the "little bridges." Not knowing how little she had in mind, he said yes. When we got there, Linda was disappointed that the bridges in Paris were not little. That's a story Lee will never let her live down.
She finally found those "little bridges" in Venice, and took lots of pictures!
This sign was in the lobby of the Antigua Trovatore hotel, so we knew we were in the right place. We did not see any cats walking around Venice, but we did spot these in a shop window.
Venetian Cicchetti is a small snack like a tiny sandwich, bruschetta, or in this case what was like a crab cake, but we had one cod and one tuna.
Lasagna