After leaving Caffe Florian we decided to wander. Venice is probably the best wandering city in the world. You can’t go the wrong way, you can’t look at the wrong thing. High on my list was La Fenice (pronounced Fen-ee-chay), the opera house. We somehow managed to plan our trip during the one week of the entire year that La Fenice is dark. However, they have an audiotour and I was anxious to see the interior of the space. Unfortunately it was closed, and when we walked around to the back we saw they were loading in some scenery off of a boat. It was one of those moments you have in Venice, where you see the everyday and it sort of tickles you because they are doing it from a boat.

We found ourselves near the Accademia Bridge (one of four bridges that crosses the Grand Canal). We crossed but decided not to go into the Accadmia (art museum) and instead wandered around the Dorsodoro. The Dorsodoro is the sestiere (neighborhood) that, when you look at a map of Venice, is the skinny strip of land (Dorsodoro means spine) that ends in a tip. The Church of Maria della Salute is on that tip, one of the famous sites of Venice, the big domes usually a beautiful part of the skyline, but alas, covered in scaffolding for our trip.

In the Dorsodoro we found 2 of the sites we had seen multiple times in the travel shows we watched prior to our trip. We just stumbled across the little Gondola factory. The building looks like it belongs in the Alps, with its dark wood paneling and window boxes. The Gondola makers originally came from the Dolomites, the Italian Alps, so I suppose it’s not too unusual that their houses would look like this. Next we found Ca’ Macana, the famous mask shop right outside of Campo San Barnaba.

The best way to view the pictures (in my opinion) is to click on the first one which opens a larger view, then click Next in that new window. This way you can also read the captions.

In warmer months crowds sit outside of Caffe Florian to drink their 6€ coffees or 10€ “corrected” coffee (coffee with a shot of grappa) with an added 9€ charge just for sitting at the table. In the evenings an orchestra plays Vivaldi. People waltz in the square, there is another cafe across the square with it’s own orchestra, they duel. Apparently the whole thing is magical.

In February you drink your expensive caffeinated beverages inside and you don’t pay the extra table charge. I imagine most tourists who have been to Caffe Florian haven’t been through the doors. What a shame. On the inside, Caffe Florian, which was established in 1720, is beautifully ornate. The cafe is made up of several small rooms with different themes. I’m not sure what was the theme of our room, but the walls were covered in what seemed like painted glass in green and gold with romantic figures.

Caffe Florian is tucked into one of the arcades near the Campaniel. We went there after seeing the mosaics of BdSM. Caffe Florian is one of those places that sparks debate amongst “tourists” and “travelers.” Read any travel forum and you’ll get an eyeful of rants about why “travelers” don’t go to places like this.  I’m not too interested in these debates. I like going places with literary history, romantic and beautifully decorated time machines from the past. I try and ignore the Germans across from me and pretend instead it’s Lord Byron writing on a napkin with a stubby pencil. I know it’s expensive for a cup of coffee, but I’m glad we went.

Byron, Proust, Goethe, Casanova (he’s everywhere), Rousseau, Stravinsky, Dickens, and us. Florian’s is one of those mythical places graced by luminaries. But really, if you’re around for 300 years you’re bound to get a few stars. It’s like corporate America, the guy on top is usually the one who’s been around the longest.

The best way to view the pictures (in my opinion) is to click on the first one which opens a larger view, then click Next in that new window. This way you can also read the captions.

Every book, travel show, magazine article, blog post, every single one will say that Piazza San Marco is the drawing room of Europe. Add me to the list. Apparently, drawing rooms in Europe are pretty crowded with Chinese tourists and pigeons. They should really do something about that.

Today is mostly about the Basilica di San Marco or the Basilica of St. Mark or Chiesa d’Oro or the Church of Gold. To save my poor fingers, I’ll refer to it as the BdSM. I’ve discovered in going through my photos that I took more inside than out. I suppose in my efforts to avoid scaffolding, tourists and pigeons it was too difficult to get a good shot.

The BdSM was built in 1096 but they didn’t finish the decoration until the 19th century. I love the story of how the Venetians, in an attempt to establish credibility in the global marketplace, decided in the 9th century that they needed a patron saint. They decided to go right for the money saint and stole the relics of St. Mark from Alexandria in 828. How did they get him out? Smuggled him in a basket of pork. That’s Eric’s favorite part of the story. The story is told via frescoes over the entryways to the church.

The BdSM is byzantine by design with its onion domes and layout. The inside shines in blinding gold mosaic.

The best way to view the pictures (in my opinion) is to click on the first one which opens a larger view, then click next in that new window. This way you can also read the captions.

Our first morning, Saturday, February 16, 2008 started with breakfast at our hotel Al Campaniel. Despite my disappointment that the croissants were marmalade filled, we were adequately loaded with carbohydrates and set on our way.

Except for this day, we had planned little for this trip, as far as what we were going to do each day. We knew what we wanted to see, but we didn’t have much of a plan. Eric wanted to walk up to the Rialto Bridge and check out the markets. He then wanted to hop on a vaporetto and chug down the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square. It’s fun to get in your major monuments early when traveling. It helps make you feel like you’ve arrived.

The streets leading up to the market are narrow and lined with shops selling glass, postcards and dried pasta–three of Venice’s largest exports I’m sure. Venice is easy to navigate, there are two directions: Per Rialto or Per San Marco. Yellow signs stuck to the sides of buildings point you and thousands of your closest friends in the right direction.

The markets were still quiet, even though it was 10 a.m. by the time we reached them. Next to the Erberia (vegetables and fruit) is the Pesceria (fish) where I didn’t take any pictures. There were also some butcher shops including one with a large painted horse head on the window. I didn’t take pictures of those either, at the time it felt disrespectful. Not sure what the horse would say about that.

After that we boarded the vaporetto and stood on the middle deck and I took pictures. The palazzos are all beautiful in their own way, grand and decaying or renovated and smoothly stuccoed. I could have taken a picture of each and every one, and probably did.

We then arrived at Saint Mark’s and entered through the two columns. More on Saint Mark’s tomorrow.

The best way to view the pictures (in my opinion) is to click on the first one which opens a larger view, then click next in that new window. This way you can also read the captions.

Ah, Venice, La Serenissima, the Serene One. We arrived on time after a long plane journey that actually went well. LAX to Frankfurt was 11 hours, we both were able to sleep and watch “Michael Clayton” on our little tv screens. All in all, it went by like a breeze. Frankfurt to Venice was only an hour, and yes the plane was packed to the gills with Europeans in fur coats. But it was quick.

There are many ways to get to Venice from the airport. There are no cars in Venice, so there is only so far you can get on either a plane, train, or automobile. Eric wanted a Venice arrival moment, you know the one in all the travel shows where the traveller is sitting on the boat, hair blowing in the breeze, the boat comes around a bend and suddenly there she is: St. Mark’s Square, the domes of Salute, The Campaniel. Because of this, we decided to take the aliguna, or the water bus from the airport. There was also a bit of whimsy behind or decision. Where else does “ground transportation” from an airport involve getting on a boat?

Bad idea. It’s ok, lesson learned and all that. Problem number 1: the sun went down about 10 minutes after we landed. We had a great view of darkened buildings looming out of inky water. Mysterious, yes, but not stunning. Problem number 2: the aliguna is the slowest boat to China (or Venice) I’ve ever been on. Really, truly painfully slow.

Regardless, we made it, found the hotel with no problem and hit the calles with empty stomachs. Our first dining experience was Dickens in Campo Santa Margherita, recommended by our innkeeper I think only because he thought we might feel at home there. When we walked in, there were about 30 American students and their chaperons sitting around eating pasta. We sat in the middle of the room surrounded and tried to ignore them. The gnocchi was good, and it was food, so ultimately that’s all that mattered.

Arriving in the evening suddenly felt like the smartest thing I had ever done as I was able to go to bed at 9:30 and almost sleep the entire night!

The best way to view the pictures (in my opinion) is to click on the first one which opens a larger view, then click next in that new window. This way you can also read the captions.

Thanks Lufthansa for delivering our luggage all the way from Germany last night. I appreciate that it arrived only 2 days after we did, and while that might sound like I’m being sarcastic, I’m not. No, really, thanks.

Our great carry-on experiment was mostly successful. We were done in at the last minute by fog. Lesson learned. Always pack the book you’re reading in your small carry-on. Oh, and your prescription medications.

Most importantly the two travel teddy bears, Critter and Lemon Head have survived and are now amongst their brothers telling them tall tales of their adventures abroad. Critter picked up a little German and is acting a bit bossy, but I’m sure he’ll recover from the ordeal soon enough.

Hello all. Just a quick note to let everyone know we made it home safely. We’ve been awake for about 26 hours straight right now, today was a bit of a scramble. Our flight out of Venice was fogged in, we left 5 1/2 hours late. This made what was supposed to be a leisurely 6 hour lay over in Frankfurt a less than 1 hour mad dash.

Because of all this and our plans of carrying-on thwarted by the Italian airport craziness, our bags are still in Germany. Hopefully we will see them again someday. But we made it!

Check back over the next few days we will post more details and photos!

And coldest! Today has been kind of a greatest hits, we are going back to see the things we want to see one last time. The last day of a trip is always psychotic. Half of your brain is home already and the other half is desperately trying to squeeze all it can from its surroundings. I’m tired today, my knees are bruised and my ankles ache from all the various types of stone I’ve been walking on the last week. This trip has been pretty incredible, we saw many amazing things that I’ll never forget.

I think the challenge is never to think that you won’t come back. We were just standing at the top of the Rialto Bridge and I said- Last time for the view from the Rialto. It is impossible to see everything and I try to think that I’ll just save something for next time, because there is nothing like the first time you see something, that rush of gooseflesh. So I’m glad I didn’t see everything in Venice so now I have to come back.