Italy : Venice
Winter 2011
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In a commercial mask on Carnevale Week in Venice
(Feb-2011) |
Journal Entry... A thick fog hovered over bringing visibility down to zero. The yellow-orange tinge in the sky had turned to grey. Train stayed on course above water and cut through the fog... to reveal the island of Venice. If this approach was to be in a movie scene, and I was directing, I would not have that arrival to Venice any other way, other than by train. (No, this is not the Italian version to Harry Potter's arrival to Hogwarts.)
11-feb: Arrived Venice... Train made a complete stop at Sta. Lucia station, which stop leads you straight out to the island's main street, which in Venice is a canal, dubbed the "Grand Canal".
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Sta. Lucia station opens up to the Grand Canal in Venice |
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Two Peas in Venice |
In Venice, one gets around on foot, or by vaporetto (water bus), traghetto (shuttle gondola), or speedboat (water taxi). Or, if you wish to splurge on that first-time-one-time visit, why not go luxe in a classic gondola ride, with a Venetian gondolier singing O Sole Mio in tenor, as sunset slips on the horizon. [Cut scene... to fade]
Vaporettos are like buses on the Grand Canal. Water taxis are speed boats faster than vaporettos. Traghettos are gondolas transporting a load full of standing-only passengers between banks, and where nobody complains, because the cost of the ride is a measly Euro-50 cents. And then, there's that classic gondola-tourist trap ride for Euro-100. Tip: When the gondolier gives you his quote, do not give in easily. Wait... till he baits a 40%-50% discount. Do make sure, only, to get the gondolier to sign on paper the canal route to ensure a money's worth of a complete tour. Or else, give the poor gondolier a break, and hand over those Euros for a gondola ride; dollar currency is also accepted.
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Sunset scene at the Rialto Bridge |
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Arrived Venice |
Check-in: #HotelAlPonteMocenigo on the vaporetto's 3rd stop, Campo S. Stae (with a rather distasteful ring to it a few can relate to, lol.) Everything in the island did look cramped. There was no turning back getting off the 3rd stop, until the next vaporetto comes along. A cartoon-like alley led to the hotel's street number. I raised an eyebrow, thinking our lucky streak to nice accommodations in Italy was about to turn around. Alley to the hotel's door turned out to be the back door; hotel's well-appointed Venetian interiors and decent entrance (on the other side of the street) had snapped us back to the island's old world charm.
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Hotel room with a balcony |
Sandro, the hotel owner, was hands on in running his boutique-style hotel; he was present our entire hotel stay. Hotel booking came with complimentary breakfast spread-- the cornettos (bread) paired best with cappuccino (coffee), at breakfast time, which also tasted better than those from the Campo de'Fiori cafe in Rome. Come Hearts Day, housekeeping had Perugina chocolates laid next to the pillows for a sweet Valentines.
Did you know? Venice is an island coincidentally taking the shape of a fish as well (see, Venice map). As they say, nobody ever gets lost in the island... because no one gets off the island easily. Keep walking around, and you'd still end up being in the island.
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A walk to
Piazza San Marco |
Hubby and I walked from head (where hotel is located), to tail (where Piazza San Marco is located) of the island of Venice in about an hour's time, and without even noticing the passing of time until I measured between time left and time arrived. Tip: Navigating alleyways by landmarks, i.e., Rialto, St. Mark's square, is the best way to do it. Alleyways in Venice are a labyrinth, and street numbers are not in consecutive format. Some alleyways even lead straight to water, which means, one must never walk those dark alleyways drunk, or end up splashing down the murky canal waters; thankfully, it was not smelly in winter time.
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Old world charm at the Accademia Bridge |
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Feeding birds
at Piazza San Marco |
The island of Venice has right and left banks. Most crossed bridge between the banks is Ponte di Rialto (Rialto Bridge), which also happens to be the shortest route. Until the 19th century, the Rialto bridge is said to be the only bridge that crossed the Grand Canal. Be sure not to forget the route... leave bread crumbs along the way*wink;) The traditional entry to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square) on the left bank is through the Torre dell'Orologio (clock tower). The grand square is circled by the Basilica di San Marco (cathedral), Palazzo Ducale (Doge's Palace), Campanille (Bell Tower), the Correr Museum, and a crowd of tourists, as well as a flock of pigeons waiting to be fed.
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Tetrachs - looted treasure |
Basilica di San Marco is said to be a trophy chest of looted treasures of returning sea captains and crusaders. Beneath the high altar lay the body of the Gospel writer, St. Mark, which the crusaders had successfully brought back to Venice. Behind the high altar was the framed Golden altarpiece, Pala d'Oro, bejeweled by assorted gems and stones (and where photography was not allowed whilst many of us chose not to read the sign, lol.) At the Basilica rooftop, and visible from the square, were replica of the Bronze horses (original in Basilica museum) which had traveled with Nero from Venice to Rome, with Constantine to Constantinople (now Istanbul), with Napoleon to Paris, and with the crusaders back to their rightful home in Venice. In the corner outside the Basilica was the Tetrachs sculpture, also spoils of war that ended up in Venice.
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Mouth of Truth |
Touring Doge's Palace, the former seat of government and home to the doge, hubby and I climbed up a golden staircase - Scala d'Oro, leading to the Doge's apartment. In the hallway was the abominable Mouth of Truth, so unlike Rome's romanticist manhole, Bocca della Verita. Part of the medieval political process was for residents who accuse others of wrongdoing to slip an anonymous note into the Mouth of Truth and have the accused tried, and the guilty thrown to jail. The one-way tour led us to public rooms, and the Bridge of Sighs to a prison cell, which by then had been emptied out.
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Inside Bridge of Sighs... |
As prisoners crossed the Bridge of Sighs to their prison cells, it is said that the prisoners took one last look at the glorious Venice and exhaled a SIGH*... from which the bridge got its name. Tourists must not get fixated to the Bridge of Sigh and must proceed to the exit door. Legend goes around in Venice that lovers are assured of eternal love if they kiss under the Bridge of Sighs, in a gondola, at sunset. Since those gondola rides are not free, take a guess who had come up with that legend, huh?
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Gondolas on the lagoon waterfront |
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Flood drill for acqua alta! |
Back in Piazza San Marco, hubby and I kept a close watch on the rising sea level, called Acqua Alta. Surely expected in an island surrounded by nothing else but water. Sea water inundates the left bank and floods the square, it being the island's lowest point. On the sound of the siren, step on elevated walkways, on standby, to go to flood-free areas in the island. [Cut scene to fade]
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Carnevale di Venezia |
14-feb: Heart's Day in Venice... Carnevale di Venezia was in full swing the week hubby and I arrived in Venice, which we had it timed for Valentine's Day (Feb 14). The yearly festival begins 40 days before Easter. Assorted commercial masks were being sold in the market and authentic ones in specialty stores. I got one inexpensive Carnevale mask that was adorned with pink glitters for Euro-4.
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Le gondolier mi amore |
Before long, night falls in the island and the crowd of tourists trickles out... leaving (just) the locals and hotel guests in the island, us included. Hubby and I would navigate the island, day and night, finding our way through alleyways and crossing short bridges, to and from head to tail, during our 5-day stay in the fish-shaped island, enough like a local. Tip: When in Venice, do steer away from tourist traps, and fully embrace the island vibe. Nearby the hotel, and far away from the touristy Piazza San Marco, was the no-coperta-trick of a restaurant, #OsteriaMocenigo, where the zuppa di pesce, scampi in saor con polenta e spaghetti con seppie in nero meals were a winner. What do you know, the restaurant's server even resembled Vincent Cassel, the actor*wink;)
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Cruising the Grand Canal aboard the vaporetto on a Rialto Bridge approach |
15-feb: Vaporetto ride to Murano island... Link to>>> Journal Entry: Oh my Murano! #italy #murano #winter2011
17-feb: Side trip to Vienna... Link to>>> Journal Entry: Waltzing Through Vienna #austria #vienna #winter2011
oOo
PHOTOSTITCH
#Italy #Venice #winter2011
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This way to the vaporetto on a Grand Canal route... |
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In the island of Venice... |
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Check-in: Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo... via back door |
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At Piazza San Marco... |
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Night in Venice... |
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Doge's Palace tour... |
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At the Rialto Bridge... |
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San Giorgio Maggiore... across the main island of Venice |
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At the Accademia bridge... |
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Dinner at Osteria Mocenigo... |
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Night in flooded Venice...lol |