A weekend in Venice

Venice! One of the smaller canals- 12 June 2010

Venice was, all in all, a pretty magical place to visit. It was very different from Rome or Florence, although there were a lot of similar things. There were lots of tourists, gelato shops and stores full of scarves and earrings. Still, though, there was such much Murano glass and so many Venetian masks everywhere you looked.

We got there on Friday afternoon, to discover that there was a transportation strike and the vaporetti (water buses) only went from the Rialto Bridge and back again. The few boats that did go were packed full, and it was one of the hottest days since we've been here. Luckily, our hotel was relatively close to the Rialto, and we got there at more or less the same time we would have anyway.

My parents under the loggia in front of the Doge's Palace. 11 June 2010.

We went to the Doge's Palace on Friday afternoon, where we looked at lots and lots of weapons and paintings and preserved clothing. After the Palace, we walked across town to a recommended restaurant named Il Nono Risorto. I think it was the best pizza I've ever had. Delicious! Before dinner, while waiting for the restaurant to open, we looked at a glass shop across the street- lamps and earrings and necklaces and earrings. It was beautiful.

After dinner, we walked back to our hotel. I think one of the biggest differences between Venice and the other cities we've visited is the lack of cars. Venice is made up of dozens of different islands, all connected by bridges, and everything is done by boat or walking- the taxis and buses are boats, the police and medics and even the trash service all arrive by water when needed. The "roads" on the islands are almost all skinny and winding, and you don't necessarily know that you're on a dead end road until you arrive at the dead end. I read in one of the guide books that you don't have to worry too much about getting lost, since you're an island... and while we found that to be true, it was certainly possible to take a much longer time getting places than intended, and to have to turn around when you ended up in a courtyard or at a canal without a bridge across to the other side.

On Saturday morning, we visited the cathedral, and then took a boat to the island of Murano. We watched a glassmaker blow a vase, then a horse-- some of the most graceful, beautiful glassworking I've ever seen. We also went to the Murano Glass Museum, but seeing the glass actually being made was even better. Saturday afternoon was full of browsing the many shops, both on Murano and in Venice. Souvenirs, hooray!

Glass in a shop on Murano. 12 June 2010.

For dinner, Lindi and I went back to Il Nono Risorto, while Emily and my parents went to get seafood. We took a vaporetto to Il Salute, the cathedral on the seafront, and then went to Piazza San Marco to listen to the music. Various orchestral quartets and quintets play in front of each restaurant, and we just walked around listening to a little of each.

On Sunday, we went to the Correr Museum just off the Piazza, and headed back to Florence after lunch. I loved Venice, and I'm glad we went.

I can't believe we only have a week left! Daddy is heading home tomorrow, and we leave for Milan next Friday to fly out on Saturday. I have one more test and a paper for my Italian class, and then my final next Friday. Our time here has gone so quickly!

Love,
Helen