Hi everyone! We arrived in Venice Monday morning, and took a water taxi from the train station right to the hotel. We are staying at the Ruzzini Palace located on a beautiful piazza. The hotel is gorgeous, only 29 rooms and fortunately we were upgraded to a lovely junior suite with huge 20 foot casement windows that open to the piazza. This morning I woke to the smell of fresh bread and pastries baking from the restaurants right across the square, as well as to the sound of glorious deep church bells ringing the square awake. The sun is beaming and the weather here has been gorgeous, around 60 or so, sunny and incredibly bright and cheerful.
Yesterday we walked all around Venice and spent some time in St. Mark's square, and we visited St. Mark's Basilica. The church was built in 1053 and frankly everything here is about 1000 years old. The canals are incredible and it is really easy to get lost here because there are so many twists and turns. There are no cars, just water taxis, water busses, private boats and gondolas (I may have missed another kind of transport). There are tiny bridges that connect you to other places on the island but you need to pay attention to the street you are on, otherwise you end up down an alleyway to a small plaza with no outlet except the canal.
The food here is wonderful, and Tim and I have had our fill of wine, pasta, bread and salad both mixed and capreze that I think I am now half italian!
Today we are taking a tour of the Hidden Gems of Venice with a tour guide from where else? England of course. Ha! Angelina Jolie and my love Johnny Depp are filming a movie here, a remake called The Tourist and I am hopeful that we can find out where they are filming and watch by the sidelines. In the other two cities I was worried about looking like a tourist, but in venice pretty much everyone is a tourist!!! The city is busy but not too much so so it's nice to wonder around, stop at little side street cafes and order espresso and/or gelato and watch the world go by.
Last night after a lengthy walk by the sea, the vendors and a host of gondoliers, we ate a romantic dinner by the grand canal at a cute little restaurant called Al Buso. The owner was wonderful and kept bringing us things including some after dinner drinnks I couldn't recognize but were delicious! A couple next to us had a great big yellow lab at their feet and they were sitting behind me but the dog came next to me and put his head on my feet while I stroked his head and belly. Tim was jealous!! The dog was adorable and every time I see a dog I realize how much I miss cricket. After dinner we took a beautiful moonlit gondola ride with a gondolier who has been doing this gig for 44 years, and whose family has been doing gondoliering for 500 years. 500 years!!!!!!!!! Can you imagine? He took us to these quiet out of the way street or canals, and we saw Mozart's home and Marco Polo's home. Their homes!!!!!!!!!!!! It was unbelievable!!!! The history here is so rich, and now I can also understand why the venetians talk about carpe diem...some of these homes don't look like they are going to last another 1000 years, with the water damage and age of the buildings.
The people are very nice, kind and sweet and have been very helpful to us, especially if we find ourselves suddenly lost down the road walkway. We have lots of touring to do today, so now that it's after 7amI will wake Tim, get us some coffee and begin the excitement of our day.
On Wednesday we fly back home, and while we have had a wonderful adventure meeting great people, seeing beautiful places, breathing and walking and touching history every moment, drinking incredible wine and eating the best food on earth, it will be good to get home!
Have a great day and a good week!
Gail & Tim
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