2015 Italy Trip, Day Five – Venice, Italy

On day five as dawn arrived we were boarding on an open ticket a train in Parma bound for Bologna where we transferred to an express train to Venice.

 We love visiting Venice and taking in its character, but Evie and I would not want to live there or stay more than a few days. It is an expensive city, partly due to the nature of the city’s infrastructure and partly because of this water locked city being one of the top destinations in Europe for tourists. With a high volume of tourists, housing costs, hotels and restaurants are costly. As with our prior visit, we selected a hotel central to the primary sites high on our list to visit. Previously we stayed just off Piazza San Maro. For this trip we found a family hotel that is adjacent to Accademia and near Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (Church of Good Health) which along with Basilica San Marco and San Giorgio Maggiore were the focal points of this visit. The many centuries old beams of wood were evident not only at the check-in desk but evident elsewhere too.

Shortly after arriving at our hotel we boarded vaporetto #2 bound for San Giorgio Maggiore for a light lunch overlooking the San Giorgio Maggiore marina and across the water, Piazza San Marco. If you visit Venice for more than two days, we suggest that San Giorgio Maggiore and its tower with a fantastic view be on your list. The wait for elevator is short since few people cross the lagoon to visit the church.

By mid afternoon Evie and I were walking around the opulent Basilica San Marco. The marble and gold leaf throughout the church is impressive to say the least but it gave me pause. I understand that the church not only reflects the wealth, and power of medieval Venice, but was also build to impress upon visitors the depth of their wealth and power. That said, it seems contrary to the primary messages of the gospel (posted picture of the interior of the Basilica is a stock picture...taking pictures inside the Basilica is prohibited). 

Later in the afternoon Evie and I relaxed on a vaporreto as we traveled the outer sides of the main islands. Most people picture Venice as a city of canals lined with buildings that are 350 to 700 years old. While the area primarily visited by tourists is full of such buildings, the outer areas of the city has apartment buildings that reflect the modern age. Sitting on the back exterior deck of the vaporreto exposed us other aspects of the islands as well as allowing us to stop off for an hour or so at Lido, an island where many who work in the heart of Venice reside. Most of Lido is filled with buildings and homes of a recent vintage, and has streets with vehicles and buses.

The next morning, after an early breakfast we visited Accademia and the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute. Then we were off to the train station to catch a late morning train to Venice. Accademia is well worth visiting if you enjoy looking at grand art.

Venice 2010 - part one

Though weary Evie and I arrived at our hotel in Venice, Hotel Bauer, Saturday afternoon around 3:30. We were to arrive just after 12:30 but just as our aircraft out of Rome was cleared for take-off a warning light went off. The aircraft returned to the gate, and we had to be rebooked to the next flight. A number of passengers were angry, but I am more than willing to be delayed rather than risk my life. The crew and Alitalia did the right thing. Alitalia even gave us a free coupon for lunch.

Out of Washington we almost missed our flight. We were there in plenty of time and were sitting at the gate almost 2 hours ahead. I nodded off and Evie with her hearing difficulties did not hear the boarding call. I awoke and was in the restroom when I heard them calling us by name…so we made the run for it and were the next to the last onboard the puddle jumper. The flight out of Boston was very comfortable, but long when you cannot sleep. Dinner was a lovely meal, breakfast was so-so. I spent much of the night reading my Kindle and listening to my iPod before trying to catch some sleep when I was too exhausted to read any more.

Though our flight was late, the firm with which we had booked our shared water taxi understood and once another couple arrive shortly after us, we were on the way to the hotel. We are staying at the Hotel Bauer, a lovely hotel that is on the Grand Canal and has its own taxi stop. Part of this upscale hotel which is a 3 minute walk from St. Mark’s Square was at one time a monastery built that was built in the early 1700s. It became a family run hotel around 1890 and ten years ago finished $38 million in renovations.

Our room is in the newer section that overlooks a small canal. We can highly recommend the Bauer if you were to visit. After taking a much needed shower and getting about 2.5 hrs of sleep we wondered down street and made our way northeast to backside of Teatro La Fenice (opera house) and up to Campo S. Angelo via small narrow streets. Just north of the campo (square) we found a lovely restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed a pleasant unhurried dinner, I had lasagna and Evie penne, for less than 50 Euros. Afterwards we wondered north a little further before cutting east via small out of the way streets to a major shopping street which we took to within a few streets from our hotel.

The visit to Venice has been pleasant to this point. The room is comfortable and the company is very enjoyable. Following are a few pictures from Venice. The first is the water taxis shots, the dock at the airport and the interior of the taxi (the back has a glass ceiling which can be pushed under the wooden ceiling, which we did to take in the sun and to take pictures).

Above, glass item in the Brauer Hotel lobby.

Below is the little canal beside our hotel...beyond in the Grand Canal. Our room is on the third flow overlooking the canal and the gondolas.