Next stop Padova, on the way to Venice. Here, we toured through the old town with tour guide Alessandro who showed us the very famous St Anthony's Basilica. As with all of the towns and churches we visited, our local guides were very informative and really knew their subjects, you would miss so much of the history and interesting ancecdotes without them. On to the magnificent Scrovegni Chapel which is like another Sistine Chapel but not as well known....simply beautiful.
As Australian tourists, it is hard to fathom the age of the places we have visited, monuments and structures built in BC.. unbelievable!!
It has begun to rain and we are heading Venice.
As our excitement builds on approach to this famous city, so does the strength of the rain and an on arrival at the tronchetto (boat) that is to take us to our Hotel, the wind and rain is so strong that our umbrellas are inside out and we are drenched! Julia's description of Venice was that she had a belly ache today - boy what a welcome, but no matter, we are in VENICE!!!!
Hotel Gabrielli, is a fantastic spot, right on the water with wonderful views of the lagoon and down towards St Marks square, the rooms are comfortable and the showers hot, so the wet arrival was soon forgotten with a hot shower and drinks at the bar.
Tonight another Family Dinner featuring Breasoala (sooooo good), ravioli, vitello scallopine and tiramisu (for you Doug) and washed down with a good house wine from the Veneto region and some impromptu singing from the group, it was a great night.
Day 2 in Venice and our local tour guide Rosanna, showed us the magnificent Doges Palace with the most amazing paintings that I never get tired of seeeing. A new section of Armery was also open this day and I wondered how many people had died at the hands of the hundreds of weapons in this display,, in fact one of the large knives had been used to behead one of the Doge...creepy but very interesting.
Next, St Marks church and we had to walk on planks as the water had begun to rise with a high tide and parts of the square were underwater. We had been suss when Rosanna showed up in brightly coloured gumboots!! Another gobsmacking church with incredible history and mosaics on the floor that over the years have buckled with the movement of island.
After the tour, we had some free time to wander the streets, do some obligatory shopping and be amazed by the hundreds of shops, the narrow alleyways filled with thousands of tourists and the sheer beauty of this fabulous city.
It is hard to describe how special this city is; the canals, the bridges the gondalas with their singing gondaliers, the craziness of the Grand canal all blends together and you quickly feel like Venice has accepted you and you are now part of her, craziness and all - I love it.
Waiting for us was our good friend Allesandro who took us to an Artisan chocolate maker Vizio Virtu where chocolatier Mariangela demonstrated the various stages of chocolate making and spoke about the history of chocolate in Italy. Her products dazzled us as she spoke and then we had the wonderful delight of induging in her passion with a tasting. The first was a delicous cup of the best hot chocoalate I have ever had, just like I imagined the chocolate in Willy Wonkas river to be, then three handmade chocolates including one she makes using Balsamic vinegar in the centre, so, so good. After thanking Mariangela for her demonstration, back to the Vaporetto for a tour of the grand canal, a great way to see th wonderful Palazzo and famous bridges of Venice, we also had to say goodbye to the wonderful Alessandro (I think we now have a place in his heart!!).
Day 4 and off to the Peggy Guggenheim collection to view a Palazzo filled with modern art from some of the worlds greatest artists , Picasso, Pollock and many more. In my whole life I have never seen a Picasso and in less than an hour I had viewed 3 originals!!
After the tour, some more free time to explore the restaurants and shops, museums and attractions. The free time we had in Venice during the four days gave us an opportunity to truly absorb the city and as I said before, really fell like we were a part of it, and then before you could say Espresso, it was time to get ready for the Opera. disembarked at the famous Rialto.
Dressed to impress, we boarded the Vaporetto outside our hotel and disembarked at the famous Rialto bridge and strolled the short distance to the Malibran Theatre where we had tickets booked for an Operetta. A quick drink in the bar (Sprizz if you please) and then to find our seats in the gallery. One and a half hours of sheer talent as the singers conveyed their story with magnifecent voices. The soprano was fabulous and the acclamation for her at the end expressed the audience appreciation for her ability. The stage looked like a postcard and the performance was wonderful, a very cultural and typical way to end our stay in Venice.
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