Viva Italia!

I have taken many, many train trips from Boston to New York City. I don’t know how trains in the rest of our country compare, but I have to say that the Eurostar ROCKS! Smooth, quiet and fast, this three-hour train ride passed by in no time at all. Our first class seating was luxurious - very large, comfortable seats with loads of legroom and with push button controls to recline. I felt like I was in a spa rather than a vehicle speeding through the countryside at 200 mph. We were fortunate enough to be seated with Beth and her husband, Mike, the “other” troublemaker of the group. I say that with great affection, since his partner-in-crime was my husband. We spent some of the trip reminiscing on the Italian words we learned while growing up. Funny how many of those words were the same - and most we wouldn’t dare say in front of Cinzia!

The train arrived at the Santa Lucia station on the Grand Canal and it was just a short walk to where we would embark on our gondola tour of Venice. We paused for a group photo, waited a few minutes for Tina and Cinzia to work their magic, and soon we boarded our gondolas in groups of six.

I don’t know how best to describe Venice without sounding trite. It was like a dream. A fairytale land set on water. There are no cars, no motorbikes, no trucks, and no “street noise” other than the sound of people walking and talking. The only motors you hear are those of the waterbuses ferrying people between stops, or the barges delivering goods. To see this incredible city, hundreds of canals and tiny islands amid the tidal waters of the Adriatic Sea, was more moving to me than any cathedral or work of art -- this whole city is a work of the art of man. I could live in Venice. If someone gave me a ticket to anywhere on this planet at this moment, it would be to the Marco Polo airport.

Our gondola tour ended at Piazza Sant’Angelo, where our walking tour began. There we met Laura (pronounced L-ow-ra), who expertly guided us through the streets, over bridges, and up and down stairs to ultimately turn a corner into Piazza San Marco for our first view of the breathtaking beauty of Basilica di San Marco and Palazzo Ducale. And at least one million pigeons, maybe more. There were so many pigeons; they virtually carpeted the entire piazza. If you walked too fast, you’d step on them as they rarely moved too quickly. (Don’t ask me how I know.)

Those of us who opted to were led into the Basilica for a tour with Laura, while others were free to head to the hotel, only a three minute walk away. Once adequately bedazzled by the amazing mosaics (and this structure deserves a long visit, as there is just too much to be taken in!), we made our way to the Bauer Venezia to pick up our keys and to sadly unpack for the final time in Italy.

The entryway to the Bauer is situated in a little square with a beautiful small church (relatively speaking) off to its side called Chiesa de San Moisè, and many designer shops across from its door. One can shop and then pray for a way to pay, or as our friends Mike and Dennis did, just pray that their wives found the shops only after they closed. The hotel itself is situated right on the Grand Canal and has its own water taxi stop. The views from the restaurant at breakfast were nothing less than stunning. Our room was in a second, older building next door, and was comprised of two separate areas, one with our bed and huge marble bath, and the other a sitting area with sofa, desk, table and two chairs. It also had a tiny kitchen area with sink, mini-fridge and microwave - quite nice and so much larger than we expected! One of the families on our tour had the room down the hall, which actually had an ornate winding metal staircase leading up to a loft.

I was on a mission to find the Venice Disney Store, and I’m happy to report that I now own a Venezia Mickey T-shirt. Searching for the store was a fun way to see other parts of the city, including the Rialto Bridge and the surrounding areas.

Since we didn’t know where the name “Rocco” would find us a good meal, we wandered the streets, peering into windows to see if we could find Italians enjoying their food. We lucked upon a wonderful restaurant where we filled up on salad, pizza, pasta, and wine for a total of 15 Euro each - the bargain of the trip! We strolled along afterwards, finally making our way into Piazza San Marco (with not one pigeon to be seen in the evening!) to listen to the music at the outdoor cafes, and then back out again in search of gelato and coffee. We sipped our coffees and ate our dessert while listening to a street performer singing an aria – an experience unlike any other.

Day Eight: Carnevale!