Ok, so after a long delay I am back and better than ever!- and I have a new plan. I am thinking that rather than trying to keep this up during the week when a) I am slammed with work and b) I don't have much going on I am going to make one post on Thursday that covers the whole week (unless there's something great of course!!) and then on Sunday's update my weekend post since there should be LOTS to say about the weekends. Sound good?
So Friday night was pretty quiet I went to Centro for dinner again-- as always food was amazing. It amazing how the "house wines" here are more incredible than any wine you can buy at home...LOL. I took some pictures of the restaurant-- it is so cute! Everytime I am in there I think that I wish I could show you guys and since it was quiet later on Friday night I had a photo opt!
Soooo Saturday morning got off to an early start. My train left at 8:30am so I was out of here about 7:30am-- and we know how much I loooooove mornings...LOL. I made it to the train station (S. Maria Novella) in centro fairly quickly since there wasn't much traffic at that time of morning. I had gone DT on Friday to buy my train tickets so I already had those and was ready to roll. The train arrived a little late and I think half the train station was going to Venice so it was a mad rush but all went smoothly. I didnt however figure out the "assigned seating" until much after the fact but it all worked out. I made it to the right "cabin" but wrong seat #.....LOL...although it was good I ended up sitting with a couple from T.O! (Canada). They were very nice, we chatted the whole train ride and no one ever showed up to take my seat so it worked out..LOL. Now I know!
Sooo Amy (FW partner) called me when I was on the train to say that the boat they had planned to take into Venice to meet my actually on ran during "peak" seasons so it was no longer in operation and that she would be a little late. Despite our late departure we got into Venice (Venezia) right on time. I found my out of the train station easily (S. Lucia) and out into the madness. And madness it was. Everyone said that Venice was more touristy than Florence and boy did that seem to be the case this weekend--WOW.
When I first arrived (about 11:30am) it was over-cast and pretty gray (boo!) but not raining. I wandered around to kill some time when I arrived as I called Amy and she let me know that she and John were about 20 mins away. I found us a restaurant to eat at and then hung out on the train station steps and people watched! And were there EVER alot of people to watch!!!!!
When my travel companions arrived we ate at a place called Ristorante da Nuovo and sat outside on the little patio that ran along the Canal. I had lasagne (yes again!) and a bellini (mmmmm!), Amy had tortellini in a cream sauce and I can not for the life of me remember what John got....LOL. Anyhow we had just finished eating and were packing up and it started to POUR. I am talking biggest rain drops I have ever seen!! So we hung out under the restaurant awning for a few minutes but it wasn't letting up and I just had a sweater so we decided we had better find me an umbrella. And did I
ever find an umbrella.....from this point forward to be known as the beach umbrella/ the tarp....LOL. It was pretty much big enough to cover half the people on my side of the street....hahaha...very funny.
So despite the rain, we figure- a rainy day in Venice beats a sunny one in Chicago so we trudged on to do some exploring. It did start to get windy though and even my beach umbrella wasn't helping so we ducked into an Irish Pub to have a drink until the storm blew over. It was tiny and packed with everyone thinking the same thing as we were so we kind of stood in the middle of things. I convinced Amy into drinking wine with me though she forewarned that this was her emotional drink (LOL!) and off we went. After about 20 mins there was a couple behind us (just 2 people) sitting at a 4 person table to they offered us a seat. Turns out they were American, in town from LA (Burbank I believe) so we sat and chatted with them. Marilyn and Lee. And I can not even express to you how hard Amy and I laughed when we left this bar.
Let me try to explain these two; Lee was a retired Computer Science guy-- invented some variation of CAD we were told, Marilyn was a now-also-retired accountant- and I think she REALLY wanted people to talk to. She was one of those people who repeated the same thing 12 times in a conversation-- for example- she has a daughter who just had a baby...they now have a grand daughter. Yes- her only daughter just had a little girl- their first grand child.....did I mention they have a new grand child? I dont know if it was the Cider-Beer Marilyn was in to or what but this is what I can tell you:
- They have one daughter
- They have a new 9 month old grand child- Mary-Anne (Mary after Marilyn and Anne after the son-in-laws mother)
- Lee and Marilyn have been married 43 years and she has "loved him for every minute of it, she is a lucky, luck woman....he is a good, good man"
- They travel 250 days of the year, and go to Alaska twice a year
- She is unbelievably in appropriate....see next story:
So I get up to go to the bathroom and when I come back Amy is in TEARS....so we both look at each other and start laughing re: our "wine-is-my-emotional drink" convo that preceded this...LOL. On this note we figure it's time to get moving. Come to find out- at some point during our conversation Amy mentioned that her father had passed away and as soon as I was up and to the bathroom Marilyn grabs her by the hand and says "do you miss him, do you miss your father?"....NEVERMIND that this fact came up in passing 20 mins ago...WHO SAYS THAT?! At any rate, it was a laughed-the-rest-of the weekend-about story....I don't know that you can ever grasp the full extent of this odd, odd encounter but I thought I would share just the same...LOL.
ANYHOW-- so things clear up for a bit and we see some more of Venice, namely the Jewish Ghetto (the area where the word/ term Ghetto actually originated). The pictures from Sat are dull and dreary and gray so I have kept those ones off the postings ;) It's getting really cold by this point so we decide to head back to Lido (Venice Beach) to the hotel, etc so we can just have dinner there. That turned into a 2 hour commute....no joke. We had to take a water bus out into the Canal and across to Lido...then get on a bus in Lido that drove to another ferry (that the bus drove on) then we had to walk to the hotel...PHEW! So by this time we are thoroughly cold and starving...LOL. We ate at a place called Ristorante di Toro back in Lido (and about 4 blocks from the hotel). I had linguini in a white wine sauce with clams and mussles and we have Cabernet--- UNREAL wine! It was going down a little too smoothly for Amy and I ;)
.....hard to believe that I am still only on Saturday....I will be back with more tonight!
for pictures (for those of you who are anxious!)- they are all posted on:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035462&l=9d25d&id=121403429http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2035465&l=fe4e5&id=121403429xoxoxox
OK SO TO FINISH VENICE OFF AND CATCH UP!!!!!!!!!
Sunday was actually my solo-touring day b/c Amy & John (FW Partner & her husband) had to fly home so I was very happy it was sunny and gorgeous!
I arrived in Venice about 10am (from Lido) and just started wandering. My first mission was to find a Murano glass shop that had been closed on Saturday b/c there was a necklace in the window I needed!..LOL. We had searched most other jewelry shops we passed on Saturday and none where quite like this one! By some stroke of luck I found it and bought it within the first 20 mins in the city and then I was on the move...
Armed with a map of Venezia, which just let me tell you does VERY LITTLE good in a city of water canals, for someone who follows direction rather than street signs..LOL. Truthfully the majority of my wandering in Venice was completely aimless (and lost even!) half the time, weaving my way in and out of tiny allies. I did manage to find all of the hot spots I wanted to hit by sticking with the MASSES of tourists stumbling through the streets.
One of the prettiest sights (picture with me actually in it above!) was the arching bridge over the Grand Canal in an area called Rialto. The bridge is called Ponte Rialto (similar to the Ponte Vecchio in Florence) and you can see straigh down the canal. This area is VERY touristy lined with street vendors, water-side restaurants and an abundance of gondola's (and drivers) ready and waiting for the next romantic commute down the canale. Though they were beautiful, and for sure romantic for an independent traveller 35-50 euros for a short boat ride is just not on the top of the list ;)
The Ducal Palace in Piazza San Marco (added above) was on the most beautiful things I saw in Venice. The Palazzo Ducale, or Doge’s Palace, was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries. As well as being the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) it was the venue for its law courts, its civil administration and bureaucracy and — until its relocation across the Bridge of Sighs — the city jail. The architecture and detailing on this building, and the bell tower situated directly across from it is unbelievable.
After the Palazzo and walking along the Canal in Piazza S. Marco I visited another famous monument called Campo (church) S. Zaccaria and since I was there on a Sunday there was actually a service taking place- unreal. You were not allowed pictures inside, but it was unlike anything I have ever seen. I did include the GORGEOUS pictures from the outside on FB (links above).
After hours of walking around Venice, I decided to jump on one of the water buses and head back around the train station to eat. I figured it was easier to be somewhere close to the train at that point. As I was searching for gelato, for some reason, it occured to me that I should triple check my train time. At this point it was 2pm and I was thinking my train back to Florence left at 4:30pm. LUCKILY, I checked-- b/c my train time was actually 2:38pm-- wow! Anyhow it worked out, I ate beside the station and made the train home. The train was un-eventful, it was another Eurostar train so very nice and cooooomfy, and only took about 2.5 hours. I got back into Florence about 5pm- lot's of time to get settled and unwind :)
THAT DOES IT FOR VENICE !
Ok I am behind ...yet again...I know!! This week was quiet, not too too much to report during the week. Michelle and I did go to the Accademia Musee finally to see the David. It really was as incredible as everyone says. I am sad to say I really don't possess the passion for art and its history that I probably should living here but THIS was the exception. He was unreal. Brought tears to my eyes...imagine?? See the link for all pictures, but the top one is pretty self-explanatory.
