Traghetto, Grand Canal, Arrivederci Venice

It has already been a couple of weeks since our return and I think we have settled back into the groove. Time to continue the trip journal. This entry wraps up our time in Venice.

Exploring Venice requires a lot of walking. Water busses can take you quickly from one district to the other via the Grand Canal or the perimeter of the island, but to actually see the districts and explore the streets, one must walk. To cross from one side of the Grand Canal to the other, you can use one of the two main bridges, the Accademia and the Rialto, but getting to these bridges often requires navigating a labyrinth of streets. There is no straight line in Venice!

There are short cuts, however, called traghetti. The traghetto is a gondola piloted by two gondoliers which transports you from one side of the canal to the other for a mere 50 centimes. 

We were in the Ca' d'Oro district across from the Rialto market and, instead of meandering back to the Rialto bridge, we decided to take the traghetto. While waiting, a French couple arrived toting their copy of the Guide Routard (a wonderful and popular travel guide among the French) so I asked if they were going to take the traghetto.

They, like us, were attempting it for the first time based on a recommendation in their Routard. And, as noted in the guide, we were all going to remain standing during the crossing as the Venetians do when taking the traghetto.

The traghetto can probably hold only six or so passengers. We were only four and once in the gondola, we shoved off into the Grand Canal.

Perhaps for speed, or perhaps for better maneuverability, traghetti have two gondoliers. Ours were all business and no small talk.

We moved out into the canal, flipped around, and begun our crossing,

giving us a great view down the Grand Canal towards the Rialto bridge.

For some reason, the old arcade game, Frogger, came to mind as we crossed to the other side. There was a lull in boat traffic making for a smooth crossing. No challenges this trip. 10 easy points!

We reached the other side in under five minutes. Less time it would take to walk down to the bridge and back up to the market.

Well worth the 50 centimes. Time saver and scenic crossing.

The food market closed several hours earlier to be replaced by tables selling bric-a-brac. We found a treasure on one table, an old padlock with the original keys.

After making the tour of the market, we returned to the vendor and inquired more about the lock. She believes it's from the region north of Venice and dates to the 1800s. Regardless of provenance, we handed her 20 euros for the lock.

With lock in hand, we set out to explore some more as we headed towards a pastry shop for a late afternoon pastry and coffee. Later in the evening, we headed back to the Rialto district for a drink and snacks before dinner, popping out on a police dock for a better view of the Rialto bridge.

After a quick tourist pose on the bridge...

we found a table at a cafe overlooking the canal. We nursed our drinks and snacked on chips for almost two hours while watching the world go by.

This gondolier must be high ranking, we surmised, given his uniform, arm band, and hat. I thought the picture also captures a cross section of Venice: the local in his small boat next to the professional gondolier next to the water buss with several people trying to get a picture of the approaching Rialto bridge.

The next day we had to move on. It was time to say arrivederci to Venice. With suitcase and bags in hand, we walked to the vaporetto stop.

We opted for the express vaporetto that travels the larger Giudecca canal.

We'll be at the parking garage in just a few stops.

The water busses aren't filled with tourists early in the morning. Mostly locals or students going to work or school.

We were headed to Lake Como, a five hour drive from Venice, for our next three day stay.

We both agreed that Venice was our favorite city so far in Italy, and that we would have to return for a longer stay, perhaps renting an apartment, during the spring or fall seasons. We can't wait to go back.

Murano

Sunday morning in Venice, and soon it will be Sunday morning on Sugarloaf Key. Zuzu and Tootie will meet their friends for their Sunday walk along the canal.

Our morning began with a vaporetto ride to the backside of Venice where we picked up line 42 to Murano.

 With a one-way fare priced at 6 euros, we saved quite a bit with our 35 euro three-day vaporetto pass.

The trip to Murano took about an hour, but there was plenty to see along the way.

Venetians seem to always be out on the water, whether they are fishing, going from one island to another, or simply taking a ride. There is a lot of boat traffic all day long.

The city's cemetery is located on an island, Isola de San Michele, located between Venice and Murano.

Passing the island you can catch glimpses of the crypts peeking above the cemetery walls.

Near the vaporetto stop for the cemetery is the Sainte Michele church, the first Renaissance church in Venice.

The vaporetto approaches the end of the line, Murano.

Much like Venice, there are no cars, motorcycles, mopeds, or bicycles on the island, only boats. There's not much to the island, though, and exploring its entirety is easily done on foot.

The canals of Murano are more sleepy than those in Venice; however, it is Sunday morning.

The sidewalks were quiet with only tourists like us milling around. We were headed for the main museum for a history of glass blowing in Murano.

Along the way, we took in the sights.

And admired the various glass sculptures along the route.

It's clear that you are in the glass blowing capital of the world.

Across the bridge and to the right is the museum.

I had planned on taking pictures of some of the pieces on display, but was reminded by those keeping an eye on the rooms that no pictures were permitted. "C'est dommage," I responded and stowed my camera until the end of the visit.

Following the visit one can take pictures of the garden and exterior.

No glass out here, though, only stone artifacts and a couple of stone caskets.

Since it was Sunday, the glass blowers had the day off. However, one could still visit the factories and purchase authentic Murano glass items.

During lunch, I looked up and noticed the blinds in the open windows. "Look, Venetian blinds," I exclaimed. They really do come from here.

Lunch was decent, pasta and salad washed down with bubbly water.

It was time to head back to Venice for an afternoon nap.

It is our last night here and there is still so much to see.

We won't see it all, but there's always next time. We've already talked about returning and renting an apartment for a week.

Venice part 2: St Marks Square, Canals, and Leaning Towers

More about our travels in Italy. We miss our girls, but we know they are being well cared for.

Across the Grand Canal from our hotel in the quiet and residential Dorsoduro district lies the frenetic and oftentimes chaotic hub of tourist activity, the Piazza San Marco. Here, one finds a concentration of must sees in Venice: the Doges' Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, St. Mark's Square, the Campanile rising 315 feet above the rooftops, the Venice history museums of Correr and del Risorgimento, and the list goes on.

The top three, though, are the Doges' Palace, St Mark's Basilica, and the Campanile.

We opted for a quick tour of the interior of the basilica, which was free entry. To see the Museo di San Marco and the copies of the bronze horses, the high altar, and the treasury, one must contribute five to eight euros each.

Saint Mark's Square was delightfully calm this early in the morning. The hordes from the tour busses and cruise ships hadn't quite made it all of the way here by 10am. Even the pigeons must have slept in.

We didn't hesitate to spend 8 euros for an elevator ride to the top of the Campanile, which gave us a bird's eye perspective of this marvelous city. Looking out past the Piazzetta one sees the island of San Giorgio Maggiore and its church.

Looking down it's difficult to photograph St Mark's Square in its entirety. That sure is some valuable open real estate given this densely packed island.

And looking north? towards the church of Santa Maria della Salute and the Dorsoduro district which lies between the Grand Canal and the Giudecca Canal.

And the large triangular building which was the customs house, the point of entry for all goods arriving by sea.

Looking east over the largest church in Venice, the Baslica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, towards the glass factories of Murano.

 And a view of the rooftops of buildings lining the canals and alleys of Venice.

Leaving the throng of tourists behind, we ventured off towards the Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo, walked along the other side of the island, and stumbled onto the Arsenal. Originating in the early 12th century when they built ships for the Crusades, the newer section of the Arsenal, dating back to 15th century, the massive walls form a fortress protecting the shipbuilders.

The Arsenal has two entrances, one land the other water. The land entrance is in the form of a triumphal arch dating back to 1460 and is flanked by two lions brought from Ancient Greece.

The water entrance is marked by two towers built in 1686.

Continuing our journey, we meandered back towards the St Mark's basin and found a large avenue, which seemed strangely out of place, lined with cafes and shops. We learned that this is the only street (via) in Venice to be named such, Via Garibaldi. At the end of the street begins another canal, in which we found a floating fruit and vegetable market. The peaches, plums, and apricots looked too good to resist. They were a perfect afternoon snack in the nearby green space.

Venice is all about canals. They seem to be the calming force within the city with the gondolas softly navigating these back waterways. One can imagine how loud and frenetic the city would be if the canals were replaced with streets and gondolas with cars.

Around each corner or at the end of each alley emerges another picturesque canal scene.

Sometimes the alleys end abruptly, stairs descending into the water. Best to know your way home after an evening of drinking.

The lack of cars, mopeds, and bicycles in Venice slows time; one is forced to move at a more relaxed pace.

This city built on cypress logs is sinking, and evidence of this is everywhere. Vertical lines are not plumb and horizontals are askew on every building, and the towers are leaning, some more than others.

We noticed this tower leaning severely and searched a way to get a closer look. The bell tower belongs to St Stephen's church. According to our guidebook, the tower was struck by severe lightning in 1585 which melted the bells. It began to lean from sinking in the 17th and 18th centuries requiring reinforcement seen below in the picture.

We continued to explore the canal and alley ways of the city...

before pausing near one of the main gondola hubs next to the Hard Rock Cafe. Here, one can watch the coming and going of the gondolas, picking up fares for the 40 minute tour.

Most intriguing, though, was the craftsmanship and engineering of the gondola oarlock called a forcola. The unique shape and various notches provide different leverage points for the gondolier's oar. We discovered a shop where they carve forcole near our hotel. You can learn more by clicking this link: http://www.forcole.com/eng-home.htm

It was late afternoon and we were getting hungry.

The cruise ships, dwarfing the boats and city skyline, were heading back out to sea (reminiscent of Key West with the cruise ships leaving Mallory Pier).

It was time to find a snack before dinner: pizza, beer, and fizzy water. That should carry us over until dinner.