Started with showers … cold ones. There is a sign that says to wait 10 minutes between showers for the water to heat up. But how do you heat up cold … to cold?! After we had completed our ablutions we discovered that the hot water hadn’t been turned on. Well that’s one way to wake up isn’t it.
Caught the bus to Venice and the the water bus to St Mark’s thinking that we will start the day with a nice trip down the Grand Canal. But … we caught the wrong route (wrong direction). While in St Mark’s we went through the Basilica. Like all these churches the scale and opulence is mind boggling. Queues of people and tour groups everywhere. They really are geared to the tourist dollar (euro) here. After you have paid an entry fee, they then ask for an extra 2-4 euro to give you access to every little side room and alcove.We went up to the museum and onto the roof for an extra 4 euros each. But we decided not to go up the tower.
Caught the water bus back to Roma (where we first arrived) and along the Grand Canal. We hadn’t anticipated the crowded boat and the tour groups of school kids that would be sharing it with us and so we didn’t get to see much. If you want to see it properly you need to grab a water taxi.
Walked back to St Mark’s via a different route. There are so many little side streets and alleyways, you could spend a week here and still not find your way home. Passed by what seems like an excellent little osteria which might be good for dinner (if we can find it again).
Got a very overpriced lunch. We have found that when you pay cash they ask for the correct small change, so that they can give change in whole euros. We saw one tourist say that they didn’t have the correct small change and so the annoyed store owner gave him a whole handful (at least 20 euros worth) of change in 10 and 20 cent pieces.
From St Mark’s we took the water bus to Murano Island to look at the glassware. As soon as we arrived we were herded in to see a glassblowing demonstration that was decidedly average. But then we went into the showroom and the glassware was exceptional. There was everything there. Large, small, every colour and complexity, ranging up to pieces that were more like sculptures. The stuff that these guys create really is beautiful. It’s always ominous thought when they don’t display the prices isn’t it. We were too scared to ask.
Went for a walk around a small part of the rest of the island and finished with another most excellent gelato before catching the waterbus back to St Mark’s. Started heading home, Justine looking for a necklace to buy and I was looking for food. Justine found a necklace, and I found the Osteria that we had passed earlier. Another most excellent end (well almost end) to another fantastic day in Italy.
Before coming to Venice I had visions of small canals with leisurely gondola rides, and yes this is true. What I hadn’t expected was the speed of everything. There are tiny canal like little back roads up to the Grand Canal which is like a motorway with hundreds of boats, all going flat out. The Italians drive their boats like they drive their cars … every man for himself. But somehow it seems to work.
Caught the bus to Venice and the the water bus to St Mark’s thinking that we will start the day with a nice trip down the Grand Canal. But … we caught the wrong route (wrong direction). While in St Mark’s we went through the Basilica. Like all these churches the scale and opulence is mind boggling. Queues of people and tour groups everywhere. They really are geared to the tourist dollar (euro) here. After you have paid an entry fee, they then ask for an extra 2-4 euro to give you access to every little side room and alcove.We went up to the museum and onto the roof for an extra 4 euros each. But we decided not to go up the tower.
Caught the water bus back to Roma (where we first arrived) and along the Grand Canal. We hadn’t anticipated the crowded boat and the tour groups of school kids that would be sharing it with us and so we didn’t get to see much. If you want to see it properly you need to grab a water taxi.
Walked back to St Mark’s via a different route. There are so many little side streets and alleyways, you could spend a week here and still not find your way home. Passed by what seems like an excellent little osteria which might be good for dinner (if we can find it again).
Got a very overpriced lunch. We have found that when you pay cash they ask for the correct small change, so that they can give change in whole euros. We saw one tourist say that they didn’t have the correct small change and so the annoyed store owner gave him a whole handful (at least 20 euros worth) of change in 10 and 20 cent pieces.
From St Mark’s we took the water bus to Murano Island to look at the glassware. As soon as we arrived we were herded in to see a glassblowing demonstration that was decidedly average. But then we went into the showroom and the glassware was exceptional. There was everything there. Large, small, every colour and complexity, ranging up to pieces that were more like sculptures. The stuff that these guys create really is beautiful. It’s always ominous thought when they don’t display the prices isn’t it. We were too scared to ask.
Went for a walk around a small part of the rest of the island and finished with another most excellent gelato before catching the waterbus back to St Mark’s. Started heading home, Justine looking for a necklace to buy and I was looking for food. Justine found a necklace, and I found the Osteria that we had passed earlier. Another most excellent end (well almost end) to another fantastic day in Italy.
Before coming to Venice I had visions of small canals with leisurely gondola rides, and yes this is true. What I hadn’t expected was the speed of everything. There are tiny canal like little back roads up to the Grand Canal which is like a motorway with hundreds of boats, all going flat out. The Italians drive their boats like they drive their cars … every man for himself. But somehow it seems to work.
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