Following our train ride(s) from Milan, we arrived at the Venice train station and managed to find our way to a very crowded vaporetto or “water bus.” Rather than the scenic one that travels the famous Grand Canal, we ended up on the 5.2 route – which goes through the wide part of the canals (or was it a harbor? Hard to tell what the bodies of water are). Our vaporetto took us past docks, ships, all forms of water craft – and finally deposited us at the San Marco/San Zaccaria stop. From there it was an easy walk to the B and B – it was up a narrow alley with one turn at the “mosaic of the doge” embedded on the pavement. Through a gate and up a flight of stairs and there we were greeted by a small guest house with modern furnishings, a nice breakfast, crisp sheets, and terrazzo floors. A distinct contrast to our digs in Milan.
At the suggestion of our host we walked away from the tourist district (to the extent one can escape a tourist district in Venice, but it was late October)…to the Via Garibaldi. There we had an aperitizo at a restaurant on the waterfront, facing a beautiful sunset, with the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore church carved out against an orange sky. That was followed by a dinner of tagliatelle with shrimp for me and pasta seafood for J.
Afterwards, we walked to the beautifully illuminated Piazza San Marco and one of its famous cafes (Quadri), home of one of the “dueling orchestras.” We paid way too much for fabulous martinis but they were accompanied by all sorts of snacks – olives, nuts, peanuts in the shell, crackers, and tortilla chips. Plus the music was very fun, especially the rendition of the James Bond theme music – and people really did dance in the square. The illuminated balls that children were throwing into the air made the whole evening sparkle.
Venice was off to a good start and we had two more days ahead of us.
FromSwamptoSummit 