CANALS IN VENICE

Venice, Italy
Day 68 - 70
Gerotto Caldern Hostel

What a gorgeous island is Venice! Venezia to the local mob!

Our train to Venice at 8.30 was smooth. Arriving here was beautiful. We stayed at a hotel that Charles from Barcelona recommended...the Gerotto Caldern that is sandwiched between more than two bookshops! This is usually dangerous for me, but seeing all the books are in Italian and i have my new one, Bel Vino by Isabella Dusi who i found out in the 3rd chapter is actually Australian, now living in Venice, I was not tempted to buy any, look but not touch was my motto in these bookshops!

The hostel is nice..has a cappucinoo machine and internet, but itàs expensive...Weàre finding Italy is just getting more expensive as we go! And Venice..really is. The home of the tourist for sure! Even the toilets charge at least 70 cents for the use of a toilet. Whatàs with that??? I think Greg feels heàs getting short changed if he doesnàt do a decent job of it! Ok, too much info!

90 Euro a night, but at least we have a room, and it was pretty close to the station...well, not as close as Florence but we didnàt have to walk far. And itàs in a Piazza...so itàs cute. By the way, iàve decided here, all streets really do lead to Rome. Piazza Roma is what a lot of the street names say!!!

As soon as we arrived it was evident this is the home of Venician glass. Itàs everwhere.

The canals are too. No streets for cars in Venice which is itàs charm.

We walked and walked and walked Venice. The main drag is very touristy..but the back streets are just gorgeous. So narrow...so cobbly..and so falling down! Honestly, if we thought Pisa was on a lean, Venice is sinking. We wondered if the canals had actually sunk. We saw doors that looked like they once went out onto the little paths...

So charming. So interesting. I canàt wait to have a few months, when we get home, to study the history of Venice. Napoleonàs influene is here..(we saw his palace from the main canal) and murano glass is a hit.

Anyway...we booked into to our accomodation and hit the town!!!

And cruised down the main canal in a gondola (of course) and took in the views...relaxed, got conned by the condola àdriverà (80 euro for 40 minutes) and then walked around the streets..ate in the cafes (expensive but yummy) and just lapped it all up. What a wonderful place.

We spend a day in Venice also getting a 24 hour hour ticket to the other islands...Murano where the glass factory is...no, i didnàt buy anything, for myself that is..but i was very aware Motheràs Day is coming up...and there was this very, very beautiful neclace, handmade by a master craftsman..so..mum, check the post in a couple of weeks...weàll send it from Rome....

In Murano..we thought of Alena..wondering what steps she took here...

We also went to Lido..to enjoy the beach. Itàs the holiday place where people go to sunbathe..and were, in what we think is lovely weather, but not hot enough to sunbake..it was full of people riding bicycles..and there were cars there too, people transporting them over, for the duration of their holiday, on car boats.

We also went to the OPERA! Ohhh that was SO beautiful. The violinist..the tenor and the soprano were just beautiful. Brought tears to my eyes. Venice is the home of vivaldi...so weàre very familiar with the Four Seasons..but this was something different..Vivaldiàs Opera....so, so touching.

After the opera we strolled around Venice again..caught the canal boat taxi and stayed on..just enjoying the ride..

What a beautiful stay here....by the water...so, so calming, and refreshing...

Another place we want to come back to!!!

Italy is so alluring..such beauty. The streets remind me of the Islands..I can see the influence of °Little Italy° thatàs for sure. ALl the camps all so colourful and built close together, on the water...sounds of Big Samàs °bloomina bloomina° ringing out..peppadelllàs, espresso coffee wafting around the island...yes, the similarity is scary. No wonder all the italian fishermen loved to go over there each year!

The canals, we have found out...also all lead to Roma!!! We walked down so many wrong ways..and ended up at a canal. It was so funny..and gorgeous too. Lots of bridges to pass..and boats. LOTS. Of all sorts, gondolaàs, speed boats, working boats, barges, ships. Boats of all kinds. Very very nice. We both love the boats and felt very at home. Greg wanted to drive one of them. But had to make do riding in them! I wonder how his little boat is going....hm...

By the way, must mention this accomodation....yesterday morning..we awoke to the sounds in the Square below where weàre staying...off the clock chiming...then sirens...then bells...then music of Vivaldi...then ringing....

So weird. It went on for an hour.

And yes, got us out of bed at 7am!

No rest for the wicked.

Off to Rome now....to toss a coin for Silvia!!!!!!

xxx

COOKING IN FLORENCE

Florence
Day 65 - Day 67
Margaret Pensione

Florence was such a beautiful place. It was so nice having a taste of Tuscany right at our doorstep. We strolled around, breathing in the Florentine air, eating at cafe's, admiring the architecture, smelling the pizzas and eating gelatos!

And of course...we had our visits to the Buffet Stazione Firenze for a few of the meals!!!!

Itàs so expensive here in Italy. Everywhere weàve been...is way far beyond anywhere else weàve been...food..accom..everything..if anyoneàs planning on a trip here, start saving. Our accomodation was shower and toilet in the dorm, and it was clean and gorgeous so there was no problem..but it seems everywhere else we checked out was more than 150 Euro..

But we had the soprano of our own. The owneràs son...honestly, had had the most musical voice...and was competing with the pigeons outside our door in the morning....gosh it was funny. (He also winked at Greg ..hm.)

We saw Michelangelo's David at the Galleria Degli Academia and lined up for an hour to see all the old Italians artists and sculptors at Palazzo Deli Uffizi where the converted palace itself was worth going for...but so was seeing Bottochelliàs, (Birth of Venus) the Costelloàs Michelangeloàs, Caravaggioàs work, Danteàs and Lippiàs..and of course Titaàs Venus..

Also popped into an equisite leather shop, knowing that Florence has the best leather in the world!

But..for us..the highlight wasnàt the Piazza della Signora River...or the Ponte Vecchio (which was brilliant).. it was the cooking class...done in Florentine style!

We met at the Piazza Tower...6 women and 2 guys from the US and us...and off we walked, to the complaints of the others, to the house where we did the cooking...

Two jovial italian chefs, and one named Nemo for short, took us on our cooking journey....we made stuffed rissoto tomatoes, gnochhi, chicken cattacoire, and authentic italian sauce..and ohlala, tiramisu....and the best part, we all ate it afterwards with gusto! Washed down with chianti with memories of chianti, the town just out of FLorence!

Bon Apetit! It was fabulous...it was like having a night out with friends..we shared our stories...and joked..and had fun..

Then we escorted 3 of them home to the Hilton...and disappeared around the corner t our luxorious accomodation..Margarets, one star..! It was so funny....private joke i guess..but anyway, i think we got embarrased at our one star compared to their 5 stars...and we laughed hysterically at our ventures to the train station eat!!!

Hmm..

I love Florence..itàs beautiful. Tuscany..with itàs Umbrian chocolates...(and Umbria is also the home of Pinnochio!)

Weàll be back here. FOR SURE.

Okies...off to Venice..xxx