Got up, packed our bags, had breakfast, said our good-byes to the friendly inkeeper at the Apostoli Palace, and left. We walked back, past the train station to the Piazzale Roma, where we caught a bus back to Mestre. Stopped a half block from our parking garage - much easier than the long walk to the train station!
We zipped out of town and headed toward Modena and the Museum of Balsamic Vinegar (who knew??). After lunch in a small family-run pizzeria, we took the very brief tour and then Chet bought some aged balsamico to bring home. Then we went across the street, and he bought some more!! (Lynne swears the shopkeeper saw him coming ....)
Past Modena, the landscape changed and became very beautiful and mountainous. We wound our way down highly curved roads and finally got a glimpse of Monterosso al Mare, which is the northernmost of the Cinque Terre towns. We found our lodgings at the Case dei Limoni, with the charming and friendly hostess and host, Maria and Marcello. They quickly offered us a glass of fresh lemonade and chatted as they checked us in. The room is nice, clean and fresh with a lovely wrap-around balcony that gives us a view of the hillside, over the town and the Mediterranean. We were both pretty tired, and in order to get up to the hotel you have to carry your baggage up a stone path that climbs probably around 250 feet. We both agreed, though, that it was worth it once you arrived.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Friday, April 17, 2009: Last Day in Venice ... for now!
Chet got up early and dashed down to Piazza San Marco to photograph the early morning light with clear skies and good weather. He made it there and back to the hotel in less than an hour!
We went to the Basilica today, and got another dose of amazing and opulent sights. This building has Byzantine, as well as medieval and Renaissance architectural elements - not surprising, as construction began before the 11th century. The mosaics are amazing in their color and their detail, and they have been very well preserved. Lynne loved Napoleon's horses (hah!), really Constantine's horses, probably Greco-Roman in origin. The originals are now inside the Basilica museum, while replicas stand over the basilica door on the loggia. Splendid and so very life-like.
Being in Venice is like stepping back into the 18th century, since cars don't exist here and most of the buildings are from this era as well. You are living and breathing the history every minute you are there. Quite an amazing place in that they've been able to keep the past alive. There are stone wall memorials to people who lived, loved and died in this home - that have dates from 1756, and that are probably much the same inside and out as they were then (well, with the addition of running water, electricity, and TV dishes, anyway!).
After visiting the Basilica, we jumped on to one of the vaporetti and took it up to Murano, the island where the glass-blowers ply their trade. We didn't know it, but there are many different glass artisans there who all compete for business. It was also interesting to see a sign in one of the windows declaring that all the glass inside was locally made and that "glass made in China is killing Murano". An interesting insight into global competition. No doubt, the glass makers in Murano could never afford to live on the low wages of the Chinese.
Walking around Murano was a lot of fun - although there is an awful lot of cheesy Murano glassware. And the nicer stuff tends to be quite expensive. Nonetheless, we did manage to find some very nice glasses that were practical and beautiful without being exorbitant. Chet promised to carry them home .....
Finally, we took the vaporetto back to the Fondamenta Nove, near our hotel, stopped off for a bit of a rest, and went back to San Marco to take the Vaporetto 1 up the Grand Canal. Quite a different sight, seeing Venice by water. We went up as far as the area known as the Jewish Ghetto, which is quite near our lodgings, and found a nice place to have dinner. It was a more local spot, where we enjoyed a lovely caprese salad with mozzarella di bufola, and a spaghetti with monkfish. Yummy.
We went to the Basilica today, and got another dose of amazing and opulent sights. This building has Byzantine, as well as medieval and Renaissance architectural elements - not surprising, as construction began before the 11th century. The mosaics are amazing in their color and their detail, and they have been very well preserved. Lynne loved Napoleon's horses (hah!), really Constantine's horses, probably Greco-Roman in origin. The originals are now inside the Basilica museum, while replicas stand over the basilica door on the loggia. Splendid and so very life-like.
Being in Venice is like stepping back into the 18th century, since cars don't exist here and most of the buildings are from this era as well. You are living and breathing the history every minute you are there. Quite an amazing place in that they've been able to keep the past alive. There are stone wall memorials to people who lived, loved and died in this home - that have dates from 1756, and that are probably much the same inside and out as they were then (well, with the addition of running water, electricity, and TV dishes, anyway!).
After visiting the Basilica, we jumped on to one of the vaporetti and took it up to Murano, the island where the glass-blowers ply their trade. We didn't know it, but there are many different glass artisans there who all compete for business. It was also interesting to see a sign in one of the windows declaring that all the glass inside was locally made and that "glass made in China is killing Murano". An interesting insight into global competition. No doubt, the glass makers in Murano could never afford to live on the low wages of the Chinese.
Walking around Murano was a lot of fun - although there is an awful lot of cheesy Murano glassware. And the nicer stuff tends to be quite expensive. Nonetheless, we did manage to find some very nice glasses that were practical and beautiful without being exorbitant. Chet promised to carry them home .....
Finally, we took the vaporetto back to the Fondamenta Nove, near our hotel, stopped off for a bit of a rest, and went back to San Marco to take the Vaporetto 1 up the Grand Canal. Quite a different sight, seeing Venice by water. We went up as far as the area known as the Jewish Ghetto, which is quite near our lodgings, and found a nice place to have dinner. It was a more local spot, where we enjoyed a lovely caprese salad with mozzarella di bufola, and a spaghetti with monkfish. Yummy.
Thursday, April 16: More Venice!
Got up and dragged a comb across my head (Chet), had a hotel breakfast, and finally made it to the internet cafe. It was nice because they had English keyboards, and the keys were where we expected them to be! But our hour ran out, and we wandered to La Fenice, which is only open for visiting between 1 and 2:30 in the afternoon. It's quite a jewel box of a theatre, originally built for a society of box-holders. Maria Callas premiered there, as did several operas of the bel canto age (many years before Callas, of course!).
Then we went to see the Doge's Palace to see where the rulers of Venice lived and operated for about 1200 years. Theirs was a seafaring nation, based on trade and commerce and generally fostering prosperity for the citizens of Venice. You can tell that this has long been a mostly prosperous area. It was only after America was discovered by Europeans in 1492 (depending on who you ask), and the Atlantic became the new trade route with wind-powered ships, that the Venetian empire began to decline.
Anyway, the Doge's Palace is amazing, even though there were a lot of tourists there. And the odd thing is that they don't seem to allow people to use their cameras inside the museums, even if you don't use a flash. We aren't clear, and our only theory is that they want to sell more books in the museum stores! But that seems like overkill, so maybe there is some other reason. Hopefully this is not the case in France!
So we walked around again (for 12 hours this day), and had a good time. We were tired, but are getting used to walking around a lot. Desk jobs don't really prepare you for the walking, but it does feel good.
We had a great dinner this evening - risotto with scallops and basil, taglietelle with lobster, a nicoise salad, and octopus with lemon and olive oil. This, we agreed, was the meal we enjoyed the most so far this trip.
Then we went to see the Doge's Palace to see where the rulers of Venice lived and operated for about 1200 years. Theirs was a seafaring nation, based on trade and commerce and generally fostering prosperity for the citizens of Venice. You can tell that this has long been a mostly prosperous area. It was only after America was discovered by Europeans in 1492 (depending on who you ask), and the Atlantic became the new trade route with wind-powered ships, that the Venetian empire began to decline.
Anyway, the Doge's Palace is amazing, even though there were a lot of tourists there. And the odd thing is that they don't seem to allow people to use their cameras inside the museums, even if you don't use a flash. We aren't clear, and our only theory is that they want to sell more books in the museum stores! But that seems like overkill, so maybe there is some other reason. Hopefully this is not the case in France!
So we walked around again (for 12 hours this day), and had a good time. We were tired, but are getting used to walking around a lot. Desk jobs don't really prepare you for the walking, but it does feel good.
We had a great dinner this evening - risotto with scallops and basil, taglietelle with lobster, a nicoise salad, and octopus with lemon and olive oil. This, we agreed, was the meal we enjoyed the most so far this trip.
Wednesday, April 15: Sempre Venezia
We got up and breakfast at our hotel, the Apostoli Palace, located off the Campo dei Santi Apostoli in the Cannareggio district. It's a residential area, but quite conveniently located about five minutes walk from the Rialto. We went off the Rialto first thing, to cross the bridge and find the market - said to be the best market in the world .... and possibly so. It's really big and is super nice, with all sorts of fish, vegetables and tons of people. It's great for photography - colors everywhere - so Chet, of course, had a field day.
From the market, we wandered through to the Dorsoduro to find the Accademia, which has many works - including paintings of old Venice dating from the 1300s. What's most fascinating is that the views from San Marco remain strangely unchanged - and the gondolieri, although dressed differently, use the same technique to pilot the same boats. Chet was getting "museum fatigue", though, so we continued our walk through town, exploring our way to La Fenice, the local opera house. In the course of all of this wandering, we buzzed through the Campo Santa Margherita searching in vain for the Chet Bar. A few people gave us directions, but - as it happens - none actually led to the bar and one woman finally told us that she had simply never heard of it. Very sad for Chet.
Wending our way back to the hotel, we passed over a bridge and heard serenaders riding along the gondolas. Accompanied by accordians, they sing old or new Italian songs to the passengers while passing under a sunlit bridge. Chet got most of this on his HD quality video. We got back to the hotel room after a good 7 hours of walking around and both promptly fell asleep. After this short nap, we got up and walked to the north shore of the island to check out restaurant menus and hunt for a place to eat. Wound up back in our neighborhood at Da Bepi, where we had yummy pappardelle with mushrooms, spaghetti with clams, and a mixed seafood fry which is a local specialty. That was the day!
From the market, we wandered through to the Dorsoduro to find the Accademia, which has many works - including paintings of old Venice dating from the 1300s. What's most fascinating is that the views from San Marco remain strangely unchanged - and the gondolieri, although dressed differently, use the same technique to pilot the same boats. Chet was getting "museum fatigue", though, so we continued our walk through town, exploring our way to La Fenice, the local opera house. In the course of all of this wandering, we buzzed through the Campo Santa Margherita searching in vain for the Chet Bar. A few people gave us directions, but - as it happens - none actually led to the bar and one woman finally told us that she had simply never heard of it. Very sad for Chet.
Wending our way back to the hotel, we passed over a bridge and heard serenaders riding along the gondolas. Accompanied by accordians, they sing old or new Italian songs to the passengers while passing under a sunlit bridge. Chet got most of this on his HD quality video. We got back to the hotel room after a good 7 hours of walking around and both promptly fell asleep. After this short nap, we got up and walked to the north shore of the island to check out restaurant menus and hunt for a place to eat. Wound up back in our neighborhood at Da Bepi, where we had yummy pappardelle with mushrooms, spaghetti with clams, and a mixed seafood fry which is a local specialty. That was the day!
Tuesday, April 14: Milano to Venezia
Had breakfast at the Brunelleschi, which was very good, as always. Said "good'bye" to our Apple-loving waiter friend, who had waxed quite poetic about his new uni-body laptop and iMac when we'd had dinner at the hotel our first night in.
Chet went to get the car and couldn't figure out the payment system; fortunately, a nice person helped him out. He went to the hotel to pick Lynne up - patiently waiting with the baggage - and we set off for Venice! The drive to Venice is easy, and we parked the car in a garage in Mestre - on the mainland - and walked to the train station to go to Venice proper.
Chet, who'd never been here before, was almost in shock with the beauty of the city when we first arrived. There are beautiful sights in every direction - from the costumers and masks to the gondolas and water taxis, the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. It just goes on and on. We also plan to visit the "Chet Bar", which is named after Chet Baker - and for whom Chet Shannon is also named.
The Piazza San Marco is amazing and jaw-droppingly beautiful. There were at least three different groups playing music on the square in front of the various restaurants. The beauty is just amazing. We got back to our hotel room ar4ound 7:30, and Lynne wasn't feeling well (the pesky cold Chet brought home from the midwest!), so Chet went out to get some food for dinner.
Chet went to get the car and couldn't figure out the payment system; fortunately, a nice person helped him out. He went to the hotel to pick Lynne up - patiently waiting with the baggage - and we set off for Venice! The drive to Venice is easy, and we parked the car in a garage in Mestre - on the mainland - and walked to the train station to go to Venice proper.
Chet, who'd never been here before, was almost in shock with the beauty of the city when we first arrived. There are beautiful sights in every direction - from the costumers and masks to the gondolas and water taxis, the Piazza San Marco and the Rialto Bridge. It just goes on and on. We also plan to visit the "Chet Bar", which is named after Chet Baker - and for whom Chet Shannon is also named.
The Piazza San Marco is amazing and jaw-droppingly beautiful. There were at least three different groups playing music on the square in front of the various restaurants. The beauty is just amazing. We got back to our hotel room ar4ound 7:30, and Lynne wasn't feeling well (the pesky cold Chet brought home from the midwest!), so Chet went out to get some food for dinner.
April 14, 2009: Last Day in Milano
Hmmm .... Easter Monday and another holiday in Milano. Shops and restaurants closed for business. Just as well, as Milan is fashion central and the shops are quite expensive. Much better to just window shop! 
We hope that Venice is more interesting, and that it will be open for business!
We hope that Venice is more interesting, and that it will be open for business!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Woke up to the sound of quiet. We found out it was another holiday: Easter Monday. We felt like we had finally gotten over our jet lag. We both still have colds dragging our energy down a bit. Got up and walked around various neighborhoods, which was nice but somewhat unremarkable. We walted to the Castello, and walked around the somewhat run-down park behind it. The park was loaded with people enjoying their day off, but it was as unkempt as the public park. There was no feeling of the elegant beauty you'll find at the Jardin de Luxembourg in Paris. More places were open than on Sunday - I would estimate that only 30% were open, though. We wen to the Teatro Museo della Scala, and Lynne really enjoyed this. Truly like visiting an important spot. We both enjoyed the visit. Unfortunately, they were also taking the holiday week off, so we couldn't see anything there.
We went to the hotel late in the afternoon, then out to dinner. Lynne had linguine with shrimp and bottarga (which she declined to split!! .... although she *did* share some .....) and a red tuna with spinach. Chet had a risotto Milanese, and torchie with pesto and beans, both of which he deemed "okay". The bottarga was memorable; the rest not so much.
Addendum: on Sunday, we went to dinner at Obika, a place we'd recently read about in the NYT. It was an apperitivi bar, which specializes in fresh mozzarella. For the price of a glass of wine or a cocktail, you get all you can eat off an extensive appetizer bar. Yummy!
We went to the hotel late in the afternoon, then out to dinner. Lynne had linguine with shrimp and bottarga (which she declined to split!! .... although she *did* share some .....) and a red tuna with spinach. Chet had a risotto Milanese, and torchie with pesto and beans, both of which he deemed "okay". The bottarga was memorable; the rest not so much.
Addendum: on Sunday, we went to dinner at Obika, a place we'd recently read about in the NYT. It was an apperitivi bar, which specializes in fresh mozzarella. For the price of a glass of wine or a cocktail, you get all you can eat off an extensive appetizer bar. Yummy!
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