Venice - Day 1

NOTE: Once we arrived in Venice, we no longer had access to WiFi, so these posts are being provided post-trip.

 It has been a long day.  The train from Florence to Venice itself was only 2 hours, but it was 30 minutes late.  Then we had to negotiate tickets for the vaporetto (water bus).  We got to our apartment about 2:30, got oriented by the owners, Maurizio and Gaetano, went to a local market, and started walking what appeared to be a very straight shot from Dorsudoro (our neighborhood)  to St. Mark's.  Needless to say, it was NOT a straight shot and a 23 minute walk took us at least an hour.   So the vaporetto is our fail safe to get back to the apartment.  If we catch the #2 at St. Mark's we can get off at the Accademia, walk straight to the next body of water, turn right and we are almost home.

Our apartment is in a building from the 6th century.  Can you imagine?  It is not as big as the one in Bassano but bigger than the one in Florence.  Only problem---no WiFi and no TV.  The TV is not that useful since everything is in Italian, but we sure miss the WiFi.  Luckily the restaurants near here have it and it is pretty good.  This area of Venice is called Dorsudoro, an island across the canal from the main body of Venice.  It is much more of a neighborhood of Italians than a tourist destination, though there ARE tourists over here, too.  It is quiet and really only a few minutes from the "action".  When we got lost today, we were actually wandering through this neighborhood.  I was impressed.  This was my first time in Venice seeing open areas where kids were playing...kicking a soccer ball around, and racing on little scooters (powered by feet not engines).

I am tired and luckily so is DJ.  I'm not the least bit hungry and he says he isn't either, but my experience is that he needs feeding every two hours.  So far today he has eaten the remains of our dinner in Florence (tagliatella ala panna and spaghetti with wild boar), a banana, a pizza, salmon, potatoes, and grilled vegetables, a panini, AND gelato.  As he got up at 9 and it is now 8:30, that's a good bit of food in 11 1/2 hours.  He is out now scouting out a gym and a place where we might want to eat.  I don't think he has put on a pound, but I'll bet I have.  Life is not fair.

Elena and Stefania arrive tomorrow.  Before they get here, we are going on a tour.  I'm hoping they will entertain him tomorrow night.  I don't have the energy.  

Some of my thoughts while sitting here:

1. The pigeons here are fat and nuts.  They are so used to humans that they will not move if you walk towards them.  You must walk around them to get anywhere.
2. The seagulls are HUGE. They pull up their wings and squawk at you if you get too close.
3. Venice is expensive.  Coffee everywhere in Italy is 1 Euro (if you stand up to drink it).  In Venice it is 1.5 Euros.  No refills.  Bathrooms cost a Euro ($1.36).  That got DJ's interest.
4. Venice is the least "ice friendly" of the three cities.  This apartment doesn't even have an ice tray.  At least in the others, we had 4-5 pieces of ice.
5. Toilet paper has improved in the past 30 years in Europe.  They have it and it is not too stiff.
6. The washing machine in Florence took 2 hours to wash one small load of clothes.  I don't understand what takes so much time.  No one seems to have a dryer.

The world is getting smaller...what a shame

I'm waiting for DJ to wake up.  He decided to hit the town last night at 11:00 (I remember those days) and I said he could sleep in until 9, so that we can make our 10:55 train to Venice.  As I sit here, I've read FB comments from some of you who have been to Italy with me in past years and have visited my lovely family in Tezze.  I hate to tell you this, but the world is getting so much smaller that some of the things we loved about travelling (the different styles of clothing, the way they shopped, the irritation with not having food on demand, etc...) has changed.  Now when sitting out at a restaurant, it was hard for me and DJ to pick out the Americans.  No more the gorgeous Florentine men in their suits and slicked back long hair.  Everyone is in blue jeans or shorts with sport shoes.  Not one man purse in sight either, although they still drape the sweaters over their backs.  I almost expected to see the David with a little back pack or at least a pair of Nikes.  A mall has opened in Bassano.  I told DJ that in his life time, this will mean the end of the down town shopping areas as everyone will go to the mall....for the air conditioning if nothing more.

This town is full of American students.  I don't mean that you see them mixed in with the Italians, spanish, and brits, but that you don't see anyone else.  When did it get so easy for kids to just come to Europe for a month?  These are not backpackers, but kids who are "studying abroad".  The sad thing is that the four we met had been in Florence for a month, yet had not been across the Arne River to see Florence from the Piazza de Michelangelo, one of the most famous views of the city.  Nor have they learned any Italian.

Some things have not changed.  The importance of family to my family in Tezze, lack of air conditioning (at least below 80 degrees), the lack of ice (although they don't give you a crazy look when you ask for it anymore), the crazy street numbering system in Florence (each street has two sets of house numbers--red is for businesses and blue is for homes..this means that number 52 Ghibellina may be on two different blocks of the same street), the beautiful architecture and the art.

Riding the train has lost some of its romance.  Gone are the 6 person little cabins replaced with airplane type seating.  If you are in the comfort class (aircondition set at 80 degrees, I think) you even have a "steward".  No longer does a European open her basket and pull out salami sandwiches for the family sharing your cabin.  Now the steward roams the aisle offering boxed lunches!

Gasoliine is still expensive.  We calculated it at about $9 a gallon, but the cars are much bigger.  they are not American-sized, but definitely bigger than the little Fiats of old that one could probably pick up and move to the side of the road if necesssary.  Now five people can pretty comfortably get into a car.  On our Vespa tour we had "vintage" vespas.  You see many more full size motorcycles here now.  I want a Vespa.  I wonder about Craig's list?  Do people in DC sell Vespas on Craig's List?

Mack and Mary

He just arose and ate the remainders of both of our dinners last night -- tagliatella ala panna and spaghetti with roast wild boar...then back to sleep for one hour.  Mama Mia!

Firenze and my friend, David

Michelangelo's David

With a heavy heart, we left our family in Tezze sul Brenta (Bassano) and travelled by train to this beautiful old city - Florence or Firenze to meet with my best Italian friend, David!  What an experience to be able to take my nephew to the Galleria d'Accademia to view the most beautiful sculpture in the world (in my opinion).  It brought me back to 1978 when I first saw the statue in the same place.  At that time I was overwhelmed by excitement and remember very moist eyes.  I had read about this magnificent city and statue but never thought I would ever see it and yet here I was!

On our first full day here we took a tour of the city including the Accademia, the Duomo and the Piazza Vecchio.  We also walked across the Ponte Vecchio and took in the magnificence of the Arne River and all that the Medici family and others had done to make this the city what it is.




On our second day, we were brave (or at least I was) and took a Vespa tour of Tuscany.  With DJ as the driver, we zipped through the hills of Tuscany surrounding the city.  We stopped high above the city for a photo opportunity, drove by the last home of Galileo (who was basically under house arrest by the Pope for declaring that the world was round, rather than flat).  We drove through grape vineyards and fields of olive trees and ended the trip at a quaint little restaurant on the outskirts of the city.  There we had the best bruschetta, pasta and roast beef and really good white wine.   I arrived back at the apartment safe and sound and sleepy.  We also met a charming couple from New Zealand named Mack and Mary.  That was a terrific addition to the day.

Ponte Vecchio - bridge of gold jewelry

DJ sitting high above Firenze

Outside our apartment in Firenze

Ciao, Bassano

Ponte Vecchio, Bassano del Grappa

Bassano del Grappa is my hometown in Italy.  It had to be the first stop on my tour with DJ so that he would get a taste of the real non-tourist country that I love.  We spent three days here with the Lago family including the youngest girls Elena and Stefania.  To say they wined and dined us is an understatement.  Between Lina's asparagi rissoto and Roberto's grilled chicken and sausages, we just about rolled out of town.  Not to mention the gelato (which I'm pretty sure I mentioned in the last blog).

Famiglia Lago

We were lucky to have the girls (and Alessio, Elena's boyfriend) to take us all around.  One of my favorite stops besides the old bridge is the walled city of Marostica.  We were not here at the time to see it, but this town hosts a life size Medieval chess tournament every September.  We were lucky, though, to see the city and to drive to the top of the wall where the old castle is now a very good and pricey restaurant.  We had just enough time to see the town and then get home for a home-cooked Italian of salad, pasta, vegetables and meat grilled in the fireplace of the family's "party room."  Lots of good wine and a little grappa at the end.

Roberto the chef

DJ, Alessio, Elena, Stefania

Our apartment balcony

The adventure continues

Maybe 25 years ago, my dad had me take a picture of him in front of this same bakery in Bassano del Grappa.  Now I am taking one of my nephew, DJ.  Our second day in Italy has been relaxing, at least for me.  Poor guy couldn't sleep last night because of the heat and jet lag.  I'm used to jet lag, and also new to open the windows and keep the door to my bedroom open.  He was sweltering with the door closed.  So I had the opportunity this morning to take in the  street market right in front of our apartment.

The weather man said it was going to thunder and storm today, but by the time my charge got up at 11:30, it looked beautiful, so we walked across the "new" bridge in Bassano to the Bike Store and rented two really great bikes.  We set off to retrieve my phone, which I had left at the family's house last night in Tezze sul Brenta, but we got lost.  So what could we do but stop for pizza at Al Mulino in Cartigliano?  The matriarch of the family, who was waiting our table, said that we were 30 minutes BY CAR from Tezze sul Brenta.  How in the world did we get so far off course?  We found out from her son, however, that we were only a few kilometers and made it to the family's house in due time.  The adventure was not over.

 As we left to beat the rain that was coming, we were drowned in a storm of epic proportions and had to turn back.  I'll spare you of my photo, but here is DJ soaked to the gills.

Now Dj has gone with Elena and Stefania to buy the fixings for tiramisu.  I think he needs to learn to make this so he can treat me when we get home.

Elena and Stefania

Tonight is asparagi rissoto at the family's then a street fair.  I'm going to try to watch Scandals on Netflix while the young ones go bar hopping.  It is a good trip so far.  I just hope that my charge can get over his jet lag tonight.  This is a big learning experience for him about international travel.

Italy through new eyes

This is our view from the window of an unbelievable apartment in Bassano del Grappa.  Carlotta is the owner of this B&B (Ca' Garibaldi), which my nephew and I rented for three days in this beautiful city in the foothills of the Dolomites.  Thank you Airbnb!  We arrived in Bassano after a 14 hour trip that took us from Washington Dulles airport to Paris Charles de Gaul (unfortunately not enough time to get into Paris, but that can be another trip), to Venice Marco Polo airport, then a bus ride to Mestre railstation and finally a train ride to Bassano.  He is freaking out with jet lag and I am trying to reassure him that it will get better.  If you haven't travelled internationally as frequently as I have, you don't have an appreciation of jet lag.  I think he is getting it now.

Carlotta and two members of my Italian family, Elena and Roberto, met us at the train station.  What a wonderful first day in Italy.  We showered, rested, then walked into the piazza for a small "aperitivo", then dinner with the family (unbelievable melon and prosciutto with Asgiao and grana cheeses, salad, and a spaghetti.  What could be more Italian.  I ended the day with a Bacio gelato, which was just about the most wonderful ice cream I have ever tasted...just like the Bacio candy here in Italy....dark chocolate with hazelnut pieces.  DJ and Roberto's girls, and Alessio took off for a night at the "disco."  Other than the jet lag, I think he is having a great time.  Unfortunately, he has not seen and probably won't see any Mafioso hanging out on the street.  I believe my dad and Hollywood have given him an unrealistic picture of Italy.  Elena thinks he might have better luck in southern Italy, but that will need to be another trip.

Did I mention that it was over 90 degrees here yesterday and there is no air conditioning?

Customer Service

I've been asked why I haven't been writing recently, in my mind, it has been because I am too busy.  But maybe it is because nothing has gotten me riled up enough to stop what I am doing to start writing.  Until now.

I'm sitting in the waiting room of a hospital with a friend waiting for the staff to call him in for a procedure, the outcome of which can be good or can be pretty bad.  This "Top 100 Hospital" as the signs in the lobby brag has an information desk that does not know where the Cardio-Pulmonary lab is located.  As we finally discover, it is on the level right above the desk where we are standing.  She also does not tell us that we need to sign it at a computer across the hall from her before we walk up the stairs to the lab.  The laboratory staff look at us like we are disturbing them and like we should know that we needed to register before we bothered them.

 I am retired, but if I were to start working again, I'd love to have the job of showing organizations like this one how to interface with their customers.  People who are in this facility are scared, confused, and they don't need the further stress of mis-information.

Okay.  I'm back.  Tomorrow I leave for Italy and hope to blog from there.  Breathe, breathe, relax...