Hello Everyone! (Friday)
The first thing you always have to do when you find yourself in a fabulous place in the world, is to appreciate the immediate beauty around you and inhale it as deeply as you can - especially when you first wake up. You have to take time to let beautiful moments and breathtaking scenery work its way into your heart, so you can recall these moments in the dead of night or the dead of winter.
So, after stepping out the patio door on the tiny balcony and looking this way and that up and down the quiet canal, we decided to get ourselves ready early and go to the Rialto Bridge.
I must say it is fascinating walking along in the streets, passing the locals on their way to work and being a part of the city when it's waking up. Everything feels different in Venice. People still have to get somewhere, but there are no cars, buses, or scooters. Here - most of life takes place getting around water, over bridges or boating down the canals. You see the boats putting along with immense cargo loads of construction supplies. The children bounce along with backpacks - students on their way to school. People are already dragging luggage through the streets, banging it up the steps, then bumping it down on the other side. There are mothers carefully maneuvering strollers up steps, and then down, sometimes while holding the hand of another child. It's just all part of life in Venice.
We arrived at the Rialto Bridge, and again found that getting up early makes all the difference in the world, if you'd like to take some photos without being jostled and bumped and perhaps lose your camera in the water.
We left the Bridge and found a Caffe on Strada Nuova. We ordered the usual, croissants and cappuccinos. Two gondoliers wearing dark black pants and black and white striped shirts strolled into the caffe - and at another moment, we thought we saw Moses walk by. When it was time to leave the Caffe, Ron wondered if we should go to the Rialto market. We walked over to the canal where you could have a ride in a real gondola (traghetti taxi) with a real gondolier to paddle you over to the other side (a fast way to get from one side of the Grand Canal to the other). Venetian's stand in these traghetti. Tourists sit. Ronatello (Ron's new name) stood and I sat.
We walked around the old Market which was laden the usual fruits and vegetables, only this time, there were lots of trinket booths thrown in the mix.
Even Shakespeare in "The Merchant of Venice" makes reference to the Rialto market and its merchants.
We left the Market and made our way to the ghetto area, which is something that Roberto from the hotel suggested that we see.
Walking along Fondamenta Dei Ormesini, we finally reached the old Jewish Ghetto on Campo De Gheto Novi. You could see large plaques commemorating the deportation of Jewish people from the city of Venice, one of which read "Men, women, children. Masses for the gas chambers advancing toward horror beneath the whip of the executioner. Your sad Holocaust is engraved in history and nothing shall purge your deaths from our memories, for our memories are your only grave". I always find it interesting visiting places like this, because it truly gives you a picture of what was happening in the world during the Second World War.
We left this area and stopped for lunch at a restaurant recommended by Roberto, called Osteria Anice Stellato along Fondamenta della Sensa. The menu was all in Italian. (No seven languages on this one.
Lunch was wonderful. I tried ravioli farciti - which is ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach. Ron had Bucatini di grano (spaghetti with swordfish), I asked Ron if he'd like to taste my ravioli. "No, thanks," because usually Ron doesn't care for ricotta, but then he tried it, and did enjoy it. He said the ricotta tasted much better here. Then he asked, "What is it? Sheep's milk or goat's milk, or what?" I said it was mostly from sheep milk, and please don't talk about it, because if you think about it, the milk of an animal is gross - at which point Ron reminded me that all cheese (which I love) comes from the milk of an animal. "Oh, that's right, I guess," and finished my ravioli.
There was lots of activity up and down this canal which was right beside our table - and as long as you didn't mind the occasional Venetian dog owner allowing Fido to stop, sniff and do dog activities on the nearby wall, you would be fine. You can still see other interesting things motor on by down the canal, like the Venezia Ambulanza or the Venezia Carabinieri (police).
You might even see a gondola go by with a real woman gondolier guiding it at the back, and a lady tourist standing at the front and wobbling around while attempting to paddle and all the while, her boyfriend sitting on his rump in the middle enjoying the view.
We left the restaurant and walked to Chiesa Madonna dell'Orto built in 1365. In this church is the tomb of Jacopo Robusti detto Tintoretto (1519-1594). He was a Venetian painter from the 1500's with a fascinating life story, if anyone happens to be interested...
As we walked back through the streets to the hotel, Ron stopped to admire a pile of red geraniums, which I told him I could easily purchase at Walmart and to please keep going. Finally, I limped into the hotel with aching, puffy feet.
We had a rest and cooled off. Re-energized, we decided we couldn't miss the opportunity to go to the Gallerie dell'Accademia in the Palazzo Grimani to see the works of other Venetian artists from the 1500's. On the way there, Ron looked up and suddenly Moses was back walking in front of us. He then mysteriously rounded a corner and was gone.
Roberto recommended we stroll in the evening to an area where many Venetians like to walk. We sat on a bench facing the Guidecca canal to watch the boats pass by.
As we sat, an elderly couple dressed very nicely slowly walked by. How do elderly people manage here we asked ourselves? We watched this lovely, dignified pair walk towards Ponte (Bridge) Longo. She pushed her walker, he walked beside her, a cane in one hand, and hung onto the walker with the other. Somehow they carefully made each step up with the help of the other all the way to the top, and I hope they didn't tumble down the other side.
We then went for supper (I know it does seem like we eat a lot). We shared the most delicious, fresh salad first. I had pizza marinara, Ron tried pappardelle with duck sauce.
We walked back to Piazza San Marco around 10:00 pm to see the orchestras which play in the Piazza in the evening.
We stopped in front of Il Caffè Florian (The Florian). Many people sat at small tables, having drinks. The waiters wore white tuxedos. We stood and watched the orchestra play.
The Florian caffe opened on December 29, 1720 in Piazza San Marco and is Italy’s oldest Caffe. (Coffee began to be sold as early as 1638 in Venice.) It's fun to walk in and look at the old luxury of the Florian. These days you can buy coffee, teas, chocolates, cookies, porcelains, and design objects in there.
Then we walked across to the other side of the Piazza in front of the
Gran Caffè Quadri, another historic caffe that has been around since
1775. There was an orchestra also performing in front of the caffe.
Lastly, a third orchestra performed in front of The Lavena, another historical caffe situated at the foot of the clock tower in Piazza San Marco.
I was saying to Ron, I don't think there is a more exquisite instrument then the violin. And imagine standing in the shadows of the Basilica and the Doges Palace in Piazza San Marco on such a warm evening as the sound of violins filled the air...
Today was a day we ventured to corners of Venice, some parts of which do not appear on the usual tourist map. That's what so intriguing about being here, the unknown side streets and canals which are there, if you care to find them.
The mystery and exquisite beauty of Venice is something that captivates you and you just cannot forget...
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