Update 2 Venice and Verona

August 16 - Tuesday             We are up early to have breakfast by 7:15 so that we can catch the 7:55 bus to Venice.  We arrive at the bus stop with plenty of time which is a good thing as the bus arrives earlier than scheduled.  We get into Venice by 8:20 and buy ferry ticket passes good for unlimited use for the next 12 hours.  We board the water ferry and since this is the first stop for this boat, we are able to get the premium seats, in the front of the bow enjoying unimpeded views.  The canal is still quiet with gondolas under covers and not many delivery boats out either as compared to the last time we were here.  It was very enjoyable to sit back and soak in the sights.

  It promises to be a very warm day as we can feel the temperature rising. 

            We arrive at San Marco piazza at 9:10 and there is a find the line to enter San Marco Basillica

 has already started but it’s shorter than when we were here with Suzanne in July.  T googles and finds that we’ll have to wait until 9:30 for the church to open.  As we stay in line we can see the queue is getting longer and longer.  Time passes fairly quickly and T does a google search on the Basillica while waiting in line.  It’s called a basillica because it has the remains of someone, St. Mark.  His remains were smuggled out of Alexandria under a slab of pork past the Muslim guards.  Once again we enjoy our visit and this time we brought binoculars to have a closer look at the mosaic ceiling. We stay inside St. Mark’s taking in all there is to see for much longer than last visit, the binocs really help to appreciate the detail in the art work! This is by far the most amazing church that Ruby, Sherry and Mark A have ever seen. J and T take a side visit into the “treasure room” for a closer look at some very old religious artifacts - loaded with jewels, silver gilding, and gold. Outside in St. Mark's piazza J gets friendly with the pigeons.

            Armed with the tickets that T bought yesterday, we walk through to begin our tour of the Ducale Palace - another “must see” sight in Venice.  There are well over a hundred people waiting in line to buy tickets (thanks Frommers for the heads up on where to buy tickets ahead of time)! We arm ourselves with audioguides and begin our walking tour of this historic landmark.  The opulence is evident as we walk from the courtyard into the building to tour the themed rooms.

Photos are not allowed in most rooms. Each room is outfitted with wonderful artwork and the ceilings in each are a work of art - in some cases looking like gilded frames - amazing!!  We spent a couple hours going through here - the artwork is   very different than what one would see at home - not just a few pieces in each room - more like having an artist paint the entire room, while a different artist paints the next room perhaps in a different style. J liked the armory section that showed the evolution of the swords, arrows and guns from simple versions to more complex. We also walked along the dungeon corridors crossing over the bridge of sighs twice. The bridge prisoners crossed and had a final glimpse of the outside world and would sigh... before heading into imprisonment and death.  T complied and sighed aloud for all.

            When everyone had enough of the touring it was off to find a quieter spot for lunch.  We found a restaurant with no cover charge, which lots of places do, and had an enjoyable lunch.  It’s another hot day here - in the 30’s, so dining in air-conditioned comfort is welcome.  With lunch done, we head to the water taxi area to catch a boat to Murano so they can see the glass blowing.  The trip out there takes about 40 minutes as we are on a boat that stops many places along the way.

We go to the same spot we had gone the last time and there is a demonstration going on,

however, it’s busier and it’s not as long or complex as we saw - unfortunate for our guests!  Anyways, they enjoy it and then we walk around and shop some.

            M, J and Ruby have had enough of Venice in the heat, but Mark A, Sherry and T have not, so we part ways.  M and Ruby head back to the hotel so J can enjoy the pool - hasn’t been in one for a few weeks.  T and gang head back to near San Marco where the plan is to walk amongst the back alleys in the less travelled/ less busy spots.

We have our trusty map, which comes in handy.  At one point we stopped to look where we were and found that we were nowhere near where we thought we were going!  We had a good laugh at that one.  Sometimes we were the only ones on the street and sometimes we came to complete a dead end and had to retrace our steps.  We did come across an artist selling some watercolors of Venice.  Both T and the Atwaters bought a couple - we had a chat with the artist.

            After nearly 2 hours of wandering, we decide to call it quits and find the nearest water taxi terminal to head down to the train station.  T wants to check out the train schedule for Verona for tomorrow’s adventure and since it is not too busy there, buys the tickets.  We walked from the train station just a short distance and cross the canal to get to Piazza Roma to catch the bus back to the hotel.  Later we all tried to get into a Chinese restaurant but were turned away because it was full, so we had to go back to last night’s spot.  That’s ok as the food is very good.

            August 17 - Wednesday              We are scheduled to catch the train to Verona at 9:10 so meet for breakfast at 7:30 to give us enough time to catch the bus to the train station at 8:20.  Everything goes smoothly and we have plenty of time at the station before our high-speed train arrives.  T opted for this as the Regional train, like a Greyhound bus, stops at many towns along the way, and the trip would have taken over twice as long.  The Atwaters - or at least Mark had wanted to travel on one of the trains we had been talking about, so he was keen. It was a quick 55-minute trip where everyone just sat back and relaxed.  M and Ruby sat with a couple on their honeymoon from Texas, and had a great chat the entire way. He was a pilot and even showed J a video of flying a former MIG 22 that his company has for training.

            The Verona station is not far from where we wanted to take them, so after consulting the local map, we decide to walk to the arena.  A leisure walk takes us through the Porta Nuova - the entrance into this walled city.

The sidewalks are wide and marble tiled.  It is very pleasant to walk along this wide street, with many tall trees - each, we notice, are numbered.  While our guests tour the arena, M, T, J enjoy sitting in the piazza under an awning enjoying some cool lemonata.

When everyone is back together, we head into a lesser-travelled area and find a restaurant for lunch.  M and T choose a couple of local dishes, stuffed zucchini flowers with ricotta cheese and grilled polenta served with salami, bacon and gorgonzola cheese - wonderful!  Even J tried and liked the polenta - as evidenced by the number of times he asked T for bites. 

            After lunch we head along the cobbled streets to the Castello Vecchio (old castle) and enjoy a walk through here and across the bridge to the other side of the river.

  We then spend the rest of our time walking along the streets of the city enjoying the atmosphere.  We made our way back another route to the station.  An older gentleman saw T conferring with her map and told his lady friend to come over and help out.  She confirmed that we were on the right track and off we continued. 

            The trip back to Venice Mestre was a breeze and some had naps while others enjoyed the scenery.  We managed to find the bus stop to get back to the hotel and did not have to wait long in the heat.  Back at the hotel, we kick back for a while before heading out for dinner.  Tonight we decide to find another restaurant.  T gets directions to another eatery in the vicinity.  Good thing we are given two names as the first one we try is closed for summer vacation, when we arrive at the second we find it closed as well. Luckily Mark A and J had spotted another on the way and we find it is just opening, perhaps after vacation....  We arrive as the first guests and the hostess rattles off in Italian that the kitchen is just opening and T thinks she says there are limited food options (but T’s not 100% sure as she didn’t understand everything she heard).  Anyways, we sit outside on the patio, they bring an aperitif on the house - she tells me non-alcoholic for J and some of us enjoy and some pass on the offering.  M, T, J and Ruby all decide on pizzas.  The Atwaters, through T, find out that several of their choices aren’t available, so T asks what can you make?  So, the cook can make spaghetti scogliore - (mixed shellfish).  They agree to try it and it turns out to be wonderful.  Our pizzas are wonderful.  To top off the meal we are offered limoncello that T, M and Mark A accept and enjoy.  It turns out to be a very enjoyable experience in this little local pizzeria! 

            August 18 - Thursday              It’s time to head back to Milan as our guests are flying back to Halifax tomorrow morning.  We suggested leaving Venice with time for a side trip into Milan to see the Duomo.  We check out by 9:30 and with the van packed

we head down the autostrata.  Traffic isn’t too heavy, so it’s smooth going.  We drove to the Taormina Ristorante for lunch (which we had been to before when we stayed in Milano Nord).  Most of us decide to have the menu di giorni - trofie pesto (pasta), baked salmon and vegetables.  J orders salate mista (mixed salad) which totally shocks and pleases M and T - it’s a first for J!!!  Mark A decides to be adventuresome and not ask us what the items he orders even are - he enjoys his first ever Nicoise salad made Milan style. Everyone enjoys a good meal and then we head back to park near the Novotel - tram stop where we went for excellent caps each morning.  The owner tells us that he doesn’t have any tickets left to sell, as August is the busy time, so we decide to drive down into the centre to park near the Duomo. 

            Well, drive down to near the Piazza Duomo is not without incident, of course, there’s a reason why we took the tram down earlier in the month!  We learned that one of the risks of asking Navi to take us to the Duomo is that it will do just that. After a few missed turns, finding ourselves on to pedestrian only streets and having to back up the van to turn around amongst pedestrians adds a little “excitement” to the tour.  The only plus, see a bit more of Milano centro.  T now knows where the shopping districts are which she had read about, but never visited earlier in the month.  

            20 minutes or so later after we set out from the tram stop lot, we manage to find a parking spot.  It will be a bit of a walk to reach the Duomo, but it’s doable.  M, T, and J find a spot to sit in the piazza and have a cool drink (as T forgot to wear longer shorts and her skort was too short for the guards to allow her into the Duomo this time).  Our guests go for a tour as we enjoy watching people within the piazza and believe us - we are entertained. 

            With the tour finished, we head back to the van and head out to Malpensa airport where T reserved rooms at the Sheraton that is attached to the terminal.  Ruby and the Atwaters are due to depart at 7:10 am tomorrow so it makes sense to be right there.  After we are checked in, M returns the van - which served us very well over the month, ferrying guests, luggage and us around the countryside.  Tomorrow AM, we will pick up our Peugeot station wagon, which we have had stored in long term parking for the last month (the lot is only about 5 min from the hotel). 

            Without a car at our disposal, we decide to eat at the hotel restaurant.  We have a wonderful dinner together.  J ordered pasta arribiatta  - which is spicy tomato sauce.  He even eats it that is very surprising to M and T as both of us tasted it and thought “wow, that’s hot!!”  We would certainly understand if he had chosen to not eat it and order something else.  But, he persevered and finished it - although he didn’t want anything else.  He has certainly widened his palette immensely on this trip! 

            August 19 - Friday   Mark A, Sherry and Ruby knocked on the door at 5 am to say goodbye.  After goodbye hugs we went back to bed and slept in until about 8:30 am. We aren’t in a hurry to check out.  We decide to head over to the airport for a quick cap and croissant at a place we have used before and then head back over to pay for the month long parking fee.  M had left the ticket on the dash and it was now VERY faded and we hoped the dispenser could still read it.  Well, guess what, the machine wouldn’t read it.... So, we pushed the call button and received help right away.  The parking attendant who came looked at the ticket and just shook his head.... not a god sign.  He tried to get it read in the kiosk near the ticket dispenser, but no luck.  He told us to wait and he left us to wait about 5 minutes, upon which he returned with a newly printed ticket and we’re able to pay the fee.  Another lesson learned, in long-term parking, don’t put the ticket on the dash, store it within the vehicle OUT of the sunlight.  The lots at the airport were fenced and monitored, so, no need to do the N. AM. thing and leave the ticket on the dash. 

            It feels good to be back in the car as we head over to check out of the hotel.  We all carry down luggage to the car.  M tells T to go check out, only to find that he can’t get the other bag out of the room that he told her to check out of.  So, she has to go back to the desk and ask to be reactivated so she can go back to pick up the last bag left. Another lesson learned today - be sure all bags are out of the room before checking out!  OK, that done, and the car all loaded, we program Navi for our next destination, Bologna. 

            The drive is uneventful in the heat and we arrive about 1:30 after stopping in Parma for a great lunch.  Parma is known for Parmiagiano Reggiano, cheese, so T and J have risotto parmesiana and M has spaghetti scolgiero - (mixed seafood). He made sure he ate all the seafood before putting parmesan cheese on the remaining pasta (although he laughed at the thought of having a second waiter in a different city tell him that you don’t put cheese on fish).  It was a great break from driving on the autostrade that is the main thoroughfare from Milan to the east coast.  The traffic is fairly light and we enjoy the valley that we had travelled through twice on the high-speed train to and from Milan to Naples in April and May.  This area is fairly industrialized and not on the tourist map, so, it’s not busy today.

            Once at the hotel and checked in, M wants to get some computer work done as we’re not with internet access this next coming week and we need to organize a few things for the remaining months before we return home for Christmas.  It is about 35 C out, J heads to the pool, which is busy with other hotel guests.  It is very refreshing in the heat.  J and T enjoy playing some foosball and ping pong in the shade as well.  We decide to hang out at the pool until about 6:30 when we go into clean up and head out for dinner.

            We looked at the hotel menu, but with memory of a mediocre menu in Milan and this Novotel menu looked very similar, we decide to ask for a recommendation for a restaurant in the centre and go in search of it.  It is on a side street within the town centre and it’s seafood themed.  We all enjoy a dish that has seafood in it and then retrace our steps back to the hotel.  Although we did not see the old section in the daylight, we would not call the section of Bologna we saw a beautiful city - it’s industrialized and we could certainly see where the downturn in the economy has had an effect on certain areas.  We came across a number of empty places.

            August 20 - Saturday    We aren’t in a hurry to check out after sleeping in until 9 or so.  We send J down for breakfast at the buffet, because kids until 12 eat free at the Novotel and M and T have no desire to go through a mediocre buffet, much rather just have a cap and croissant later and save 20 Euro ($25CAN).  M wants to do a blog post, so we organize photos with text and get it done by 11:15.  J had gone down for a swim since it was already in the high 20’s outside.  We manage to all get organized and leave the hotel by 11:45.  Our destination, Ravenna, is about an hour away.

            We plug the address into Navi and head out.  After a quick stop for a cap and croissant, we are off to get onto the highway.  We are only on the Autostrata for about 5 min. before we hit traffic.  We read on the above neon highway signs that there is an accident, so we move at a snails pace, for about 30 km.  We choose to use this time to discuss the options left open to us for traveling before our tour of Turkey planned Oct. 12 and after until Nov. 26 when we have to drop our leased vehicle back in Milan.  We had hoped to go to Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary. However, through M’s research we have found: that Romania’s roads are not recommended due to poor conditions (he happened on this when he could not find a tour company that had a route through Romania and wondered why); Slovenia requires snow tires by Nov 15 and we don’t have those, nor do we want to buy these; Serbia and Kosovo have high tensions between them (meaning a potential civil war) and in the mountain passes of these countries landmines still exist and guides are strongly recommended - no thanks; and you cannot get from Turkey to Hungary without going through either Serbia or Romania.  As well, since it will be November and this area will be mountainous the road conditions in some of these countries will be an unknown, so we decide to re-think our plan.  Instead, we decide we will go via ferry from Bari, Italy to mainland Greece, and see that area before driving across there to Istanbul in time to catch our tour.  The month after our Turkey tour will be used to explore somewhere else other than the mentioned countries, still to be determined. 

            We arrive in the city of Ravenna and head toward where our accommodation is located.  We find we can’t get into where the location as it is pedestrian only.  We manage to find a parking lot with an attendant who gives us a map of the centro and draws the location of the apartment.  With this in hand, we decide to head toward there and find a parking spot and locate somewhere to have a bite to eat.   We found a small bar where we order a sandwich each and something to drink.  We appreciate the air conditioning as its over 30 and humid outside. 

            After a quick bite to eat, we head off on foot to find the apartment.  We do manage to find the street, and look for the address.  The place with looks like it might have apartments but it doesn’t look right (doesn’t look like the web pictures and no title on the apartment building - Garden villas).  We start to question whether we might be in the right place so head back to the car to check out “ let’s confirm what we have first before asking anyone else.”  Closer look at the sheet - it’s not the city Ravenna, but the province of Ravenna.  The town is Milano Marittima, Ravenna.  Ohh ... the light goes on for us.    We reprogram Navi and find  Milano Marittima is 23 km away from here.  We still have time to find somewhere to buy groceries and meet the guy who is supposed to let us into the apartment for 4pm.   So, off we go, to continue on our journey to find the apartment. 

            The area has some industrialization, but agriculture is big here too.  We’ve seen that they have already begun harvesting the corn - which they let the entire plant go completely dry before taking off the crop.  We see field after field of dried corn plants, also some for sunflower plant fields, waiting to be dealt with.  Of course we also see lots of fruit trees, and wines loaded with fruit. 

            Milano Marittima is located on the Adriatic Coast.  The towns here are full of small hotels - they don’t look like chain hotels. We locate a grocery store to pick up a bunch of supplies for a good part of the week then head over to meet Pietro who was waiting for us in front of the apt building (it’s 4:15).  He is the “custode” of the building and speaks virtually no English.  T gets the low-down on the place, pays the rent and we’re set for the week.  The apt. is not air-conditioned and it’s in the mid 30’s and no breeze, could make for an uncomfortable night.  We are in a condo/apt complex with some great retro decor - gotta love the bright yellow plastic towel, and soap racks in the baths!  Some odd designs - like our main bath window looks right out onto the adjacent apt deck - gonna have to pull the shutters when it’s shower time!

            We unpack the groceries and get things organized for dinner, before sitting on the deck that has a large retractable awning to help shade it and enjoy the well-treed and flowered courtyard.    We eat at 7:30 and it is still in the mid 30’s and we talk about how we have a hard time enjoying the humidity!   Time for bed and we’ve left all the windows, and doors onto the patios wide open to get some breeze night.  It doesn’t cool until the middle of the night when we pull the top sheet over us.

            August 21 - Sunday   We’re slow in getting started for the day - we’re having a “Lazy Day” like the hit “Lazy Song” being played on a regular basis on the radio, which has become a bit of a theme song for us on this adventure.  No problem hearing English on the radio, hearing English on TV a whole other ball game! 

            T does some research on her phone to see what the region is known for and what we might like to check out this week while we are here. We read part of book 10 of the 39 Clues set. Later we decide to go to the beach for the afternoon - its only a couple of blocks from our apt.  We arm ourselves with water, towels, sunscreen, books and head out.  As with anywhere else we’ve seen in Italy, the beach area is covered with beach umbrellas and loungers for rent - as far as the eye could see.  With this intense heat, we definitely want loungers with an umbrella so that we can have some shade while we aren’t in the water. We walked onto Del Pinto Beach club area and rent for 20 Euro - not cheap, but that’s the way it goes.

            We are able to get an umbrella in the 2nd line away from the beach and we can definitely feel the welcomed breeze off the water.  As you move further back up the beach, the heat radiating off of the sand is intense and no breeze. Once we unload our stuff, we head to the water.  The water is really warm and takes no time at all to adjust to.  The water is very shallow in this area, we could easily walk out 200 feet before the water is at shoulder height.  We have a wonderful time enjoying the water, beach and sunshine enjoying about 3 1/2 hours. 

            Back at the apartment we cleanup, cook dinner and eat out on the deck once again.  After another delicious dinner, we head out to explore some of the area and go for a walk along the beach.  The breeze feels wonderful; we see the beach club attendants cleaning up in prep for tomorrow - raking the sand, umbrellas closed for the night, cleaning chairs, sidewalks etc.  The sun is setting as we walk along the hotel-lined beach.  Kind of reminds T of Hawaii or Australia, except there are no high rises here, the highest being about 7 or 8 floors on this beach.  As the sun goes down, we leave the beach and find our way to the street where our apt. is located.  The breeze felt great down by the water, but as we moved away, the heat seemed to build.  We head back to sit on the deck and enjoy some gelato in the plus 33 heat.