Italy (Part 1): Venezia

Logistics
We recently left Spain for the first time since our arrival 3 1/2 months ago, to visit friends who live in nearby Italy. Now nearby is a relative term as although on a map it doesn't appear very far away, it's kind of a pain to get there.

Just back from Italy where
we over ate and over spent

With budget in mind, I booked us low-cost flights on Ryan Airlines which leaves from Madrid (which is a 4+ hour drive away) and flies to Bologna from where we could catch a train to our first destination, Venice. With all the logistics worked out (visit scheduled, train seats reserved, overnight in Madrid figured out, bags packed -- carry-on only of course as it's 30E a bag for anything more), we started the long drive towards Madrid. All went well until our friendly GPS guide with the sultry female voice (I still haven't figured out to change to English but all the better for our spanish practice), repeatedly started saying Recalculando every time we missed a turn. But we finally found the hotel which was very nearby the airport and after a dinner that cost more than the room (thankfully the room was cheap), we headed to bed, very early by Spanish standards.

 

In front of the Rialto Bridge

Up at 4:30am the next morning for a 6:45am flight and we're off. Easy 2 hour flight to Bologna, kill a few hours in the train station by trying out our first Italian pizza at a nearby Osteria,(it was a hit) and we're on to Venice which is only 2 hours away.

Our gondolier, Simoni, checks his cell
phone mid-ride

Now this is my third time to Venice, the first as a backpacker in my twenties, once with Nat before we got married and now 16 years later with 2 boys in tow. I wanted to do it all this time and figured we could finally afford it so on to the cheezy Gondola ride. It was actually quite fun although our gondolier, Simoni, was on his cell phone almost the entire time and I don't think we even made it the allotted 40 minutes. At least it was off-season so the prices were (slightly) lower.

Colin amongst the knaves

We stayed at a gorgeous boutique hotel in a private courtyard just off of Piazza San Marco (I stayed at a youth hostel when I was there the first time) and we even had 2 rooms as they couldn't accomodate all 4 of us in one room. The rooms were decadent with murals painted on the walls, terry cloth robes, an incredible breakfast and most importantly a bath tub, something we don't have back at home in Granada. (I took 3 baths while there while the boys enjoyed watching "snooker" on TV).

Breakfast fit for a King

We dined our first night at a restaurant favored by Johnny Depp but the biggest suprise of the night was when the British girl (identical to Madonna in the 90's - think short bleach blonde hair) at the table next to us handed Clark a 5E bill and told he and Colin to spend it on gelato, she thought they were so adorable. Note that she had probably had a bit of champagne as she also told us she was recently engaged so I am guessing her biological clock had started ticking. Regardless, Clark didn't know what to do with the cash and immediately handed it to me for safe keeping. 






Feed the birds, tuppins a bag

The next morning we spent at least an hour in Piazza San Marco playing with all of the assertive pigeons that roam the area looking for tourist handouts. Apparently it is now illegal to feed the pigeons (they used to sell birdseed), but everyone still does it. I was appalled at having pigeons wander all over my arms and head but the boys loved it. (Thank god for their hoods as Clark actually got pooped on).

Naval Museum

Then it was on to the Naval History Museum (Museo Storico Navale) which was both a hit and a bargain (the only one we found in Italy, mind you) at only 3E for the four of us. We spent a few hours checking out the model ships as well as maritime equipment and costumery. Afterwards we stopped by a bakery and a park and then another cafe along the Grand Canal on the way back to our hotel (did I mention that the drinks here were 9E each? -- and we sat inside!).

Along the Grand Canal

We spent our final morning in Venice at the famous Doge's Palace, another location I had never visited. This is a fascinating palace built in the 1300's for the Doge of Venice and is currently used as a museum. The boys overlooked the golden decor, famous paintings and enormous rooms for the much more interesting (to them) prison on the other side of the Bridge of Sighs, one of the most famous bridges in Venice known for the last view of the city that convicts got before they were sent to prison. We then took a water taxi back to the train station and caught a train to our next destination, Florence.