March 5th, 2017
Happy March dear family and friends! I can’t believe Spring is just around the corner. We are kicking off the opening of our B&B at the end of this upcoming week with the arrival of our first guest…Aunt Grace! A week later, my parents fly in! We are excited to see extended family again!!!
Back in January, when we were in the throes of winter, we enjoyed a quick weekend trip to Venice. We got an incredible deal on Ryanair allowing the four of us to fly for under 100 Euros! Of course, we later figured out why you can fly to Venice so cheap in January…it is COLD!!!! However, Venice is still beautiful and charming…
…just layer up in January!
Our trip started off with an “extended stay” at the airport as we waited out a regional snowstorm for about seven hours…not the most ideal way to kick things off but we were grateful we still got to go. After we landed at the Treviso Airport, we caught a bus to Venice and then rode the Vaporetto (a water bus) to the neighborhood where our apartment was. Navigating public transportation is always an adventure!
We were pleasantly surprised when we heard Mein Mann’s name called out as we stepped off the boat. The woman who owned the apartment we were renting decided to meet us there, instead of the apartment as we had initially planned. She walked us to our weekend home-away-from-home and spent time explaining the neighborhood and the ins and out of our apartment. She was so kind and we were relieved to be cared for after the craziness of our travels. We lost a day of sight-seeing but we made it!
The historic centre of Venice is made up of islets and canals in the shape of a fish. It is divided into six districts, called sestieri. We stayed in Cannaregio where most of Venice’s actual residents reside. This quiet neighborhood was away from the more crowded, tourist hot spots yet had easy access to the water buses. Our apartment sat along a canal with a beautiful church nearby.
With the gift of a full day to see the sites of Venice, we layered up (long johns and all) and ventured out. Here are our highlights…
The Rialto Market
We enjoyed walking around the various food stalls where Venetians have come for their daily supplies of fish, vegetables and fruit since 1097. The boys enjoyed the incredible variety of seafood on display. When some of the stall keepers saw the look of amazement on the boys’ faces, they brought out a shark for the boys to hold for a photo-op! The Italians love children and are often so gracious in their treatment and interactions with families.
Birarria La Corte-Lunch Break!
This pizzeria in an old brewery in Campo San Polo made for a great pitstop to warm up and get refueled for the afternoon.
The Rialto Bridge
This marble bridge was completed in 1591 and is the oldest of the four bridges that span the Grand Canal of Venice. Without anchors in the middle, this single span bridge is considered an architectural marvel of the Renaissance Period. There is actually shops on the bridge! Its one of the most popular tourist spots and thus VERY crowded…even in the off-season. The view down the Grand Canal makes it worth the crossing!
Riding in a Gondola
This thirty-minute ride through the small canals was our splurge of the trip. The ride was so peaceful as we glided past homes, businesses, historical buildings (like Marco Polo’s childhood home pictured below), hotels, and more. Our gondolier shared interesting tidbits about Venice, his trade and his family. We enjoyed this memorable ride with the added bonus of warm blankets!
Libreria Alta Aqua-“Library of High Water”
This eclectic bookstore is a must-see for book lovers! The entire collection of books is kept safe from flood waters by being stored in bathtubs, water-proof containers and even a full-size gondola. We enjoyed perusing the different rooms that are literally stacked wall-to-wall with books, magazines, maps and more. Outside, you are invited to climb the book steps to enjoy the view of the canal. Inside, a friendly cat greets you at the check-out. Purr-fect! =)
Piazza San Marco…Pigeons!
Though we were surrounded by some amazing architecture, the pigeons were the highlight of this piazza for the boys and will be remembered for years to come! We were amazed by the sheer volume of birds found here. Out of curiosity, we followed the crowds to the center where birds were landing on folks with outstretched arms. We quickly found ourselves becoming pigeon perches! Men approached us and poured bird seed in our hands to encourage our avian friends and then insisted on payment. What?!! It turns out it’s actually illegal to feed the pigeons. Police quickly shooed the birdseed men away with their presence as they did their rounds through the piazza. I was just grateful we didn’t need to clean off any bird poop. Please pass the hand sanitizer!!!!
Sunset over Venice
We watched the sun make its slow descent towards the horizon as we made our way to our water bus station and rode back to our neighborhood for the night. The boys worked on putting together evening entertainment as we prepared dinner back in our apartment. They put on a play about a gondolier and a cat…of course!
Buona Notte! (Good Night in Italian)
