When we were driving home from Montepulciano on Tuesday, we decided we would go to Venice Wednesday. We are staying about four hours from Venice, so we knew it would be a really long day. However, the kids seemed excited about it, so we got up early yesterday and headed out. For the first day since we have been here, we did not start the day with a treat from Signora Maria.
The drive to Venice allowed us to see some different terrain. Once we got north of Florence and started toward Bologna, we went through ( literally ) some decent mountains. I don't know what range it was, but it was our first time experiencing driving in the mountains in Italy. The A1 through the mountains barely seemed wide enough for two cars to be on, much less all of the trucks that travel on it. There were many times where I held my breath and just gunned it to get past a truck as it wandered into our lane. This was made all the more interesting by the ever-present super fast German car coming up behind me and wanting to pass. I had a death grip on the steering wheel most of the time. Once we got through Balogna, the terrain flattened out as we got closer to the coast. It reminded me a lot of Virginia and North Carolina. I would say this part of the trip was the most unattractive part of Italy we have seen.
We got to the outskirts of Venice and were plunged headlong into confusion. It seemed that there were three signs pointing different ways, all saying "To Venice." We ( of course ) chose the wrong one initially and wound up in some industrial area. I won't lie. There were a few expletives uttered ( sorry, kids ). We found our way back to the right road and headed for the Tronchetto parking deck just off the causeway. It was easy to get into, but a bit of a hike into the city. We figured out on the way back that there was a tram to the garage. Oh well.
The Tronchetto parking deck was our first clue that we were in for an expensive day. It was 21 euros to park for the day ( roughly $28 ). Venice was really the first city where it was obvious you were trapped and had to spend money. EVERYTHING cost money in Venice. Churches required a ticket, most things were quite expensive, and it just had the feel of a tourist trap. We later learned that Venice has only 48,000 residents, but I imagine on an average day there are far more tourists than residents there. After we got across the bridge and into the old part of the city, we just sort of wandered through the streets. Both Shelley and I were struck by the beauty of this city. It was a perfect day to be there ( about 80 and sunny ), and the colors of the city shone everywhere. Venice does not smell that great ( fish and other smells tend to waft up at times ), but the city was unlike anything I have ever seen. It was really strange to be in a city, with a lot of other people, and no cars. The streets were extremely narrow, and most of them were one way or dead ends of some kind. We kept walking and eventually found a great spot for lunch, Trattoria al Bari. We sat outside and watched people go by as we ate.
After lunch, we headed for the Rialto bridge. This is one of the more famous spots in Venice, and it was stunning. All of the scenes from movies and TV shows came to life as we watched water taxis and gondolas pass beneath us. We found a great gelateria called 'Mejor' as we ducked back into the maze of streets, and continued just wandering around.
We eventually got to Piazza San Marco, easily the most recognizable spot in Venice. There were thousands and thousands of people there, music was playing, and the scenery stunning. We went down to the waterfront and saw all of the gondoliers and water taxis, then went into Basilica San Marco. The ceiling of this church was literally gold. It was beautiful. The floor of the church was a beautiful patchwork of marble, broken up here and there by the undulations from the ever-shifting earth below. Back outside, we decided not to climb the tower ( it was 8 euros per person ), but spent some more time exploring the square. What an amazing place.
As we started back through the city, the kids really wanted to ride a gondola. It is the definition of a tourist trap, but we decided we would not care a year from now how much it cost and would love the memory. We went for a gondola ride through the canals of Venice. It was both relaxing and fun. The kids absolutely loved it, and I have to confess that I did as well. Our gondolier did a great job of pointing out the landmarks, as well as telling us the palaces where famous people had lived ( Mozart, Goethe, among many others ). I can see why artists would choose to live in a city like this.
After we got back from the gondola ride, we started the long trek to the car. Venice is really, really difficult to find your way through, which at the end of a long day was at times frustrating. We found one last gelateria, Il Doge, in Campo Santa Margherita. It was the consensus pick of the trip for tastiness.
We ended up spending about seven hours or so in Venice. For me, it was enough. I am sure you can spend days there, but there were a lot of people and the streets were sometimes wide enough for just one person. I got a bit claustrophobic at times. That being said, everyone was really glad we made the trip. It would have been a huge miss to not make it over there.
The drive home was as, if not more, nerve fraying than the ride over. The only thing worse than navigating the mountains during the day was doing it at night at the point of exhaustion. We made it back at about 11 or so last night and collapsed into our beds, content in spending a great day in a truly unique city.
We are spending today around Podere Ampella. The kids want to swim, and we have a few things to get done before we head for Roma first thing in the morning. We hope to have internet in Rome at our apartment, but are not sure.
Until next time, check out the new pictures we are uploading today
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