A rainy kind of day ...

We woke up this morning to drizzle, but despite that the canal outside still looked magical.

Forecast said it world rain this morning and then lighten up in the afternoon but we decided to make it a day of museums and head for the outer islands tomorrow. Ca Rezzonico is a museum on the Grand Canal where they have recreated the oppulence of 17th and 18th high society living in Venice. The rooms are full of rich tapestry, paintings and furniture. Whilst we probably didn't appreciate every detail, the richness of the Venician nobility was very evident.

This chandelier is the only one of its type in the world - you can see the use of coloured glass here in its centre. 

Despite the rain, the Vaporettos continue to travel up and down the grand canal.

We dropped into our 'local' tonight for a Spritz. A mixture of white wine, Campari, bitter lemon (I think) and an Olive. It's very refreshing and you meet some great characters. We had a fun time.

Tomorrow - we hope to make it to Murano and Burano by boat.

Life in Venice

Although we're only here for five days, our apartment is well out of the tourist area on a small canal and it's great watching life in Venice. There's a small dock - read two mooring poles - outside our landing and each night three 'tradies' tie up their boat and head off home. Each morning they arrive about 8am, load up the boat with their tools and supplies and head off.

Across the canal, mums with their children running ahead, head off to school on the quayside path.

We have to make sure our 'humid' garbage is put outside every day between 6-8am to be collected. Glass is collected three days a week and paper and plastic the other three days.

The seagulls here are a menace, which is why you have to put out the garbage between those hours. Apparently many years ago they introduced hawks to get rid of the pigeons but then they mated with the seagulls to produce a much larger seagull like bird. They're so big they carry off small children .... 

They also love garbage!

The grocery boat has just pulled up across the canal and the guys are unloading the days supplies to the restaurant just over the bridge. Our hosts have suggested we have dinner there as they serve the best Ciccetti in Venice. (A series of fresh seafood dishes). We'll let you know.

There are very few gondolas in our canal - as I said, it's not a tourist area. Just lots of working boats going about their deliveries and getting to work.

Travelling on the Vaporetto

The Vaporetto is the way people get around Venice. It's a water bus and you can get a variety of tickets and travel all day or just one journey. It's a great way of getting around. Today we headed off to check out a few Museums and art Galleries. The problem is that the city itself is a museum and art gallery so we tended to favour walking the streets and seeing as much as we could.

We went to St Mark's Square and I retook a photo my Dad took 53 years ago. (See Facebook).

We came across a gondolier maker with two almost completed boats on his slipway.

We tasted a great Gelato made only by Nico at one of the Vaporetto stops, we drank Spritz with Cicetti under the Rialto Bridge and saw a bride and groom, although not 'that' couple.

It was a great day and for Sarah, yes, Janine is getting heaps more attention than this blog.

We took a gondola ride - but just a short one across the grand canal for 2 Euro each. Much cheaper than the 80 Euro they charge for 30 minutes.

St Mark's Square.

Enjoying a Spritz - the drink of Venice

Those love locks are here also.

Forget yesterday's highlight ... Venice is amazing

I think I am running out of superlatives. I was last in Venice in 1961 with my parents and have some memories of how beautiful it was, but nothing prepared either of us for finally being here.

It was helped by our hosts who own a number of apartments here. They met us at the station and we walked together through the streets to where we're staying. There gave us a list of things to do and were really helpful.

As I write this, I'm sitting on our water front balcony on a quiet canal watching daily life go by. There are three guys fixing a new mooring pole on the dock across the canal and three young guys just went past in a gondola, with one of them rowing.

We've just been for a walk to get groceries and fruit and took in the grand canal and I it's sites as the sun started to set. The warm light of the setting sun sets the building stone used to build this city to perfection.

Sadly we haven't seen Mr and Mrs Clooney of any of their friends, but I'm sure they're partying somewhere in town. Our hosts gave us a whole list of things to do and so we're going to plan the next few days over dinner tonight. Home made lasagna!

More from Venice tomorrow .... 

Our highlight so far ....

Last night was the highlight of our time away so far. It wasn't seeing an amazing sculpture or painting, rather it was doing something Florentines have been doing for thousands of years, having dinner.

Let me start at the beginning. We came across a brochure promoting various tourist activities and one of them was a guided night tour of Firenze, followed by dinner. So we dropped into the agency promoting this and booked ourselves in.

We started at 8.30, met some other Aussies and an American couple and set off on the bus. We went to the hill overlooking Firenze. A great spot for a view over the city.

After the drive we stopped near the river and headed off for dinner.

We entered a Piazza, almost deserted apart from a busker playing a flute. He wasn't playing pop music, but was playing a classical repertoire featuring the great arias from Italian Opera. The flute and his recorded orchestral backing track filled the Piazza with the most beautiful haunting sound. Just magic! We couldn't see any restaurants, but our guide took us into a building and up a flight of stairs and knocked on what appeared it be an apartment door.

We were led into a room with high ceilings, tables covered in white table cloths, set with cutlery and our antipasto. It was a private restaurant and it was fabulous. We sat with the American couple and discovered we shared a Faith and had lots of things in common. (They had loved the book 'Unbroken' about US Olympian Louis Zamperini who was imprisoned by the Japanese. Andrew, our eldest son, worked as A Camera/Steadicam on the crew when they made a film of the book in Australia over last Christmas.)

The food was perfect. Four courses all chosen by the chef and his partner who do this for a living. The room was great with open windows into the Piazza. Unfortunately the flautist had finished for the night.

After almost thee hours of great food and conversation we walked home around 11.30 with the streets still full of people.

This morning we headed of the Acadame Gallery to see Michelangelo's statue of David and all the other exhibits of course.

After lunch we headed to the church where Michaelangelo and Galileo are buried and had a lovely afternoon. The church also has a leather school attached - great old leather working tools.

We're off to Venice tomorrow - seems George didn't wait for us, he's already married. Anyway, I think there will be a lot of people in town. Fortunately our accommodation is all booked and we're being met at the station.

Firenze - a lovely surprise

Today we left the business of Rome and caught the train to Florence or Firenze. What a beautiful city, home to Michaelangelo, the Medici's and of course the Duomo with the dome designed by Brunelleschi. It's compact, clean and full of wonderful shops and restaurants with prices 50% less than Rome. Great for the budget.

We had pre-booked tickets for the Uffizi Gallery, home of the art of the Medici's and some famous Boticelli artworks, including The Birth of Venus. The Gallery is alongside the river, spanned by the Pont de Vecchio - home of all the Goldsmiths in Italy I think.

Seems the idea of a 'lock of love' has made its way from Paris to Firenze. I think one of them said 'Karl lives Ja ....' (Bit unclear there at the end).

Third time lucky ....

On our third visit to St Peter's Basilica we finally had no problem getting in. 

It was 7.30 in the morning and it was amazingly quiet. It was great too see it again, having filmed here in the mid-80's. I always loved the beams of light that make their way into the Basilica early in the morning.

Janine was happy too, having seen the Vatican Museum and the outside of St Peter's it was good to be inside.

At 10am we joined the tour to the Catacombs, Appian Way and a Roman aqueduct. We couldn't take any pictures inside the Catacombs, but it was a fascinating tour. Outside on the Via Appian, you can still see the wheel ruts from the Roman chariots and carts.

We had lunch in Piazza Navona and then walked the narrow streets to the west of the Piazza, the opposite way to the Pantheon. Some amazing old buildings, doorways and shops. I couldn't resist showing you the following ones - Jane Faase will like them I know.

Tomorrow we're on a train from Roma to Florence, so our next blog will be from Firenze.