Day 6 Venice Floats My Boat; July 21, 2008

I wanted to be at the Doge's Palace before it opened so we could beat the crowds. I pretty much did, all except for 200 Japanese tourists who got in before it opened!

The Doge was the Governor of Venice, elected for life by the most powerful nobles of the most aristocratic families. Starting in Medieval times, it's considered kind of a step along the way to democracy.

His palace is made of pink and white marble in Venetian Gothic style around a large inner courtyard. It included the meeting chambers of the Senate, the courtrooms, ornate waiting rooms, and living quarters for his family. It was meant to show the power of the Doge and that Venice was truly "Queen of the Seas" at the peak of it's power in the 15th century.

There's the Golden Stairway, which has all the ceiling done in 24 carat gold. The rooms are all quite large with high, ornate ceilings. Walls are decorated with huge paintings, lots of them by Tintoretto. The largest in the world covers one huge wall with 500 figures, all individually painted, and Christ in the center dispensing Judgement and favoring the Doge. Kind of puts the Doge right up there, just under Christ. At least that was the message!


Larry and Dick and I went next to St. Mark's Cathedral, but the line had hundreds of people waiting, so first we had to check a bag. We really didn't need to, but I found out that if you check your bag, the claim check will let you go to the head of the line! It seems no one knows about this, because the bag check is down an alley and only a few people were there, but it worked like a charm! the guy just waved us in!


San Marco is really Byzantine looking, with lots of round domes and round arches and thousands of square feet of wall mosaics. The ceiling is all done in little gold mosaic tiles; which is a thin piece of gold leaf sandwiched between 2 pieces of glass. We went behind the altarpiece to see the treasure looted by Venetian Christians from Constantinople Christians. There were hundreds of jewels set into the gold, set off by small enamels. We got up on top of the roof to look out over the square and saw the 4 bronze horses. They were made in Alexandria (Egypt,) stolen first to Constantinople, (I think) then to Venice, then by Napoleon to Paris, and back to Venice when napoleon fell. Eventually the lights came slowly on, and the whole place began to glow with shining gold! Very cool.

In the afternoon we took a boat ride to the outlying island of Murano so see hand blown glass. I saw a chandelier that looked like Austrian crystal, and I asked about it. Oh, no! The Austrians copied the technique from Murano! Murano has been doing glass for a thousand years.

We took a couple of more boats to Burano, which specializes in hand-made lace. The men fish and the women make lace and they've done that for hundreds of years. the best thing about Burano is all the houses are painted in bright colors. Larry really liked it, and we had dinner outside under an orange umbrella.

Day 5 Florence, See Uffizzi to Venice; July 20, 2008

Like Renaissance art? The greatest Italian art in the world is concentrated in one fantastic museum, the Uffizzi in Florence.

Imagine a grand Italian Renaissance building, built in the 1500's in the shape of a long U. Now make the legs longer. Put the best art on the top floor, so people climb up 2 stories to start at one end of the U, gaze with amazed oohs and aahs at paintings they've only seen in books, and exit at the other end. Decorate the long corridor with real Roman statues and busts of such heros as Nero and Agrippa, and add the Medici power brokers of the 1500's. Now put a line of 1000 people outside, just hoping to get in for their own once-in-a lifetime glimpse. That's the Uffizzi!

Fortunately, we had a reservation for 8:15, the earliest time slot. That meant we had to really book it to get there on the bus after breakfast at our hotel. I dropped the group at the entrance and ran across the courtyard to pay for our tickets. My wait in line was less than a minute. I took the tickets back to our people, and in one more minute we were in! Show your ticket, go through security, show your ticket again, go through the turnstile, climb the stairs, and show your ticket again at the top. Wow! That's the easy way to see the Uffizzi! Call Italy for a reservation 2 months before you go, and choose the early morning. The 1000 people in the line isn't bad compared to how long it gets by lunchtime!

We saw Boticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring, Michelangelo's Holy Family, an El Greco, the Duke of Urbino and his wife, and lots of other priceless stuff.

Back to the hotel, pick up our bags, drag them to the further bus stop, and ride up to Pizzale Michelangelo. It's a great view spot from the hill across the river; you can see the cathedral and the Uffizzi and the river and the whole town with mountains in the background. It was fabulous! We took wonderful pictures and I saw a great black Audi sportscar that made a throaty sound. I chased it across the parking lot, ducking between the cars to get a picture. What a great time!

Piazzale Michelangelo is also a favorite spot for thieves. Larry spotted a man going near our bags, and moved over a few steps to take hold of my red suitcases. He called Dick to come over, and the guy disappeared into a group of dark-looking young men! Larry saves the day again . . .

On the train to Venice we met an American opera singer of Uruguayan descent, who had been in Italy for a month working. He sang for us on the train; an aria from the opera La Traviata. When he finished we all applauded! He had a nice spirit about him, and he missed his family, so we (especially Dick) talked to him for a long time. In fact, so long that he missed getting off in Bologna and had to go all the way to Padua to turn around!

Venice is always amazing. We took the water taxi down the Grand Canal to St. Mark's Square, then dragged our suitcases through little medieval streets (no cars in Venice) to our hotel. It may not be very fancy, but it sure is old! Plus it reeks of character. The one shower for 3 floors is fortunately outside our door. So is the toilet. No air conditioning, just a ceiling fan. On the other hand, we do have hand-blown leaded glass windows overlooking a little canal on the gondola route, the location is perfect, and there's a bidet we can use in our room . . .

The best bell tower in Europe is the one in St. Marks Square. That's because it's the only one with an elevator! The views all over the city and the water and lots of islands and huge bells that ring back and forth make it a really cool experience.

The second time the bells rang, 10 minutes later, Larry wanted to leave. By the 3rd time, we were holding our ears and ready to get out of there!

Wander Venice in the evening; the crowds are much less and it's magical. Wish my whole family was here!

Florence to Venice: August 20, 2006

We are finally in Venice, our last stop, and it's truly wonderful. I love Venice! I wish I could show this place to all of you. Venice is like a lovely rich old lady, past her prime but still charming in her aging beauty.

This morning we woke up in Florence and caught the bus to church in the Florence 1st Branch. We had a great time there, as lots of missionaries made an effort to translate for us and we even had an English-speaking Sunday School. For Sacrament there was a closed circuit camera on the speaker, and we sat in the foyer with a TV screen and the missionaries translated. Next year the Florence Branch is getting a new building.

After church we took the bus back to the hotel and picked up our suitcases. We got another bus for the train station. Lunch in McDonald's across from the station was kind of sleazy because of the customers. We found a better clientele at the other McDonald's inside the train station. Maybe people with money for a ticket are richer than those who just hang out near the station?

Our train was late (unusual for Europe), and we almost got on the wrong train, but figured it out at the last minute and ran to the right one. The high-speed Eurostar from Florence to Venice takes 2 hours 40 minutes and makes several stops.

In Venice, we got 3-day boat transport passes, and promptly got on the right boat going the wrong direction! AARGH! It took us the long way around, so Heidi didn't get the lovely introduction to Venice, coming up the Grand Canal. Instead, she got the gritty view by all the industrial warehouses on the back side, and it took forever!

When we finally got to our stop, it took us a few minutes to find our hotel. It's actually only a block behind the most famous spots in Venice: St Mark's Square and the Doge's Palace. What a great location! But wait, the lady said they were full, so they were putting us in another building, "very close." So we followed her a couple of blocks and ended up in this alley that was truly only about 6 feet wide but 40 feet high. (That's the picture at left.) She led us through an odd door with the knob in the middle, and then into a dark and musty passageway. The floor was uneven, and there were no windows. It was completely black, so she turned on lights all the way. At the end of the passage she started up stairs that went up 10 steps and turned, up again, turned another way, down a little hall, and up some more. The ceiling was peeling and the walls were so bad they had cloth stapled to cover them. I was really starting to wonder what we got ourselves into! She unlocked another door (which she explained you have to pull toward you and then push,) and then down a hall and unlocked another door. (Three different keys, of course.) Here was our room.

Surprise! It was a whole apartment! It had an entryway, bathroom, completely equipped kitchen with dining table and chairs, and a very large bedroom, bigger than my room at home. The ceilings were at least 15 feet up there, with exposed beams. Tall windows with tiny balconies opened onto a little canal below, and there were gondolas going up and down the canal! We were thrilled! Turns out it's adjacent to the owner's apartment, and they only use it for overflow. In the picture you can see Heidi leaning out one window, with the canal and gondolas and little arched bridge below. We really lucked out!

Heidi and I decided to take a walk around St Mark's Square. We found the bell tower was still open, so we went up. Best bell tower in all of Europe, it's the only one with an elevator! The original fell down in 1905, so they rebuilt it to look exactly the same, but with an elevator. The light was golden and the air was clear, and you could see all over Venice and out to the little islands and it was glorious. We talked to lots of people on the top, including a couple from New York on their honeymoon.

I walked Heidi across town, through the back alleys to the Rialto Bridge. That's the most famous bridge in Venice. You can see it on my website, it's right at the top of the home page in the collage and it's the white bridge. Anyway, we bought ice cream and stood on the bridge and ate it and watched all the people. The ice cream was melting so fast Heidi said it was the most work she's ever had with an ice cream cone!

I think she really likes it here, because she described her ideal proposal of marriage: the guy brings her to Venice and takes her on a gondola ride ($80) and they go down some canal where there are no people, and when they get back home he proposes . . . Sounds romantic, no?

We took the water shuttle back to St Marks' square and our hotel. This internet place is right around the corner, behind the cathedral. The price is awful at 4.50 Euros for and hour for Heidi (student rate) and 7.50 for me, but we paid it anyway.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! We have only 2 more days, and we are home. After three weeks in London, Paris, and Italy, we are both looking forward to being home.

Venice: August 21, 2006

Today was splendid! It was our last full day in Venice; we are coming home tomorrow.

We did not even get to breakfast until 9:30, which put us at the Doge's Palace at 10:00 (in the thick of the Japanese tour groups).

We wandered all over the pink and white Ventian Gothic palace by the water. It's large and ornate, a combination of richly decorated governmental chambers and private apartments for the Doge. The Doge was a ruler elected for life, and he had great power. There's a "Golden Stairway" leading up to the Senate rooms and the Doge's apartments, so called because the very fancy ceiling is decorated with 24 karat gold! The power of the position of Venice as "Queen of the Seas" during the 1400-1700's was truly amazing. We even walked over the "Bridge of Sighs" and down into the prisons.

Next we scooted into St. Mark's Basilica. It was built several times, the most recent being 800 years ago. Instead of paintings or frescoes, the whole interior is covered with mosaics made of 1\4 inch glass squares. The entire background is gold, which means each square (and there are millions) is 2 layers of glass with a thin layer of gold leaf sandwiched in between. We got there just before the lights turned on for half an hour. When it's lit, it glows with an amazing golden light. Fabulous! Plus Venice is sinking, so the floor of this church is therefore not at all level; it rolls up and down, almost a foot in some places!

We also got on top of the front facade where the 4 famous horses are, and wer able to look down on the square and take close-up pictures of the clock tower.

Since our hotel is just a block behind the cathedral, we were able to come home several times today to rest and drop our things. That was very convenient.

Later we decided to take a walk across the city, stopping to ride the 50 cent gondola across the Grand Canal. Everyone else is paying $80 to ride, except a few people who do the quick crossing for cheap, like us!

We also stopped into the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of modern art. It is in her old palace, right on the grand Canal where she lived her last years and collected really expensive wierd stuff by the likes of Picasso, Jackson Pollack, Gaugin, and other important modern artists. I did not like it at all, and sometimes I like modern art. Most of this was what I would call "truly awful." Heidi thought it was interesting, and a nice break from all the really old famous stuff we have been seeing in other European museums, like the Louvre, Orsay, and the Vatican. I can say I enjoyed the house.

We walked forever, and miracle of miracles, we did not get lost crossing Venice on foot. That's a first! Our goal was the station from where our bus will leave tomorrow. I wanted to buy our bus tickets to the airport, because I think we will be leaving in the morning before the office is open.

Eventually we got on the water bus and rode the whole length of the Grand Canal, back to San Marco. The sun came out and the air was warm and moist, and the light is always special in Venice. It was wonderful.

Later this evening we will go eat. Last night we went to dinner at 10:30. Tonight will be sooner.

Venice: August 22, 2006. Last Day in Italy!

This morning we had a little time to say goodbye to Venice before we had to leave. We meandered down a few alleyways over to St. Mark's Square, called by Napoleon "The most beautiful living room in Europe." It was early and almost deserted.

Yesterday I bought a bag of pigeon food for Heidi to feed the birds. She thought it was silly, but I knew she would have a great time tossing corn to the pigeons. They actually put birdy birth control into the pigeon food, but you could never tell it because there are literally 10,000 pigeons in St. Mark's Square.

This is the place where our family story happened, about Dad telling everyone to "Run!" when the pigeons took off. I was pregnant and did not run, and so I got pooped on, right on my belly! Heidi was the baby, and here she is back in Venice again, feeding those pigeons!

We left right after breakfast. We hauled our bags out to the water shuttle for the 40 minute trip to the bus station, then rode the bus to Marco Polo airport. We needed to get there by 10 for our flight which left at noon. We changed planes in Amsterdam and went on to Minneapolis, where unfortunately we had a 3 hour wait. We arrived home in SLC at 11:00 at night, after traveling for 23 hours straight.

This has been such great fun! I have loved every single minute of it. I don't think I can ever really get Venice out of my system. I still find myself daydreaming about going back . . . I'll just have to keep returning. Allof you reading, come with me next time!

Kerry in Venice Last Night! Nov. 22, 2005

TODAY I HAD THE
MOST WONDERFUL DAY!

I'm at my hotel in Venice and this has to be super fast because I only paid €5 for 30 minutes on the internet . . .

First, I asked the hotel to pack me a breakfast for tomorrow, because I have to leave early, and they agreed!

Second, instead of taking the vaporetto down the Grand Canal, I decided to brave the little narrow streets and try not to get lost. There are SO many bridges across the little canals, all of them with steps up and steps back down again, but there are only 3 big ones across the Grand Canal. I found a place to get a quick gondola ride across for 50 cents. I am so proud of myself, because I can't afford the usual €60 for a luxurious sit-down regular gondola ride. Almost no tourists know about this. You can tell the gondola in the picture is a public ferry because the people are standing up. If it's an expensive one, they sit on luxurious seats.

So after the crossing I kept winding my way to St. Mark's Square, and I found the tourist info place I'd looked for yesterday. I asked about a big poster, which all they had was one with lots of small images, but guess what! The photographer of the poster was right there and I got to meet him! I told him he had a good eye.

Then I went for a tour of the Doge's Palace. The Doge was kind of like an elected king that had unbelievable power over Venice's empire. Venice ruled the sea, in fact was called "The Bride of the Sea," and every year the Doge threw a jeweled ring into the sea in a big ceremony. Anyway, the palace tour was very interesting, with various lavish courtrooms, to say nothing of lots of paintings and ceilings done by Tintoretto. One room had a ceiling of pure gold. I also got to go over the Bridge of Sighs into the prison, which which most tourists never see.

Then I popped back into ST. Mark's Cathedral for a few minutes, because I knew they turn the lights on for 1 hour from 11:30 - 12:30. Wow! All the gold in the glass mosaics lights up and its not like any other church you ever saw. There are five golden domes in the ceiling. I also went upstairs to a little museum and you can get out on the roof and see the 1000-year old bronze horses and look out all over the square.

My plan for the afternoon was to go out to the island of Murano, which has specialized in glass blowing for 800 years. I got on a boat with 100 ten-year-olds on a field trip, and felt right at home. They took me to a free glass-blowing demo with them. I wandered all over Murano, and found several other glass factories, but all of them are so expensive I did not buy anything, and I love glass. Oh, well. I got to my next boat dock just in time to catch up with the kids again!

We took the boat together to Burano, an outlying island famous for hand-made lace. The men fish, and the women make lace. It's also famous for it's brightly-colored buildings. It also has a leaning tower, tall and skinny with a pointy top. I really enjoyed it because I went into several shops and learned about lace from the shop ladies. I bought the silk tablecloth in the picture that was hand embroidered by the lady and her mother. When I walked in, the mom was sitting in a chair in the middle of the shop, making lace while she waits for customers. I had quite a nice chat with the daughter, who is friendly and pretty and 36 years old. She said her grandmother made lace, and before that her great-grandmothers, so far back no one knows when it started.

As I left the island, the sun was setting behind their own leaning tower, and it was magical. I found a faster boat back to Venice, thank heavens! I hunted my way back through the little narrow streets, no wider than alleys really, got lost again, took another gondola crossing the Grand Canal, found a night market and the fish market near the Rialto Bridge, and finally hopped the vaporetto boat home.

Now I'm rushing off to the opera. I bought a ticket from a girl in period costume this morning. It's in quite a grand old 16th century building with great acoustics. The opera is in Italian, but I already am familiar with it. It's Don Pasquale. Before the performance, there will be an English-speaking tour of the art and architecture and history of the building.

Bye, my time is up and I'd better send this or the computer will turn off and it will be just too bad!

I HAVE HAD THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME!

Tomorrow I will be back home in normal, wealthy, wonderful, mountainous Utah, but I have to keep coming back to Europe. There are so many amazing things to see here! You should all come with me!

Love,
Mom

Kerry in Venice 1st Night: Nov. 21, 2005

Today was a travel day from Florence to Venice. I have learned that on travel days, you want to take a fairly early train, or you won't have much time when you get to your destination because everything closes at 5:00 in winter.

This morning my train did not leave until 10:37, but I was ready at 8:30. What to do to use the extra time profitably? There were lots more things to do in Florence that I didn't get to do, but the only real heartburn I had was not making it up to Piazzale Michelangelo, the lovely lookout over the whole city that has the big replica of David. I checked all the bus routes, and decided to try it. It would be really tight, but I felt good about it, so I went.

I rushed 5 blocks to the correct bus stop dragging both suitcases, but the bus didn't come for 25 minutes, which is a really long time in Florence. I was watching on the map where we were going so that I would know where to get off, but when we got there, it was really obvious. There I am in the picture above, at Piazzale Michaelangelo. I discovered that the same bus I'd just gotten off would come again in 20 minutes, and it would go directly to the train station! I would not have to take the bus I planned, switch busses, wait again, and hope I got there on time! So I was even half an hour early! Some things are just plain great.

Last night after I sent my e-mail to you, I had a funny travel experience. When I signed off, I realized I might be in trouble getting home, because it was quarter to ten on Sunday night. So I walked rapidly across the old center of town, past the Palazzo Vecchio (pix at left, except it was dark) and by the Uffizzi, and it was pretty empty. I turned the corner and started walking up this little narrow medieval street to where I thought I could get a bus for my hotel. After a minute, I saw a bus turn the corner up ahead of me, but it was too far away, and I couldn't get it. I hurried up to the bus stop, about a block away, and here came another bus. It wasn't the right one, but at that hour I figured I'd better just take it as far as it kept going my direction, and then get off and walk.

The driver was going pretty fast down the very narrow street. It's about as wide as Wendy's driveway, and there was a row of cars parked on the left, so it was really tight for our speed. Soon I could see that we were catching up to the first bus, which had slowed down for an even narrower area caused by some construction. The bus in front of us was the bus number I needed! So with much gesturing and pointing, I asked the driver, "Can I get on that bus?" Somehow he understood. He started going really fast and flashing his lights again and again. The first bus stopped at the constricting point, and I did the dare and jumped out of the rear bus; the front bus opened his back doors, and I hoppped in! It worked! As I waved to the driver of the bus behind me I could hardly believe my good fortune! This bus took me within 3 blocks of my hotel, and I was in my own room less than 25 minutes after I left the internet point downtown. Some things are just great . . .

So the train ride from Florence to Venice was really very pretty in spots, especially when the sun came out. There were lots of Italian soldiers on the train, too, all with camouflage backpacks and green canvas suitcases. They said they were going to a place near Venice.

I have learned train WC's suck, but that's better than having to hunt for one after you stop, dragging all your luggage.

Internet gets more expensive as you go North. The countryside gets prettier, too, and it looks llike the people are a little richer. This internet tonight cost me €10.50 for 90 minutes. I am deep in the back alleys of Venice. The hotel was €5 for 30 minutes. In Rome I only paid €3 for 90 minutes.

After arriving in Venice, I drug my suitcases all over creation trying to find the hotel. It's really close to the train station, but on an island across the Grand Canal. I just took the long way around and around.

I have a tiny little room with 2 youth size single beds, a glass chandelier, and hand-painted door decorations. I have my own bathroom, but it's across the hall. Both doors lock automatically every time they shut, so I have to take my key with me every time, and you know how slick I am at opening locks!

I finally got on the vaporetto toward St. Mark's Square where the big church is. I took lots of photos as we went down the Grand Canal for all of you who don't get to come in June. You'll just have to see my pix! It was 3 in the afternoon, but the light was already that kind of gold you always see in pictures of Venice. I found that gondolas are always black with a gold pinstripe, because of a 500-year old law.

St. Mark's Cathedral looks like something out of The Arabian Nights. It's white and gold and has five pointy onion domes on top. It is so cool! The floor is covered in tiny marble mosaics, and it's uneven as the waves of the sea. Venice is sinking, but not very evenly! I went behind the altar to see the golden altarpiece. Amazing! It's all gold, about 4 feet by 8 feet long, and covered in painted enamel pictures and decorated with real rubies, emeralds, pearls, topaz, and more gold. The treasure came from Venetian ships ransacking Constantinople, another Christian city. Under the altar are supposedly the bones of St. Mark, as in Matthew, Mark , Luke, and John.

I need to finish this and get back to the hotel, which is probably an hour's walk and boat ride away. This internet place is definitely in the bowels of Venice. It does have a concrete street, but it's only ten feet wide, down 4 little alleys with turns to get here.

In Florence the have tiny little delivery trucks, some no taller than Sarah or Tiffany, and as long as the armspan of Michael and Andrew put together. They are about as wide as Jared's armspan. They have only 3 wheels, like a tricycle Amy might ride. There are all kinds, and I even saw one that was a dump truck!

You can't drive in Florence. Every single parking place is filled, except I saw 2 on Sunday. They have a system that takes pictures of every license plate that enters the no-drive zone in the old city, and if you don't have a permit, or have not registered your car with your hotel beforehand, you will get a hefty fine added to your rental car bill! So that's why the traffic is heavy, but not gridlocked.

I have seen lots of little olive orchards from the train. Wherever there's a bit of ground, they plant a few rows of olive trees. You can tell by the grey-green leaves.

I have seen lots of men kissing girls. For some reason it looks different that in the USA, because the man is actively doing the kissing, and initiating it. The girl seems to be the receiver.

Heidi, I took your advice and bought a phone card as soon as I got here, but I never could figure out how to make it work. I have tried several times. So Larry, sorry that I have not called you!

I about froze to death in Florence. In church I asked if they had any heat in this country, and they said yes, usually, but it was only just past November 15. I asked, "What does that have to do with it?" That's the date the government turns the heat on. What!!? "I suppose you could turn it on earlier, but it's very expensive." The government mandates that hotels turn on heat after November 15. So the church was still freezing on the 20th, because no one had been in those rooms since the 15th. Is Italy Socialist?

This has been a wonderful trip. I just wish I had one of you or some of you or even all of you to share it with! I'd have run your legs off, I'm sure!

I will write again tomorrow night, after my last day in Italy. Then Wednesday I come home: bus to airport, Venice to Paris, Paris to Atlanta, Atlanta to SLC. My plane comes in about 9:30 p.m. I think.

I love you all,

Mom