Thursday, May 28, 2015

Peschiera del Garda - Lake Garda

On Sunday morning, we are waiting for our contact to meet us at the apartment in Venice to return our damage deposit. She calls us to tell us that all public transportation (Vaporettos) are not running due to the VolgaLonga boat race. This is an annual boat race which takes place in Venice in the canals, lagoon and over to Burano and the City shuts down it's public transportation. So instead of taking the Vaporetto to the car rental location, we had to take a water taxi. Let me put it this way, the rich and famous, those who want to be seen as being important or the naive, take boat taxis. We really had no choice, as I don't believe we fit into any of these categories! Oh well, as we say, always part of the adventure of travelling, can't have everything go smoothly. At least got a picture of Robin in a water taxi.

 

Get to the car rental agency and while he is doing the paper work, I ask if he has a map of how to get out of Venice and onto the A4. I get the "rolling of the eyes" and I am told "Signora, there is only one way out of Venice and you will see signs for the A4". "Grazie", I respond with my most gracious smile.....I know there is only one way out of Venice, but I keep smiling. Very easy driving and great directions by our new landlady in Peschiera del Garda. Only takes us about 1 1/2 hours, taking in a quick stop at one of the many rest stops along the Autostrada. These Europeans certainly do these rest stops very well.

Our car is a Fiat 500 and must say, it is very spunky. Even performed very well on the Autostrada, lots of pep. Robin wants to buy one!

Arrive in Peschiera del Garda around noon and go for a walk along the lake. What a beautiful mountain lake, spectacular views. Lake Garda is the largest and easternmost of the Italian Lakes. Some snow capped Dolomites in the distance. The main site of interest In Peschiera del Garda is a fortress which was built in the 19th century. It is named Fortezza del Quadrilatero because of it's square shape. This fortress played a prominent part in most military campaigns conducted in northern Italy after 1400, especially campaigns conducted during the Napoleonic wars and during the First Italian War of Independence.

 

As we drove into the town, we could not believe the traffic and the people everywhere. We thought, oh well, it's Sunday and it is sunny and warm. After two days of rain we think perhaps that locals from Verona and Venice are here enjoying the Lake. As an aside, when Suzanne and Colin left us in Rome they drove up here and spent the night. She reported that this was a very sleepy little town. Suzanne had also mentioned that a school break was happening this coming week. We also realized, during our short walk along the river and an afternoon drive to the next town, that all around the lake are family campgrounds. So, you have probably guessed it by now.....campgrounds .....school break......oh, I forgot to mention, Movieland, Gardaland and Sealife, all if which are family attractions , are all nearby.....yikes, the people! I would say that the majority of tourists here are German. They seem to like this area for camping. All the signs for restaurants and the menus are in Italian then German followed by English.

 

We take possession of our apartment which we will be in for the next five nights. We are in a newer apartment complex, across the river from the old town. We walk into the old town for dinner, which only takes about 10 minutes. Quite happy with our apartment and its location. We even have a little yard, as we are on the main floor.

Pictures below taken in Peschiera del Garda walking back to our apartment after dinner.

Definitely noticeable here, are the much lower prices for food, than in Rome and Venice. Here we are paying 3 Euro for cappuccino and tea, whereas we were paying almost 8 Euro in Rome and Venice. Nice change. The sticker price shock is for gas...yikes, now that is expensive.

Monday arrives and we go for a one hour walk along the path by the shore. Not sure how far it goes, but each town we drove along later, had a similar path system used by walkers and cyclists alike. We stop for coffee/tea at a small restaurant across the road from our apartment. As we are sitting there, a woman comes walking along with her young grandaughter. Not sure why, but this little girl came right up to our table and proceeded to get onto Robin's lap. Robin says "I usually scare little children!". The little girl proceeded to empty the sugar bowl of all is sugar packets, she thought this was so amusing, then she would put them all back. We were able to communicate somewhat with the Grandmother with our meager Italian and found out the little girl was 1 1/2 years old. She really didn't want us to go. Very cute, unfortunately did not have a camera to capture this special moment! Less people in town now that the weekend has passed; easier to get around.

 

We drive up the east side of the lake, which we have been told has the more scenic views. We head to Malsecine, which is about one hour north of Peschiera. We take a cable car (Funivia) up Monte Baldo. At the base (90 metres above sea level) it is 25 degrees C. When we arrive at the top (1,760 metres) it is 7 degrees C. Thankfully, we were well prepared, unlike a lot of the other tourists! Lots of hand gliders up at the top.

We then spend some time wandering around Malcesine before returning home. Nice day, great views all along the lake with small towns scattered along the lakes and into the Dolomites.

 

 

Big rain/thunder storm overnight and raining this morning, Tuesday, May 26th. Finally stops around 10.am. We head out in our car and decide to take a route suggested by one of our guide books, the Valpolicella Wine Route. The route starts on the shores of Lake Garda, whose fertile glacial soil supports the Bardolino, a wine that is meant to be drunk "young".

 

Our first stop is Lazise which has a picturesque harbour, a medieval church and a 14th century castle. Stop at a cafe overlooking the harbour. Lots of activity with ferries coming and going across the river. Good people watching. Some of my commentary follows....."Did he not look in the mirror this morning? What was she thinking when she put that on? Oh my! Not a good look (that is usually an Englishmen with black socks and sandals and a t-shirt not quite covering their extremely large beer belly!), Really. " O.K. You get my drift. But I have to say last night at dinner was the best. A middle aged German man was wearing his lederhosen! I must say, I wasn't the only one staring or commenting, even the Germans.

Got off the topic. Robin always says my stories always take so long because I get side tracked!

Pictures above in Lazise.

 

Continue our tour and stop in Bardolino, which is famous for its light red wine. We stop here for lunch and sample a glass of the "Superior Bardolino" which was very nice. Walk around the town a bit then drive towards Affi, a small village surrounded by vineyards. Then through Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella which is known for its' marble. The pink marble was used for the palaces built in Verona. We stop at a winery and buy a couple of locally made wines.

 

Pictures of Bardolino and the Valpolicella area follow.

 

 

 

Since arriving in Italy, we have noticed an aperitif that most Italians drink and is orange in colour. The Germans also seem to order this often and I have even seen this ordered early morning as well. They call it a "spritz" and it comes in many different combinations, but always with a base of aperol. Aperol is an aperitif with an orange base, is similar to Camperi, and has an alcohol content of 11%. Prosecco is normally added to the aperol to make a spritz.

Wednesday May 27th, start our day with a nice long walk along the lake boardwalk/trail. Then take the train to Verona, only 15 minutes away, another Unesco World Heritage Site (gosh another off this list...check). It's ancient centre has magnificent Roman remains, said to be only second to Rome. It takes us about 10 minutes to walk into the old City centre from the train station and the first thing we see entering is Verona's amphitheater. It is the 3rd largest in the world and is in wonderful condition. They still have concerts here and the opera holds its' summer season here. I can just imagine what a magnificent setting this would be for an opera.

 

We stroll through the narrow lanes, filled with high end shops, restaurants and of course many gelato shops. The Piazza Erbe was once the original centre of trade in Verona and merchants still have stalls here, but mainly geared towards tourists. Many medieval houses still inhabited. We make our way to the ancient Ponte Scaligero (bridge) which crosses the Adige River. The Adige flows through Verona, and across the river is the Roman Theatre, which was built in the 1st century and is built into the hillside. Continue onto the Duomo Santa Maria Matricolare. Many of the ancient buildings, monuments, churches and statues have been cleaned here in Verona and they have done a wonderful job, they look spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

The story of Romeo and Juliet is said to be based here in Verona. So one can go view the Casa di Giulietta with its small marble balcony (we walked right by it ) and also the tomb. This is really only a story and has no basis in history. Having said this, must help the tourist trade as you can stay in the Julietta Albergo or the Romeo and Julietta Hotel or the Romeo/Juliet Inn or the Julietta rooms....get my drift. You can also eat at the Julietta Restaurante, the Romeo and Juliet Inn, etc. etc......did I mention the Romeo and Juliet Gelato shops?

 

The poet Dante spent time in the court and dedicated the final part of the Divine Comedy to the Scaligeri ruler of the day. Enjoyed Verona and well worth the time we spent here and glad we went by train, nice break from driving.

Out for dinner tonight and we had free entertainment. As we are sitting there enjoying a glass of wine before dinner, we start to hear two people arguing. Well it is coming from the gelato shop across the lane. We can only see the woman, but oh man, she is really giving it to the guy. We hear him giving it back, but not quite as loud. A few of the other patrons in the restaurant are also taking in this display of Italian passion. It goes on for about 10 minutes. Finally, the lady comes out behind the counter to stand in the doorway. The owner of the restaurant we are at, goes out to try to calm the lady. The hands are just flying all over as she is explaining what is going on. We might come back tomorrow night. Episode Two, Season One! At the end of the evening we get a complimentary apple cake to share, not sure if this is because we are good patrons or simply as a peace offering for listening to the going ons across the lane. The apple cake was delicious and we were told that it was made by the Mother of the owner....yum.

It's nice to be staying out of the touristy area so one can observe everyday life. You see many, many older couples taking care of their grandchildren, and many generations of one family living together. We have gone for long walks every morning while we have been in the Lake Garda area, and stop at a small inn across the street from our apartment for tea/coffee on our way back. After the first day, we didn't even have to place our order. Big smile and Buon giorno from the owner and then he would bring out our green tea and cappuccino.

Last full day here in the area and we decide to drive to the west side of the Lake. Our first stop is Sirmione which sits on a peninsula that jets out into Lake Garda at the south west end. You enter the old town by passing the Rocca Scaligera a castle with a moat built in the 13th century. A very lovely town, we had a hard time finding a place to park, but glad we made the effort to spend some time here. Not sure why, but a lot of spa hotels here, one even advertised that it specialized in healing ear, nose and throat ailments.

 

Then onto Salo, another 30 km's on the west side of the lake. The locals tout the fact that the inventor of the violin, Gaspare da Salo lived here. History tells us that Mussolini ruled Northern Italy from here during WW11 until 1945, when he was shot by the resistance. The town does not advertise this at all, can't blame them. Picturesque water front with a marble walkway all along the length of the town and harbour. Another great day of touring.

 

 

We have our friend and adviser Steve to thank for telling us about the Lake Garda area. Glad we spent time here. Off to Slovenia tomorrow morning.

 

 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Venezia (Venice) - The City of Water

Took the high speed train from Rome to Venice on Wednesday, May 20th and it took about four hours. The thing that amazes about about the high speed trains here in Europe, is that you look up and realize the train is going 247 km. per hour and yet doesn't seem that way and is also very smooth. What a civilized way to travel.

The City of Venice is completely surrounded by water and the city's shape can be compared to a big fish. It's character is shaped by two very different modes of transport - waterways and routes accessible by foot. It is made up of 118 small islands separated by canals and connected by bridges. It has six districts (sestieri). These are Dorsoduru (what we look onto from our apartment), San Marco, Castello, San Polo, Sante Croce and Cannaregio. The City as well as it's lagoon are listed on the Unesco World Heritage list.....tick, another one off that list!

 

As far as history is concerned, the Republic of Venice was a major maritime power during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. A staging area for the Crusades, it was also an important centre of commerce, especially for silk, grain and rice. Venice has been a wealthy city for most of it's history. A major centre for art, symphonic and operatic music (birthplace of Vivaldi). The administration of Venice was headed by a Doge, an elected leader whose powers were clearly defined by a constitution. Real power lay with The Council of Ten and the two thousand members of the Grand Council (does this sound like our Parliament?) . The council was normally made up of aristocracy and merchants, who made up the wealthy class. Apparently one Doge was beheaded for plotting to become absolute leader.

 

I have always been curious in regards to the construction of Venice, considering the buildings float on water. The buildings are constructed on closely spaced wooden piles. Most of these piles are still intact after centuries of submersion. The foundations rest on plates of Istrian limestone placed on top of the piles,and buildings of brick or stone sit above these footings. The piles penetrate a softer layer of sand and mud until they reach a much harder layer of compressed clay. Submerged by water, in oxygen-poor conditions, wood does not decay as rapidly as on the surface. (Who knew, this could be on the quiz!). They use alder for the pilings, as this is supposed to be the best type of wood for this purpose. Most of the alder is supplied from Slovenia. I thought this was interesting, as on this trip we will be visiting both the Istria Peninsula and Slovenia.

 

The sight of Venice when one first arrives is really quite amazing. Once we arrive at the Santa Lucia railway station we disembark on the steps of the Grand Canal "The Canalazzo". I see the canal teeming with vaporetti, launches, barges, water taxis and the Calatrava pedestrian bridge crossing the Canal (didn't get a picture of this one, darn, but an ancient one pictured below) quite something to take in. Calatrava is the Spanish architect who built the Peace Bridge in our hometown of Calgary. We have also seen his bridges ...the "Puente de la Mujer" in Bueno Aires and the "James Joyce Bridge" in Dublin.

Took a Vaporetto to the Island of Giudecca. It is classified as one of the Lagoon Islands and it faces Venice. Our apartment, for the next four nights, is located in an old grain mill which was built in 1895. At it's height it engaged 1,500 people and produced 2,500 quintals of flour per day and also used as a pasta factory. A quintal you say! It is a unit of weight equivalent of 100 kg. This is starting to sound like Jeapordy, but I will not be dishing out any prizes, sorry folks, gotta to pay for the travels! The factory closed in 1955. In 2007, after being completely renovated, one half of the building opened as the Hilton Hotel and the other half is individually owned apartments. We are able to use the free Vaporetto that the Hilton runs to get back and forth to Venice.


It was raining when we arrived, and is forecast for the next few days, but one can't let that deter you. We get settled in and take the shuttle over to buy groceries for the next few days and do a bit of walking around. Go out for a lovely dinner at a restaurant just down the road from our apartment. Beautiful skies as we are walking home.

 

Thursday, May 21st and once again we set out with no real agenda. I think we much prefer wandering the narrow lanes, just coming across life in general. Having said this, we do make a point is seeing the important historic sites. We take the Vaporetto across to the Dorsoduro district and start walking. Before we know it, we have already crossed three or four pedestrian bridges. We cross one of the only four bridges crossing the Grand Canal, the Academia Bridge, which was built out of wood in 1932. Although we passed the Academia galleria, we do plan on returning to visit. Beautiful Palazzo's all along this part of the Grand Canal. We have now crossed into the San Marco district.

 

 

Above picture is the two of us starting off our day, coats came off quite soon! Robin waiting for the Vaporetto and Claire on the Rialto Bridge.

We wind our way along the lanes, viewing the many shops. Some very high end shops selling beautiful leather purses and gloves, silk scarves and ties, colourful shoes, watches, jewellery, Murano glass and designer clothes. On the other hand, you have the tourist shops selling carnival masks, key chains, replica gondolas, requisite t-shirts and of course selfie sticks. If any of you read the comments on my last blog posted to Robin's FB, you will see that my Daughter-in-Law, Lisa, wants a selfie stick. I sent her a picture of a vendor in St. Mark's square who will sell her one for 3 Euro!

Love the winding lanes, the numerous squares, both large and small, and the pedestrian bridges everywhere. O.K. Question for today. How many pedestrian bridges in Venice? Stay tuned.

We finally make our way back to the Grand Canal to the famous Rialto Bridge. Being refurbished...grrrr. Notwithstanding, you can still get a sense of its grandeur. Got a tourist to take our picture....see, who needs a selfie stick! The Ponte Di Rialto is the oldest of the four bridges crossing the Grand Canal. Rows of shops on either side of the bridge. The entire bridge is covered by a portico, but hard to see with all the construction. There are also external footpaths on either side of the bridge on the back side of the shops. We then venture into the Rialto Market, (we are now in the San Polo district) where locals still buy their fresh produce. Barges arrive every morning to unload their crates of fresh fruit and vegetables.

We make our way towards the San Marco district, and to Plazza San Marco. Although lots of people here, we line up to go into the St. Mark's Basilica, and it only takes us about 10 minutes to get in. Built in the Byzantine style of architecture, the Basilica is crowned with five domes. Staring to sound like a broken record, but the mosaic tile work, the various marbles used throughout, the gold gilt ceilings and the art work is truly spectacular. There was a roped off area where tour groups were sitting while their tour guides spoke about the interior of the cathedral. We decided to lift the rope and sit down for a while to take in the scope and scale of the interior.

 

Back outside to view the Campanile (meaning a "free standing Italian bell tower"). It once also served as a lighthouse for shipping. It has a copper spire topped by a statue of the Archangel Gabriel. In 1902 its foundation gave way and it suddenly collapsed, apparently large cracks were ignored. It was rebuilt in 1912.

 

As we are milling around the square, the bells start ringing as it is noon. What a beautiful sound, one could hear bells everywhere across the City. Also an ancient clock, Torro dell'Orologio (pictured above), above one of the arches leading into the square and it registered XII. It is a beautifully decorated in the Renaissance style. It was built in the late 15th century and displays the phases of the moon and the zodiac and is made of blue enamel. I also read one story that says that the eyes of the two clockmakers were gouged out, so they would never replicate it. Incredible that this clock still works today.

 

Also pictured above is "The Bridge of Sighs" (Ponte della Paglia), rebuilt in 1847. It was originally built in 1600 to link the Doge's Palace with the prison and the bridge takes it's name from the cries of the prisoners as they made their way across. The last views of their beloved City and the fact that they were going to meet their inquisitors and executioners.


 

Two large granite columns also dominate the square, the columns of San Maro and San Tedoro, which were erected in 1172. The columns have been significant throughout the years. The architect who designed and built the Rialto Bridge, was given the rights to place gambling tables between the two columns. It is also reported that criminals were executed between the two columns. It is said that many Venetians are very superstitious and they will not walk between the two columns. I just love reading about this sort of thing!

 

Spend some time in the square taking in the sights, the people and the larger lagoon and outer islands. Spend about another hour wondering the various Districts, venturing into Castello and San Croce. Back to St. Mark's Square to catch our Vaporetto back to Giudecca. Rain threatening a lot of the day, but only a few sprinkles. Back to our apartment about 3:30 p.m. and about an hour later the heavens open and a great downpour occurs. Seem to have timed it right today; we went out for dinner here on the island and nice walk there and back. Lots of lightening while we were having dinner, quite spectacular. The skies opened again once we got home.

This apartment has great views of the water looking over to Venice. Its's great to sit in the kitchen reading or writing my blog and watching the various boats going by, even kayaker's. When we woke up this morning, four cruise boats are moored across the way in Venice. Wonder what the crowds will be like today - Friday, May 22nd.

We make our way to Santa Maria della Salute, a great Baroque style church that sits at the end of Dorsoduro district, facing the Grand Canal. It is actually almost more imposing than the Basilica, from the outside only, as is really quite a landmark. When one is standing in St.Mark's square near the lagoon, it is very prominent.

We try to make our way to the Doge's Palace, but getting through the small lanes is nearly impossible. We now know where the people from the four cruise boats are in Venice, they are all headed towards St. Mark's Square. Fortunately, we had bought tickets to go to the Palace yesterday, so we were able to skip the line. Notwithstanding this, many tour groups are visiting the Palace and makes getting around quite difficult; but even having said that, certainly glad we made the effort to wind our way around them. The Palazzo Ducale started life in the 9th century as a fortified castle. The building that now stands on this site was built in the 14th and 15th centuries. Once we enter, we climb up the Scala d'Oro, a wide staircase with an arched ceiling embellished in a gold coloured stucco. We then toured the State Apartments, which are just large rooms. Although no furniture in the majority of the rooms, it is the paintings, tapestries, art work and huge fireplaces that make up the splendor of the Palace. On the third floor are the council chambers. First you have the Sala Della Quatro Porte (not sure of the purpose of this room), then the Anticollegio (the waiting room), next is the Sala del Collegio which is where the Doge and his counsellors met foreign visitors and the Sala del Senato where the Doge would sit with some 200 Senators to discuss foreign matters. The next room was the Sala del Consiglio which is where the powerful group of 10 met (I referred to them earlier in the blog). Finally the Armeria. If you think today's weapons can do harm, my gosh these weapons look like you don't want to be around anyone who has one. You could do a lot of damage with these. I particularly liked the maces. Robin and I were commenting that these weapons are huge and everything looks so heavy. Amazing how the men of those times were able to handle these weapons.

 

We then head over to the Island of Murano, a series of small islands connected with bridges; just like Venice. Took about 40 minutes by Vaporetto. The island is know for its glassworks, which have been hand made since 1291. It is said that the glass craftsmen were moved to this island to get them away from the City in case of fires. One is warned to be wary of fake glass from China; all Murano glass is said to bear a seal. Walk around the streets of Murano, beautiful blue glass sculpture in the main area, and we venture into many of the shops, but don't buy anything. Back to our apartment about 5 p.m. Where do the days go? It showered all day today but didn't stop us from doing anything, adds atmosphere to the pictures.

 

 

 

Ok. sitting here working on my blog, a barge full of linens and towels has just gone by. I also just finished washing a load of clothes. Where does the grey water go, let alone any other kind of drainage? O.K, I looked this up, but I am not going to comment any further. I am presently enjoying a glass of wine and don't want to ruin my enjoyment of it. I will leave the answer to my question to your imaginations!

I am sure all of you have seen the pictures of the famous "striped barber type poles" of Venice. These are mooring poles for the gondolas. In ancient times, the poles colours represented Families who owned the gondolas and the gondoliers wore the same coloured shirts and hat bands, so the one could tell which Family they worked for.

When eating out at restaurants they always offer you water (still or sparkling) and they will charge you for It accordingly. We asked for tap water at the first restaurant we went to in Rome and we were told that was not possible, along with severe eye rolling from the waiter. So being my curious self, I investigated if there was some kind of health issue around this. Well, it just comes down to the fact that Italians do not drink tap water, even at home. It's just not done. Bread...they always bring bread to your table, and a charge will appear on your bill based on the number of people at the table. One little difference I noted here in Venice, is that they always have very thin bread sticks along with the bread. Tomatoes.....yum, they taste like tomatoes fresh out of the garden. We have also had some very good lamb.

Will say that Venice is much cleaner than Rome. The merchants are out cleaning in front of their establishments, and seem to be enough garbage bins around to handle the tourist's garbage. Great to see.

News Flash...newspapers report that Berlusconi (Mr. Bunga Bunga) is bowing out of politics, but not before he appoints his "heir" of a new party he wants to start.....does this sound like he is bowing out? Also reported that he is selling large amounts of company stock in order to have liquidity to influence politics and protect his inheritance from behind the scenes. In each of his three terms in office he was regularly accused of altering the penal code to protect himself from criminal charges and to further his business interests. Well, at least he makes for interesting reading and is consistent in his actions!

Also making the news, The Shroud of Turin is being put on display after being "mothballed "for over five years. Even the Pope is travelling to Turin to see it. Some of you out there might know that there has always been controversy around the shroud. Is it really the shroud that Christ was wrapped in after his crucifixion? Apparently carbon testing of the cloth was done by experts Several years ago and they indicated the cloth was from one thousand years after Christ died, but the Cardinal of Turin said the results of these tests were an "overseas Masonic plot" meant to discredit the Roman Catholic Church. Sounds like a Dan Brown novel.

Italy is still saving migrants at sea, while the EU still trying to make up their minds whether to provide assistance. Sad.

Italy has slashed the time it takes to get a divorce to six months from three years in the latest sign of the Catholic Church's waning influence over life and politics here. Have they consulted the Pope? Oh right, the article says the Church's influence is waning.

 

Today, Saturday, May 21st is our last full day in Venice.it drizzled all day, our umbrellas were our best friends for the last couple of days. The Gallerie dell'Accademia was our first stop. It holds the largest collection of Venetian Art and spans five centuries. It is housed in three former religious buildings which makes for a nice setting. The collection covers the art spectrum from Byzantine through to the Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo. A good number of works are religious in nature, which goes without saying considering where we are and the time period the art covers. Not our favourite form of art, but still interesting and some of the pieces covered entire walls. One must never forget to look at the ceilings, walls and doors in these museums and art galleries as they are spectacular as well.

 

 

When we were walking around today you can see that some tourists come ill prepared. I guess they don't think it should rain while they are on vacation. The vendor's have now put their selfie sticks away and they are concentrating on selling rain poncho's, umbrellas and boot/shoe protectors. I thought the boot protectors were quite ingenious, but then again, someone probably came up with this idea for the tourists when St. Mark's square is under water....but do they have to be so bright, yikes!

 
 
Then made our way across Venice to the Ca'Pesaro, the Modern Art Gallery of Venice. It is housed in a Baroque Palace, which took 58 years to build. Access to the Palace is via narrow alleyways away from the main sights of Venice, and looks onto the Grand Canal, but no access via the canal. Many interesting pieces and at some I always wonder....what the heck is that supposed to be? ....and...really, looks like something our Grandaughters painted when they were three. I went into one gallery with several nice paintings and sculptures and I say to myself "Oh, must be doing some construction in here, surprised they haven't moved some of the art". Then I realize that the ladder, tarp and brushes are indeed an art installation! Other works by Matisse, Miro, Klee, Kadinsky, Rodin, Calder and others.
 
 
 
The other day I mentioned all the beautiful masquerade masks that you see in all the shops and kiosks. The major festival where Venetians party is held just before lent, just like Mardi-Gras. Masks and costumes are worn at the galas and one becomes anonymous....anything goes. The mask I particularly find intriguing is the sinister mask worn by The Plague Doctor. It is beaked faced and was said to protect those wearing it from the plague.
 

 

Back to our apartment about 3:30 p.m. Amazing how time flies. Just sitting here, the police boat just went flying by, not sure what is going on, but sure fun to be able to see all the traffic and activity on the water. Then ten minutes later a large cruise ship is leaving. The picture below is taken outside our kitchen window. Gives you the idea of the type of traffic on the water from tug boats, cruise ships, kayaker's, etc.

 

 

We have certainly enjoyed our time here in Venice. A friend, Jan Correia, said this was her most favourite City and I can understand why. Onto the next adventure, we are off tomorrow morning to pick up a car and spend the next five days in the Lake Garda area and the Dolomites.

 

Did you guess? There are some 400+ pedestrian bridges in Venice. Ciao!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Rome Continues and Ends!

First thing this morning, Sunday, May 17th, I am still getting "heat" from Colin about my "short cut" home yesterday afternoon which probably added a good 45 minutes to our walking. Weather forecast for today was 31 Celsius. A quick cappuccino before we head out. Cross Ponte Sisto which leads us into the Campo de Fiore area of Rome where we come across the Sunday market in the square by the same name. Always love these markets and especially fresh flowers that are available at this time of year in Europe, hard pressed to find these in Calgary at any time of the year!

We peak into several churches on our way to Piazza Navona. I have lost track of how many churches we have been into and Robin is staying in the shade unless the church holds something outside the norm of European church standards. As it is Sunday, there are signs in all the churches stating that one cannot visit the Church if mass is being said. I can understand this, simply a respect thing. I still can't help being impressed by the interior of the churches. The artistry of the mosaics, the artwork, marble inlays and beautifully decorated ceilings do not cease to amaze
Arrive at Piazza Navona, which is an elongated oval and the foundations of the buildings are built on the remains of an ancient stadium. It is built in the Baroque style. This square always has something going on in the pedestrian area and around its three fountains. Lots of people here and of course the various artists/hawkers selling their wares. Also Swamis that seem to be suspended in mid air. Do you want your picture taken with this Swami.....only twenty Euro! Up until the 19th century, the Piazza was flooded during August by plugging the fountain outlets. The rich would come around in carriages and splash around while street urchins paddled after them. Certainly a different time, sure wouldn't happen these days....could just see the protests!

In the centre of the square is " The Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi. The fountain was designed by Bernini and supports an Obelisk which originally sat in Circus Maximus on the Appian Way. The fountain was built in 1651 and four great rivers, the Ganges, the Danube, the Nile and the Plate are represented by four Giants in the fountain. It's the last picture in those directly below this. Robin says he likes the picture of me taking a picture (below) because of the colourfully dressed people behind me!




Make our way to Piazza Della Rotonda to view the Pantheon. This was a Pagan Temple built in the 2nd Century and is known as " Temple of all the Gods". It was re consecrated as a Christian Church in the 7th Century. Although we could not enter, as there was a service in process, we were able to view the interior.



After the Parthenon, we are looking for a particular church that has a "blue" ceiling, and behold we do come across it, that is of course after entering two other churches on the way. Must say, the ceiling is indeed spectacular and different to anything we have seen so far. Question....How many churches can there be in the City of Rome? Can you guess? Stay tuned!


Various street scenes and graffiti/street art in Rome.
Walk, walk and walk some more. We make it to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps once again, as Suzanne and Colin had not been there. Then decide to walk up to Borghesi Park to take a break.
We decide to make our way home walking down Via Veneto. In Imperial Rome times, this was classified as a suburb where rich families owned luxurious villas and gardens. In the 1900's, Via Veneto had become a street of stylish hotels and cafes. It was featured prominently in Fellini's film "La Dolce Vita".

Robin spots a store called Muji, along the Via Veneto. We had come across this store (from Japan) in New York City last year, and he had bought a few items there, one of which was a toothbrush he really liked. We tried to find more on-line, but they wouldn't ship to Canada. So, he takes the opportunity to buy a few more. Pretty posh don't you think...."Where do you buy your toothbrushes? Well.....I buy mine in Rome and New York City! Lah di dah!

Every evening Suzanne and Colin have come to our apartment for aperitif's before dinner. Have eaten out at restaurants in the Trastevere area. Always enjoyable. Family is so important and great to be able to spend these precious few days with them.

Monday arrives and we had decided to go to St. Peter's early. We get there and already faced with line ups, but we are in the Basilica within 35 minutes. Hard to describe the feeling one has, being brought up in the Catholc faith, and visiting the Seat of the Catholic Church. This church is massive and the art, marble, statues, niches and side alters are too numerous to describe. Firstly, even the plaza is amazing and once you enter the church, Michaelangelo's dome, the Papal altar, the doors, the various monuments, the tombs, the Baroque canopy which dominates the Nave, and finally the Pieta (behind glass since a nutter hammered the face off, since reconstructed). So glad we were able to take this in.



After visiting the Basilica, walk along theTiber and make our way up to Piazza Del Popolo, walking by the ruins of Augustus on the way there. Take a break here. We are at the north end of Via Del Corso and if you look toward the south, you can see the Victor Emmanuelle monument at the southern most end. Also, looking up from the Piazza you can see the Borghese Gardens.
Continue down Via del Corso and make our way to Circus Maximus . O.K. I will admit, probably my single disappointment when seeing all the sites here in Rome. Just looks like a big field and people were taking down fences as the Race for Cancer Cure was held here this past weekend. I have looked at reconstructions of this site and seems to have been quite spectacular in its' day. History indicates that this was once ancient Rome's largest stadium. Grandstands held 300,000 spectators cheering at the chariot races. Didn't even take a picture here, that will tell you something.
This evening, Monday, May 18th was our last evening with Suzanne and Colin. We have so much enjoyed spending time with them. Thank You!
Heard that Djokovic beat Federer in the Italian Open. Might have to take this in one of these years. Robin tells me that this is one of the few titles that Federer has never won. French Open starts on Monday. Oh, the choices!
By the way, how many churches did you guess? Wikipedia says more than 900.
Tuesday, our last day in Rome. We take our time getting out and about today, and start off at our favourite coffee shop for tea and cappuccino to get us going. Read the local Italian papers. The locals are bemoaning the state of the roads and the garbage. Don't think the Government has any money to fix these problems. Looks like the Rome airport still undergoing delays due to the fire last week.
We walk across the Ponte Garibaldi on our way to the Musei Capitolini. Come across the Jewish sector with all it's kosher restaurants. Robin and I were saying how much busier it has gotten in Rome from our first couple of days here last week. Very noticeable are school groups from all over the World.

The Musei Capitolini dates back to 1471 when the Pope of the day donated a group of bronze statues to the people of Rome. Additional artworks and pieces were added from treasures found during excavations, others transferred from the Vatican art collection and some purchases made by the museum. The museum is made up of three separate buildings surrounding the Piazza del Campidoglio.

We finished viewing the art in the first building and exited through the requisite Gallery store and went over to the next building. We are told that we must enter via the original building and go downstairs then through the tunnel. We did not realize that the buildings were connected through underground tunnels. These instructions were relayed in Italian and lots of sign language. Why is it when one is not understood, people simply talk louder. No, I am not deaf, I just don't understand Italian when you speak so quickly, no need to talk so loud!

Think we spent about two hours in the museums. Magnificent works of art and a great setting. Famous collection of busts of ancient philosophers and Roman Emperors, the reclining statue of "Marforio" in one of the courtyards, numerous Roman bronzes, beautiful equestrian statues and lovely tapestries. Works by numerous artists as well, including Carravagio, Guercino and others. Love the statue and fresco of Romulus and Remus suckling from the she wolf (referred to previously). Statue also known as "The Capitoline Wolf".

Make our way to the Pantheon, as we weren't able to enter this past Sunday. Wander through the narrow lanes to get there. Once again massive crowds, but we go straight in. It really is quite spectacular inside, hard to believe that this is a Catholic Church. I'm thinking to myself....O.K. Mr., get that selfie stick out of my way or I will elbow you.....right, I'm in the Church.....shouldn't be thinking bad thoughts....how many Hail Mary's would that be after going to confession!
Back to our apartment around 3 p.m. and some downtime before our last evening out. More street pictures, on the way, of everyday life in Rome. Go out for a nice dinner and short walk through the lanes of Trastevere. We come across an art installation in progress. The artist has laid down pieces of metal and he was asking passers by to help hammer them with mallets, thereby taking shape of the cobblestones below....Robin took part!





I really haven't talked about the food here in Rome. Great coffee, gelato and yummy Itslian sandwiches. Most people probably know that when you go out for dinner, you would normally eat four separate courses. First would be Insalata (salad), then pasta, then a meat dish and finally a desert. We are probably outside the norm of diners. We simply have a meat dish and split a pasta dish, usually pasta with pepper and pecorino cheese.
Final impressions of Rome. Lots of history everywhere, and hopefully the Government will give sufficient funds to ensure various sites are preserved for future generations. A very walkable City; we must have walked at least 14 kilometres a day, if not more. We loved the location of our apartment and would recommend the Trastevere area to anyone visiting. Graffiti everywhere, even on doors of private homes. Garbage everywhere as well, and people simply throw things in the streets. Really must do something about these two issues. As with other foreign countries we have been to, it pays to pick up some key words in the local language. It's always appreciated. Would recommend a visit to Rome for anyone. Would we come back, probably not.....too many other places we haven't been to, but definitely glad we made it here.