davetroy

Grandma: That is memorable casting. We were unlucky with casting. Kaufmann and Garanca were supposed to sing Cav but both dropped out; their replacements were so-so. Also unfortunate that La Fenice had no performances the four nights we were there, although we did go inside and saw a little of a rehearsal.

annhig: I'm pretty picky about opera seats. I won't even sit under an overhang.

annhig

davetroy - I certainly learnt my lesson in Madrid. I'd rather not go than go through that again.

Shame you didn't get to see a performance at La Fenice. We got front row seats for an orchestral evening when we were there a few years ago and it was fun seeing the audience greeting the players personally as they came onto the stage - it was obvious that lots of them were locals and known to each other.

when we came out, the stairs were lined with members of the fire brigade - as this wasn't that long since it had been re-opened, we weren't sure whether this was the normal fire drill after a performance, or a special event. it certainly added to the interest of the evening though.

davetroy

Friday 19
Venice, Day Two

Our first full day in Venice started with church bells ringing then going downstairs for Sandra’s delicious breakfast: bread, yogurt, savory quiche, sweet bread, gooey cheese, tea and coffee. Then we walked to the vaporetto stop, intent on walking the less-beaten path today.

We took the long way around the island and got off at the Dosiduro stop not far from the cruise ship dock, walked along the esplanade on a beautiful, clear day and took in the pretty views of Venice. We stopped for gelato, our best so far, at a small shop. Then we kept walking and turned left into a side street along a small canal and decided to stop for interesting ciccheti and cheap, good house wine at Osteria Al Squero. Apparently, this is one of the better ciccheti places in Venice because the place was soon overflowing. We checked out the gondola repair shop on the other side of the canal then walked about a hundred feet further to Cantione Gia Schiavi for delicious salami and cheese sandwiches on crunchy bread made by an old Italian grandmother and more house wine. We just happened upon these two places, and both turned out to be very good finds.

Then we put our map away and wandered. Carol bought jewelry at a glass and mask shop where the owner enthusiastically gave us an hour-long Venice history lesson (and we earned our second “Ciao” in two days). The Venetians, especially this one, seem to be very proud of their beautiful city, and although I caught only one out of every two or three words of his heavily accented English (it was more like Italish), he was educational nonetheless.

More mapless wandering, up one small street then other, past churches and canals and up quiet alleys and past busy waterways, seeing very few people. How can Venice be so overpacked in some areas and so quiet in others that are just as beautiful? When we heard music overflowing onto the street, we walked into a Lithuanian church and its beautiful courtyard. We were enjoying at our pace, not feeling the need to see the usual sites, finally understanding why people love it here.

After about three or four hours of walking, we were certain we had ended up in San Polo or Santa Croce and were not far from Cannaregio, but we couldn’t find a particular campo on a map. Well, we showed the map to a local, and we were shocked to discover that we weren’t far from the gondola repair shop where we’d started. We’d spent the afternoon walking in a giant circle! Venice can certainly challenge your sense of direction.

By this time, we were getting hungry and saw that we were near Trattoria Basilio, a restaurant with a view that gets good reviews on TripAdvisor. Well, we ended up at Ristorante Basilio and realized we were in the wrong place when our mushroom risotto came to our table within minutes of ordering. Awful! A bowl of Minute Rice with canned mushrooms mixed in. Where was Trattoria Basilio? Around the corner! We didn’t bother eating this awful mush. Stomach space is valuable in Italy!

So, we hopped onto the vaporetto back to Canareggio and, this time, enjoyed the view. We walked home along Rio della Misericordia, wondering how we always managed to find the short route from the B&B to the vaporetto stop but the long route back. Well, going out of your way is usually a good thing in Venice.

For most of the past week, we’d seen people drinking orange-colored cocktails, which we now knew were called spritz. We stopped at Paradiso Perdido (Paradise Lost) and made the mistake of ordering a spritz made with Campari. Ugh! Terribly bitter. Cough medicine tastes better. We gave up on that quickly and ordered Spritz made with aperol. Much better (but still not good).

We sat alongside the canal, watched the boats, and headed home to rest before dinner. Dinner was at Anice Stellato in Canareggio. We ate inside and had decent, soupy fish and sea bass, salad and a half-liter of house white wine. The food was okay, but we happened upon some good fortune.

I had read a book called “The Venice Experiment” about an American couple that decides to spend a year in Venice. The author describes a gelato shop in which the owner makes everything from scratch and from natural ingredients. The problem was, I had no idea of the store’s name or where it was.

So, I actually said to our server, “Do you know of a gelato place in Venice that serves all-natural gelato?”

He said, “No, but there’s someone who might know.”

Believe it or not, he came back a few minutes later with a woman who was pretty sure that the shop was called Alaska and that it was in Santa Croce, not far from the train station.

“Alaska!” I said. “That’s it!”

What are the odds? Venice must hundreds of gelato shops.

So, tomorrow, we’re going to Alaska.

Dayle

dave,

I'm loving this. Yes, just wandering Venice is the best. That's basically all I did on my first very short visit. The second time, I had a plan and visited more sights and enjoyed more art. Still need another visit. So much to enjoy in Venice!

ellenem

Alaska Gelateria is actually very well known in Venice for its flavors and minimal use of dairy. I recall an amazing carrot and powerful liquorice. Waiting to see what you chose.

Adelaidean

Appreciate hearing how Venice can charm and frustrate.

annhig

We stopped at Paradiso Perdido (Paradise Lost) and made the mistake of ordering a spritz made with Campari. Ugh! Terribly bitter. Cough medicine tastes better. We gave up on that quickly and ordered Spritz made with aperol. Much better (but still not good). >>

lol - last time I was in Venice I made the mistake of not specifying that I wanted a spritz with Campari and got a shock when I took my first sip; for me the Aperol type is far too sweet.

I like your description of looking at the map and being told that you were almost back where you started - very easily done, IME.

keep it coming...

TDudette

Very nice TR, davetroy! It evoked wonderful memories of trips with DH in our beloved Italy.

Borgo Le Terraze looks super. OMG, the meals sound scrumptious. And yes, one of the most beautiful places DH and I had seen in our limited travels.

What are white beers, please?

I agree about the thrill of Milan’s Duomo—truly awe-inspiring on the outside. Leisurely meals and having to ask for “il conto” was our experience also. I was surprised about your La Scala acoustics comment (but not the bordello one as I felt the same way about it and the Kennedy Center in D.C.). They have re-done the sound system I believe twice at the Met.

Mimar, annhig DH and I were impressed with the first views of Venice at the station. But, to each his own, eh? It wasn't crowded when we were first there in March 1999-that could have made a difference.

More please, soon!

davetroy

ellenem: We went to Alaska twice! The first time we had rose, ginger (I think he calls it zenzero) and celery. Loved Alaska! I suspect Alaska has a heavy local clientele; although it's not far from the train station, it's not exactly in the tourist zone, is it?

TDudette: White beer is a kind of wheat beer, I think, but it's not as heavy as the usual wheat beers. I think it's mostly a summer beer. As for La Scala's acoustics, I think a similar thing happens mid-orchestra at the Met. The orchestra section of the Met dips toward the middle, and the sound tends to go over your head if you're sitting in one of the first 20 rows. I think the orchestra section dips at La Scala, too, although I have no proof. But as I said, the acoustics in the second level of boxes was excellent. What was your experience with the acoustics at La Scala.

Thanks to everyone for commenting. I fear that I'm getting more long-winded as I go along, but I'm enjoying re-living the trip.

davetroy

Saturday 20
Venice Day 3

After another of Sandra’s delicious breakfasts, we walked through tourist hell once again to the Rialto Bridge. I understand the historical importance of the bridge, and I guess it was a technological achievement, too, but the bridge is kind of ugly. I guess tacky-looking would be a way to describe it. We walked around the market for a little while, feeling like we were in a gigantic flea market—okay, I know, I’m just not getting it—then zig-zagged through the labyrinth streets to Saint Mark’s Basilica for our 11:30 entrance.

Reserving a time online turned out to be a very good move because the standby line was very long, and we got to bypass it (we reserved a spot that morning. If the Duomo in Milan is awesome, St. Mark’s is a jewel. It’s not nearly as large at the Duomo, but it certainly is beautiful, especially when it’s all lit up, as it is every morning between 11:30 and 12:30 (when we were there). The gold domes, the marble floors that roll like little waves because of how it settled…it’s quite a place. Rick Steves’ guide to St. Mark’s was very helpful. We also visited the treasury, which has artifacts going back to the fifth century. We took our time. Carol especially enjoyed the treasury.

We once again walked over the crowded, and still disappointing, Bridge of Sighs, past the Doge’s palace and, with a heavy rain falling, made our 12:30 lunch reservation at Il Ridotto. It was Carol’s birthday, and although the big celebration was going to be lunch in Modena on Monday, we figured we’d take advantage of the 28-euro lunch deal for this Michelin one-hat restaurant.

started with excellent tapas, one of which was crab and mushrooms with pistachios. Also an excellent, tender scallop in potato sauce. Whenever Carol and I have scallops in a good restaurant, we always wonder whether it will eclipse the best scallop we ever had, at Picasso in the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. That’s a high standard, almost impossible to match, and this scallop didn’t equal it, but it was very good. Also, shrimp in a great green, red and white sauce (I don’t recall the ingredients). The main courses were suckling pig that was good but not tender enough and excellent sea bass with puree of fennel. Carol usually doesn’t like fennel, but she enjoyed this sauce, and the fish was the best we’d have in Venice. For desert, apple tort with creamy ice cream that wasn’t overly sweet. Two glasses of prosecco and three glasses of the best wines we’ve had in Italy—a Pinot Noir, a crispy Sauvignon Blanc (who would’ve thought Sauvignon Blanc could be that good?) and a red from the Valle D’Aosta region completed a very good, very relaxed lunch in a pleasant, indoor setting, but not a meal worthy of the Michelin star (Andy Hayler, the online food critic, wrote as much, as we agreed). Total bill was 113 euros.

There was nothing playing at La Fenice during our stay in Venice, but I wanted to see this historic opera house anyway, so we walked over and took the guided self-tour. I’m glad we did. I’d read that many Venetians weren’t happy with the way the house was rebuilt after the fire destroyed most of it in 1996, but with nothing to compare it to, we thought it was beautiful. Not beautiful like La Scala, which is opulent and in-your-face with its beauty, but a subdued, elegant beauty with soft pastel colors. And, as a bonus, we got to watch part of a chorus rehearsal for what I think was a Rossini opera. Two opera houses couldn’t be more different than La Scala and La Fenice.


By now it was late afternoon, and although neither Carol nor I were hungry, we decided to take the vaporetto to the Santa Croce district in search of Alaska Gelateria. And there it was, easy to find, just a few blocks from the vaporetto stop near the train station, and there he was, Carlo Pistacchi, the proprietor of Alaska, standing behind the counter in this small shop that fronts onto the street. Alaska did not disappoint. Carlo specializes in gelato made from fresh ingredients—he told us he only uses what he bought at the market that day. We had ginger, rose and celery gelato, and it was by far the best gelato we’ve ever had. It’s not creamy, but the flavors are vibrant.

We rode the vaporetto back to Cannaregio, rested up on our altana and then headed back to the area near the Rialto Bridge for a light dinner at Do Spade. Do Spade is known for its ciccchetti, and these little bites turned out to be a lot better than the main dishes (tagliatelle with pesto; gnocchi with meat sauce). We probably should have stuck with the cicchetti, but since we weren’t that hungry, it was no great loss. Do Spade was very crowded, mostly with locals, it seemed, a lot of them drinking spritz. Not us!

We rode the vaporetto to Saint Mark’s as the sun was setting, walked along the shore, marveled at this storybook setting and arrived in the square just as the sun had set. Hokey orchestras were playing all over the place—how many times can you hear “Volare” in one night?—but this enormous square, all lit up (but not as bright as you might expect it to be), was really spectacular, especially with a full moon. A memorable sight. And much less-crowded with the day trippers gone.

By the way, if you’re in Venice and need a selfie stick for your smart phone, head to St. Mark’s Square. It’s Selfie Stick Central. I’m sure you can get a great deal.

Carol bought some souvenirs, we wandered around St. Mark’s Square, I snapped a picture of the Hard Rock restaurant just off the square (I loved the idea of gondolas parked in front of a Hard Rock) and then took a very crowded vaporetto ride back to our district.

And I’m going to admit right here that Carol’s 72-hour vaporetto pass hasn’t worked since yesterday afternoon. She apparently bent it in the wrong place (I guess the passes have chips inside), rendering it void (we asked a person at a vaporetto ticket booth to replace it but she wouldn’t). Well, Carol had been riding the vaporetto for a day and a half, and, fortunately, nobody had asked to see our tickets. But we finally gave in and bought a new ticket, figuring our luck couldn’t last forever. Wrong: Our tickets were never checked again. But I wouldn’t advise riding the vaporettos without a pass; the fines are hefty.

The nighttime ride down the Grand Canal was interesting and beautiful. Beautiful because many of the buildings along the canal are lit up, and you can see inside some of the palaces. Is Venice the most-beautiful city I’ve ever seen? I don’t know. Comparisons are difficult. It is the most-unique. Interesting because not all of the buildings are lit up and much of Venice seems either boarded up or deserted.

We stopped for a beer and a final birthday toast on Rio della Misericordia (yes, we went the wrong way again) and turned in shortly before midnight after a day in which we walked nearly eight miles. Happy birthday, Carol!

TDudette

What was your experience with the acoustics at La Scala.<<<<DH and I took a tour of La Scala and heard singers very well. Not the same experience when the room is filled with people.

Then, when Strathmore Hall was built in Md., there was an article about its acoustics and the art/science of getting sound right. My less than reliable memory thought that La Scala and Carnegie Hall were mentioned has having good (best?) sound. Also, that the best acoustics were not possible in huge halls. Mind you, this was before many of the digital systems so things could have changed.

I'm so glad you and your DW were able to get some Venice magic!

annhig

But we finally gave in and bought a new ticket, figuring our luck couldn’t last forever. Wrong: Our tickets were never checked again. But I wouldn’t advise riding the vaporettos without a pass; the fines are hefty>>

have they not yet implemented the ticket gates at the vaporetto stops, davetroy? When I was there in February they were just installing them and I would have thought that they would have had them working by now.

Probably a good move to buy the replacement ticket anyone - stops the heart bumping too hard as you get on the vaporetto!

and happy birthday, Carol.

davetroy

TDudette: I can't imagine anyone not finding Venice magical and mysterious after dark. Certainly magical, especially if you're with someone you love. Carol and I were talking about our favorite walking cities, and Venice is now on the list with New York and Paris, and they're each so different.

annhig: They have scanners at the entrance to each vaporetto stop, but as for gates, if there were any, they were never down. Most of the time, the vaporettos were too crowded for the crew to walk around checking tickets.

I haven't mentioned this in my trip report, but there's a huge difference between the time it takes the 1 and 2 lines to go up and down the Grand Canal. The 2, which makes about half as many stops, takes about half as much time. If you're looking to just cruise the Grand Canal, the 2 is the way to go.

annhig

thanks, Davetroy, it looks as if it's taking a while for the gate system to be operational. I wondered when I was there in February how it would affect the crowds on the vaporetti as I never saw a ticket inspector in a whole week when I was using them at least twice a day, and some days more often than that.

My suspicion is that there are a lot of people travelling for free and that once they get the gates working, those crowds will disappear, at least for a while.

davetroy

Sunday 21
Venice Day 4

After another excellent breakfast from Sandra (more gooey cheese and savory quiche; we could smell it cooking the night before), we got off to a late start. Sandra knocked on our door to let us know Michelle Obama had just gone by on the canal.

This turned out to be a laid back, enjoyable day. We walked to Fondamente Nove for the 45-minute vaporetto ride to Burano and strolled around this colorful fishing village that’s nothing like Venice. Our destination was Trattoria da Romano, the restaurant Anthony Bourdain made world famous because of its risotto. With all of the outside seats taken, we sat in a nice room in the back of this huge restaurant with pictures all over the walls, sipped house wine and enjoyed crunchy bread while waiting for our risotto to be prepared. The risotto was excellent, the second-best on the trip after Trattoria Milanese, perfectly cooked and creamy. With salad, the bill came to 63 euros, including the 12% service charge which, according to our waiter, didn’t include the gratuity. Well, what, then, is a service charge? That sounded like a problem between him and his boss, not between him and us.

We walked around colorful, pretty Burano a little more (there’s not much to see), passed the silk shops then took the ferry to Murano. By now, though, it was late afternoon and the furnaces were shuttered, so we walked around and browsed the glass shops before hopping onto the No. 4.1 vaporetto. But instead of getting off at Fondamente Nove, we took it all the way to the train station. Destination: Alaska for more gelato!

This turned out to be a good move for another reason. The 4.1 vaporetto goes down a side canal before ending up at the train station, and it was nice to see a different part of Venice. Then, Alaska, for almond, tiramisu, pistachio, pear and chocolate gelato. Not in one cup, of course! Carlo’s gelato was as delicious as we’d remembered it…from a day ago.

Next to Alaska, we noticed a deli (I don’t remember its name) with delectable-looking meats and cheeses, so we bought spicy salami, mortadella and cheese sandwiches for dinner on our altana. We got back onto the vaporetto to San Marcuola and got off, but then we had an idea. It was early evening. The sun was starting to set. At this time of day, the vaporettos were crowded going to the train station, not going away from it. We decided to see if we could get seats in the front of a No. 2 vaporetto headed to St. Mark’s (only some of the vaporetto, I believe the older ones, have seats in the front).

Well, we waited and waited. None of the vaporettos had seats in the front. We were ready to give up when a No. 2 vaporetto came along with seats in the front, and two people sitting in those seats were getting off at San Marcuola. So, we ran onto the vaporetto, grabbed the two seats in the front row and were treated to one of the highlights of our four days in Venice: a cruise up the Grand Canal, all the way to Lido, as the sun set, then all the way back, taking in the spectacular views. I don’t know which is better, Venice as the sun is setting or Venice after dark. Both are beautiful in their own way.

We went back to our room for crusty sandwiches and wine on the roof, taking in the beautiful views in all directions, including to the Grand Canal, the lights twinkling, Venice looking and feeling surreal. I kept moving around the altana, unable to decide which view I liked better, trying to soak in the memory of Venice. Nine euro sandwiches and cheap house wine on our altana was an unforgettable meal.

Tomorrow’s lunch in Modena would be even more memorable.

2010

I continue to enjoy your TR & the ease in which you approached Venice. We tend to be a little more structured, saving the wandering to between our visits to various, targeted places. Maybe next time, we should think about being less planned & less reliant on a map. After all, how lost could we get? ;-)

davetroy

2010: It's funny. I feel the opposite way. We enjoyed Venice, but after we left, I wondered if we should have taken in more of the usual sites. We had planned to do Doge's Palace, etc., but scrapped that plan when we saw the crowds.

TDudette

We did the same thing on a Vap, davetroy. Thanks for the memory!

annhig

Sounds like a lovely last day, davetroy. We tend to structure the early part of the day and then see where the rest of the day takes us; and in high summer there's no way that you'd get me near the Doge's Palace or any of those tourist hot spots. There are however a lot of other "lesser" sights in Venice that are well worth going to see and which don't attract the crowds.

Maybe next time, we should think about being less planned & less reliant on a map. After all, how lost could we get?>>

2010 - when we were in Venice with our "kids" [then about 17 & 20] we "grown-ups" wanted a late night drink and they didn't, so after supper we left them in our apartment and went in search of a friendly bar. 2 hours later we were still trying to find our way back and eventually rolled in at about 12.30 am.

So it is quite possible to get very lost indeed!

davetroy

If you can't get lost in Venice, you're just not trying.

Since this report is so food-oriented, I should have mentioned that the risotto we had at Da Romano in Burano was their famous Go Risotto, which is made from fish. But it's not fishy at all. It's really a beautiful dish. The risotto was so pearly, we wanted to eat them one at a time. We didn't, of course.