Trip Report- yk's rainy Venetian honeymoon (with a daytrip to Padova, Vicneza & Verona)
Nov 1st, 2005, 08:59 AM
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<b>Day 3, Part III</b>
<b>Verona</b>
We only spent 2 hours in Vicenza, and took the 3:42pm train to Verona. It was an IC train and tickets were € 5,06 pp. We arrived in Verona at 4:16pm.
The Verona train station is quite a distance from the old city center, and we needed to take a bus. I also knew that the Verona Card covers city buses, so we stopped by the tourist info inside the train station to get a map and buy the Verona Card. However, the TI doesn't sell the Card, but the Exchange Bureau across the hall does, so we bought our 1-day Verona Card there (€ 8).
We hopped on a bus and headed for Castelvecchio first. Even though it was only 4:30p or so, it was dark already because of the poor weather.
Castelvecchio is covered by the Verona card. It houses more Renaissance paintings (mainly by Veneto artists), and interestingly, the museum interior was designed by Carlo Scarpa.
We browsed through the museum quickly, as we were getting tired of looking at another "Madonna and Child" after seeing about 1000+ of them in the last 2 days.
We next walked over to Ponte Scaligero for some foggy/misty views of Verona, and then walked to Piazza Bra, got some gelato on the way, and entered the Arena (covered by Verona Card).
There isn't that much to see inside the Arena, so we decided to pay a visit to Juliet's house. We initially wasn't planning to go because it's so toursity, but we figured we still had some time, and it's also covered by the Verona Card.
It was a mad scene at Juliet's house. Crowds and crowds of tourists (mainly Asians - I wonder why) lined up to take pictures of Juliet's statue (one is supposed to rub her R breast???) and also the balcony. We weaved our way pass the crowds to enter the house. Surprisingly, there were very few people inside, probably because it requires admission? And even more surprisingly, Juliet's balcony is open for anyone to get on! Somehow I assumed the balcony would be roped off. I stepped out on the balcony and proceeded to wave to the crowds of tourists down below.
There wasn't much to see inside the house, except for a few fake furnitures.
[In retrospect, if we had more time and I had done my research better, we should have gone to San Zeno Maggiore - where Mantegna's altarpiece is located.]
We walked back to Piazza Bra and opted to have dinner in Verona before catching the train back to Venice.
We spotted Restaurant Brek - a self-service cafeteria which a friend of mine went to recently. It serves decent food - and cheap. I had a risotto and a small salad for € 6,10.
After dinner, we waited at a bus station just outside Piazza Bra for a bus to go back to the train station. We waited and waited and waited... and no bus. We started to suspect something was wrong, but there were many locals waiting also, so we thought maybe this is normal for Italy. We ended up missing an earlier train. Finally, when I looked at the bus stop sign closer, there was a note posted (in Italian) saying that this stop is not in service!
By then, we tried to hail a cab but there weren't any, so we walked about 400 yards to the next bus stop which was in service, and caught a bus to the train station.
We took the 8:19pm train (€ 12,65) back to Venice. We got back to our hotel at 10:30pm. End of our 16.5hr daytrip.
On this day trip, we took:
2 Vaporetto rides
4 train rides
7 bus rides
<b>A few thoughts on Padova, Vicenza, and Verona</b>
As I mentioned before, I picked the worst day to go on this daytrip. Before we left for our trip, this particular day was forecasted to be partly sunny, and that's why I picked it. But forecasts are forecasts... And unfortunately, the Scrovegni Chapel reservations are non-exchangeable, so I couldn't change our daytrip to another day.
<b>Padova</b>
I didn't like the town as much as I thought I would. It doesn't really have too much "charm." But the Giotto frescoes are definitely worth seeing.
The Padova card is valid for 48 hours - good deal if one spends more time there than we did. We still saved some $ by buying the card.
<b>Vicenza</b>
I don't think it's fair for me to say whether I like it or not, based on our 2-hr visit there. I would like to go back next time (on a sunny day) and take a good look at the Palladian palaces.
<b>Verona</b>
The most toursity town of all 3. It is quite a cute town. I'd say it is my favorite of all three based on such a short visit.
Note that the Verona card comes in 2 options: 1 day or 3 days. The 1-day card is only valid for one day, not 24 hours. When we bought ours at 4:30pm, we were told specifically that it will only be valid until 12mn that night.
<b>Verona</b>
We only spent 2 hours in Vicenza, and took the 3:42pm train to Verona. It was an IC train and tickets were € 5,06 pp. We arrived in Verona at 4:16pm.
The Verona train station is quite a distance from the old city center, and we needed to take a bus. I also knew that the Verona Card covers city buses, so we stopped by the tourist info inside the train station to get a map and buy the Verona Card. However, the TI doesn't sell the Card, but the Exchange Bureau across the hall does, so we bought our 1-day Verona Card there (€ 8).
We hopped on a bus and headed for Castelvecchio first. Even though it was only 4:30p or so, it was dark already because of the poor weather.
Castelvecchio is covered by the Verona card. It houses more Renaissance paintings (mainly by Veneto artists), and interestingly, the museum interior was designed by Carlo Scarpa.
We browsed through the museum quickly, as we were getting tired of looking at another "Madonna and Child" after seeing about 1000+ of them in the last 2 days.
We next walked over to Ponte Scaligero for some foggy/misty views of Verona, and then walked to Piazza Bra, got some gelato on the way, and entered the Arena (covered by Verona Card).
There isn't that much to see inside the Arena, so we decided to pay a visit to Juliet's house. We initially wasn't planning to go because it's so toursity, but we figured we still had some time, and it's also covered by the Verona Card.
It was a mad scene at Juliet's house. Crowds and crowds of tourists (mainly Asians - I wonder why) lined up to take pictures of Juliet's statue (one is supposed to rub her R breast???) and also the balcony. We weaved our way pass the crowds to enter the house. Surprisingly, there were very few people inside, probably because it requires admission? And even more surprisingly, Juliet's balcony is open for anyone to get on! Somehow I assumed the balcony would be roped off. I stepped out on the balcony and proceeded to wave to the crowds of tourists down below.
There wasn't much to see inside the house, except for a few fake furnitures.
[In retrospect, if we had more time and I had done my research better, we should have gone to San Zeno Maggiore - where Mantegna's altarpiece is located.]
We walked back to Piazza Bra and opted to have dinner in Verona before catching the train back to Venice.
We spotted Restaurant Brek - a self-service cafeteria which a friend of mine went to recently. It serves decent food - and cheap. I had a risotto and a small salad for € 6,10.
After dinner, we waited at a bus station just outside Piazza Bra for a bus to go back to the train station. We waited and waited and waited... and no bus. We started to suspect something was wrong, but there were many locals waiting also, so we thought maybe this is normal for Italy. We ended up missing an earlier train. Finally, when I looked at the bus stop sign closer, there was a note posted (in Italian) saying that this stop is not in service!
By then, we tried to hail a cab but there weren't any, so we walked about 400 yards to the next bus stop which was in service, and caught a bus to the train station.
We took the 8:19pm train (€ 12,65) back to Venice. We got back to our hotel at 10:30pm. End of our 16.5hr daytrip.
On this day trip, we took:
2 Vaporetto rides
4 train rides
7 bus rides
<b>A few thoughts on Padova, Vicenza, and Verona</b>
As I mentioned before, I picked the worst day to go on this daytrip. Before we left for our trip, this particular day was forecasted to be partly sunny, and that's why I picked it. But forecasts are forecasts... And unfortunately, the Scrovegni Chapel reservations are non-exchangeable, so I couldn't change our daytrip to another day.
<b>Padova</b>
I didn't like the town as much as I thought I would. It doesn't really have too much "charm." But the Giotto frescoes are definitely worth seeing.
The Padova card is valid for 48 hours - good deal if one spends more time there than we did. We still saved some $ by buying the card.
<b>Vicenza</b>
I don't think it's fair for me to say whether I like it or not, based on our 2-hr visit there. I would like to go back next time (on a sunny day) and take a good look at the Palladian palaces.
<b>Verona</b>
The most toursity town of all 3. It is quite a cute town. I'd say it is my favorite of all three based on such a short visit.
Note that the Verona card comes in 2 options: 1 day or 3 days. The 1-day card is only valid for one day, not 24 hours. When we bought ours at 4:30pm, we were told specifically that it will only be valid until 12mn that night.
Nov 1st, 2005, 09:11 AM
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"San Zeno Maggiore - where Mantegna's altarpiece is located"
I guess I didn't remind you of it.
The pradella panels, by the way, are in the Louvre, if memory serves.
It's supposedly quite an important work by Mantegna.
Next trip, I guess.
I guess I didn't remind you of it.
The pradella panels, by the way, are in the Louvre, if memory serves.
It's supposedly quite an important work by Mantegna.
Next trip, I guess.
Nov 1st, 2005, 09:15 AM
#24
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Sorry -- it's spelled predella.
By the way, the attribution of the Vicenza portrait to Memling is contested, according to the catalogue for the Memling exhibition. Supposedly it's just a fragment. I'll have to see if it actually traveled to the Frick Collection.
You probably saw a different Memling.
By the way, the attribution of the Vicenza portrait to Memling is contested, according to the catalogue for the Memling exhibition. Supposedly it's just a fragment. I'll have to see if it actually traveled to the Frick Collection.
You probably saw a different Memling.
Nov 1st, 2005, 10:12 AM
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<b>Day 4</b>
In case you haven't noticed, we have been in Venice for 3 days and we still haven't stepped foot on Piazza San Marco. Today is the day.
After breakfast, we hurried to the Doge's Palace. I had booked us on the Secret Itineraries Tour for 9:55am - but one has to be there by 9:25am to pick up the tickets.
We got to the entrance, and it was very confusing. There were 2 lines and it wasn't clear which one we should be in. Fortunately, neither line was long, and we got in within a minute or 2. We had to be re-directed to another line to pick up our tickets.
I had planned on buying the Venice Museum Pass also. When I called a few days earlier to book the Secret Tour, the phone representative told me that if I have a Museum Pass, I can purchase the Secret Tour at a discounted rate. But when I asked at the desk, they told me no. In a panic, I went ahead and got the Museum Pass also. In retrospect, I probably should have passed on the Museum Pass. [Note: they do not take credit cards at Doge's Palace]
The tour turned out to be as good as everyone here raved. I was pleasantly surpried. DH enjoyed it also. The tour ended at 11:10am.
We then proceeded to tour the "regular" part of the Palace ourselves. We did not get the audioguide (extra € 5 I think), but just followed the xeroxed pages of the Michelin guide. There are also plenty of signs and explanations in each room, and I think the combination was adequate.
Even though the Doge's Palace was famous for the Renaissance paintings and ceilings, I was more concerned about seeing the Bosch paintings. I kept worrying that I would miss it. All my worries were unfounded, as when we arrived in the room where the Bosch paintings are, there was NO WAY I would have missed them! There were 3 paintings by Bosch, and 1 by Quentin Massys.
Also on view inside the Doge's Palace is a recently restored Carpaccio.
We left the Doge's Palace at around 12:30pm.
We decided to visit the Basilica next. There was a line to get in which stretched all the way around the corner, but it moved very quickly. I was quite disappointed for 2 reasons:
1. It was very dark inside. I suppose it relies on natural light to light the inside? It was cloudy, so I couldn't even see any of the mosaics.
2. It was so crowded that it was almost impossible to stop at a spot to look around. We were just being pushed by the crowd to move along.
It is free to enter the Basilica, but any other "exhibits" require admission. I have been to the gallery and seen the bronze horses on my last visit, and DH didn't really want to go, so we skipped that. I did make sure we paid € 1,50 to see the Pala d'Oro (3* in Micheline guide).
Since we had paid for the Museum Pass, my instinct was to keep moving and visit as many musuems as we possibly could, but DH requested that we stop and sit down for lunch. If I were traveling alone, I would have just grabbed a panini to go and headed to the next museum. But alas, I am on my honeymoon, so I agreed to slow down a bit.
We went to Cavatappi for lunch. We had to wait for about 15 minutes for a table. We both had pasta. We were there for over an hour, and I kept thinking that we're wasting precious sightseeing minutes here eating lunch! Lunch came out to € 30.
DH was happy about the break, so he agreed to hit some more museums with me. We next went to Museo Correr (covered by Museum Pass).
There are some great paintings inside Museo Correr, including a few more Carpaccios, scupltures by Canova etc. There is also one room of Flemish paintings. The Lucian Freud exhibit was still on view, but it requies additional admission, so we skipped that.
Next, we walked to Ca'Pesaro, which houses modern art and Asian art. The Modern art section was rather disappointing, as most of the artists featured were (not as famous) Italian/Veneto artists. One of the most famous piece in the museum is Klimt's Judith II, but it was on loan to Paris! In return, the Orsay loaned a painting by Gauguin - Le Cheval blanc - to be on view.
We decided to check out the Asian Art section also, which was almost entirely free of tourists.
We were at Ca' Pesaro for a total of 1 hour. By then, it was 5:30pm and we were quite tired. I thought about pushing DH to visiting Ca' d'Oro. Ca' d'Oro is just across the Grand Canal, and is open until 7:15pm, and gets 3* from Michelin guide. But, I felt really bad to push DH for more, plus we were both quite fed up with Renaissance art by now. Instead, we leisurely walked back to our hotel.
2 days earlier while at Frari, we bought tickets for a concert (€ 15) - organ and contralto recital - for this evening. Concert starts at 9pm, and we needed to eat dinner before the concert.
We hadn't made any dinner reservations, so we decided to go to Taverna San Travaso for dinner. We knew ahead of time that it is a touristy restaurant, and it is exactly what we had expected. We didn't find the food good at all, though it was cheaper than other places we've eaten at so far. Dinner came out to € 55.
We walked to Frari for the concert. There are 2 organs inside the church, both date from the 1700s. The first half of the concert featured one organ, then the second half featured the other one. It was good, and the singing was very good too, but we felt that neither organ was "grand" enough to fill the large Frari church with it's volume. I was also very exhausted, and I slept through most of the concert anyway.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed by Campo Santa Margherita. I stopped for some gelato.
<b>Restaurants</b>
Cavatappi
Campo della Guerra, 525/526, San Marco
041 296 02 52
Taverna San Travaso (not recommended by me)
Fondamenta Priuli, Dorsoduro 1016
041 520 37 03
In case you haven't noticed, we have been in Venice for 3 days and we still haven't stepped foot on Piazza San Marco. Today is the day.
After breakfast, we hurried to the Doge's Palace. I had booked us on the Secret Itineraries Tour for 9:55am - but one has to be there by 9:25am to pick up the tickets.
We got to the entrance, and it was very confusing. There were 2 lines and it wasn't clear which one we should be in. Fortunately, neither line was long, and we got in within a minute or 2. We had to be re-directed to another line to pick up our tickets.
I had planned on buying the Venice Museum Pass also. When I called a few days earlier to book the Secret Tour, the phone representative told me that if I have a Museum Pass, I can purchase the Secret Tour at a discounted rate. But when I asked at the desk, they told me no. In a panic, I went ahead and got the Museum Pass also. In retrospect, I probably should have passed on the Museum Pass. [Note: they do not take credit cards at Doge's Palace]
The tour turned out to be as good as everyone here raved. I was pleasantly surpried. DH enjoyed it also. The tour ended at 11:10am.
We then proceeded to tour the "regular" part of the Palace ourselves. We did not get the audioguide (extra € 5 I think), but just followed the xeroxed pages of the Michelin guide. There are also plenty of signs and explanations in each room, and I think the combination was adequate.
Even though the Doge's Palace was famous for the Renaissance paintings and ceilings, I was more concerned about seeing the Bosch paintings. I kept worrying that I would miss it. All my worries were unfounded, as when we arrived in the room where the Bosch paintings are, there was NO WAY I would have missed them! There were 3 paintings by Bosch, and 1 by Quentin Massys.
Also on view inside the Doge's Palace is a recently restored Carpaccio.
We left the Doge's Palace at around 12:30pm.
We decided to visit the Basilica next. There was a line to get in which stretched all the way around the corner, but it moved very quickly. I was quite disappointed for 2 reasons:
1. It was very dark inside. I suppose it relies on natural light to light the inside? It was cloudy, so I couldn't even see any of the mosaics.
2. It was so crowded that it was almost impossible to stop at a spot to look around. We were just being pushed by the crowd to move along.
It is free to enter the Basilica, but any other "exhibits" require admission. I have been to the gallery and seen the bronze horses on my last visit, and DH didn't really want to go, so we skipped that. I did make sure we paid € 1,50 to see the Pala d'Oro (3* in Micheline guide).
Since we had paid for the Museum Pass, my instinct was to keep moving and visit as many musuems as we possibly could, but DH requested that we stop and sit down for lunch. If I were traveling alone, I would have just grabbed a panini to go and headed to the next museum. But alas, I am on my honeymoon, so I agreed to slow down a bit.
We went to Cavatappi for lunch. We had to wait for about 15 minutes for a table. We both had pasta. We were there for over an hour, and I kept thinking that we're wasting precious sightseeing minutes here eating lunch! Lunch came out to € 30.
DH was happy about the break, so he agreed to hit some more museums with me. We next went to Museo Correr (covered by Museum Pass).
There are some great paintings inside Museo Correr, including a few more Carpaccios, scupltures by Canova etc. There is also one room of Flemish paintings. The Lucian Freud exhibit was still on view, but it requies additional admission, so we skipped that.
Next, we walked to Ca'Pesaro, which houses modern art and Asian art. The Modern art section was rather disappointing, as most of the artists featured were (not as famous) Italian/Veneto artists. One of the most famous piece in the museum is Klimt's Judith II, but it was on loan to Paris! In return, the Orsay loaned a painting by Gauguin - Le Cheval blanc - to be on view.
We decided to check out the Asian Art section also, which was almost entirely free of tourists.
We were at Ca' Pesaro for a total of 1 hour. By then, it was 5:30pm and we were quite tired. I thought about pushing DH to visiting Ca' d'Oro. Ca' d'Oro is just across the Grand Canal, and is open until 7:15pm, and gets 3* from Michelin guide. But, I felt really bad to push DH for more, plus we were both quite fed up with Renaissance art by now. Instead, we leisurely walked back to our hotel.
2 days earlier while at Frari, we bought tickets for a concert (€ 15) - organ and contralto recital - for this evening. Concert starts at 9pm, and we needed to eat dinner before the concert.
We hadn't made any dinner reservations, so we decided to go to Taverna San Travaso for dinner. We knew ahead of time that it is a touristy restaurant, and it is exactly what we had expected. We didn't find the food good at all, though it was cheaper than other places we've eaten at so far. Dinner came out to € 55.
We walked to Frari for the concert. There are 2 organs inside the church, both date from the 1700s. The first half of the concert featured one organ, then the second half featured the other one. It was good, and the singing was very good too, but we felt that neither organ was "grand" enough to fill the large Frari church with it's volume. I was also very exhausted, and I slept through most of the concert anyway.
On the way back to the hotel, we passed by Campo Santa Margherita. I stopped for some gelato.
<b>Restaurants</b>
Cavatappi
Campo della Guerra, 525/526, San Marco
041 296 02 52
Taverna San Travaso (not recommended by me)
Fondamenta Priuli, Dorsoduro 1016
041 520 37 03
Nov 1st, 2005, 10:25 AM
#26
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"there was NO WAY I would have missed them"
Well, you could miss the Bosches if you didn't know where they're located, I think.
But now you've seen the only Bosches in Italy.
Maybe next time the three of us can arrange a trip to Venice to see the Mantegna at Ca' d'Oro.
I guess you didn't bother to look for the old Olivetti shop at San Marco? (Designed by Scarpa?)
Well, you could miss the Bosches if you didn't know where they're located, I think.
But now you've seen the only Bosches in Italy.
Maybe next time the three of us can arrange a trip to Venice to see the Mantegna at Ca' d'Oro.
I guess you didn't bother to look for the old Olivetti shop at San Marco? (Designed by Scarpa?)
Nov 1st, 2005, 11:18 AM
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111op-
I think I told you that I didn't do my homework on Carlo Scarpa.
As far as the Bosch paintings are concerned - if one follows the route touring the Doge's Palace, then one will have to pass the Bosch room. That's why I think one cannot miss it unless one deviates from the regular route.
I think I told you that I didn't do my homework on Carlo Scarpa.
As far as the Bosch paintings are concerned - if one follows the route touring the Doge's Palace, then one will have to pass the Bosch room. That's why I think one cannot miss it unless one deviates from the regular route.
Nov 1st, 2005, 11:23 AM
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Maybe I was just running around and skipping over velvet ropes, etc., that day.
I really can't recall where they're located at all, but I was just quite relieved to find them as they were really the only paintings I saw in the Palace.
I really can't recall where they're located at all, but I was just quite relieved to find them as they were really the only paintings I saw in the Palace.
Nov 1st, 2005, 11:56 AM
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<b>Day 5</b>
Today is our last full day in Venice, so I let DH sleep in. Because of that, we ended up skipping Guggenheim. I figured Guggenheim probably houses the same stuff that we have seen recently (at MoMA in NYC and NGA in DC).
After breakfast, we set off to Ca' Rezzonico. I was determined to get the most out of the Venice Museum Pass that we had purchased. It is a nice change from the other museums we've been to so far. We were there for about 90 minutes.
The sun actually came out for a little bit, though it remained foggy/hazy. After some contemplation, we decided to go to the Biennale. As the weather was relatively nice, we decided to walk there. DH really enjoys walking in Venice, and he also loves water (be it canals or lagoons).
We first took the traghetto at Ca' Rezzonico to cross the Grand Canal. Interestingly, different traghetto crossings charge different rate. The one at S. Toma charged us € 0,50 per person, but this one only charged € 0,25.
We walked towards Piazza San Marco, then along the lagoon. En route, we entered La Pieta (Vivaldi's church). We then took a detour to Scuola di San Giorgio Degli Schiavoni.
Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at looking at the map, and we spent 20 minutes walking around Castello looking for it. We actually had walked right past it, but it didn't really have any big signs outside, so I missed it. By the time we actually found it, it was just past 12:30pm - closed for siesta until 3:30pm! I was so mad! If we had found it the first time around, we would have been able to get in. DH promised that we can come back later, as he knew I would whine about it for years to come...
We did enjoy the detour in Castello - we got to see what "real" Venice is like, away from the touristy area.
We turned back towards the water, and kept walking until we reached Giardini. The Biennale admission was € 15. We went in, and aimlessly strolled around and entered random buildings. All the art work shown was just a bit too "modern" for us.
We grabbed a sandwich lunch there, and left before we had time to see everything.
We walked back to Arsenale, and as part of the Biennale is hosted at the rope factory at Arsenale, we went to check it out. As soon as we entered, I recognized the tampon "chandelier" which I had seen pictures of. We walked through the building, but had to turn back about 1/2 way through, as we were running out of time.
On the way back, we went back to Scuola di San Giorgio Degli Schiavoni. It gets 3* from Michelin, but honestly, I don't know what's so great about the Carpaccio cycle. But at least, DH won't be hearing me complain about missing it anymore.
We walked all the way back to San Marco, and attempted to do some shopping. DH was supposed to get me something (as part of wedding present), and I was supposed to get DH something on behalf of my parents. However, the touristy area of Venice is just too touristy for us... It's either Murano glass, or masks, or the usual names of Gucci, Prada, Tods... We ended up not getting anything.
We walked across Accademia Bridge, and instead of heading back to our hotel, we took another detour to Zattere - which apparently is where many Venetians take their late afternoon/early evening strolls. We strolled for a while, then passed by Pensione La Calcina. We decided to have dinner at their restaurant that night, so we stopped inside to make a reservation.
We went back to our hotel room and I took another nap.
Dinner at La Calcina (restaurant is called La Pisani) was not bad. I actually didn't write down what we had - and I guess it wasn't that memorable as I don't remember what we ate.
After dinner, it was raining very lightly. As this was our last night in Venice, I dragged DH to Piazza San Marco to listen to the bands. We got there around 9:30pm. It was a Saturday night, but very quiet - probably the rain kept tourists indoors.
We moved around the Piazza, depending on which band was playing. We also took a short stroll around the Piazza and out toward the lagoon. As the night went on, more people came out. I think some of them were tourists coming out of concerts. The rain had stopped, so people were sticking around longer also.
We were quite amused by the hawkers on the Piazza. When it was raining, they were selling umbrellas. When it stopped raining, they started selling roses. They seem to have goods to sell on any occasion.
We lingered on at the Piazza, and finally we caved in and sat down at one of the tables. Yes, I was fully aware of how expensive they are, but this is our honeymoon afterall. DH ordered a gelato, and I had a pot of tea. The total came out to € 35.
[Originally, we had thought about going to a Vivaldi concert that night, and tickets were € 22 each. But since I slept through most of the Frari concert, we decided not to "waste" the money. I told DH that the San Marco cafe is cheaper than 2 tickets for the Vivaldi concert, and therefore was well worth it.]
The bands stopped playing at 12MN, and it was time to head back.
Today is our last full day in Venice, so I let DH sleep in. Because of that, we ended up skipping Guggenheim. I figured Guggenheim probably houses the same stuff that we have seen recently (at MoMA in NYC and NGA in DC).
After breakfast, we set off to Ca' Rezzonico. I was determined to get the most out of the Venice Museum Pass that we had purchased. It is a nice change from the other museums we've been to so far. We were there for about 90 minutes.
The sun actually came out for a little bit, though it remained foggy/hazy. After some contemplation, we decided to go to the Biennale. As the weather was relatively nice, we decided to walk there. DH really enjoys walking in Venice, and he also loves water (be it canals or lagoons).
We first took the traghetto at Ca' Rezzonico to cross the Grand Canal. Interestingly, different traghetto crossings charge different rate. The one at S. Toma charged us € 0,50 per person, but this one only charged € 0,25.
We walked towards Piazza San Marco, then along the lagoon. En route, we entered La Pieta (Vivaldi's church). We then took a detour to Scuola di San Giorgio Degli Schiavoni.
Unfortunately, I wasn't very good at looking at the map, and we spent 20 minutes walking around Castello looking for it. We actually had walked right past it, but it didn't really have any big signs outside, so I missed it. By the time we actually found it, it was just past 12:30pm - closed for siesta until 3:30pm! I was so mad! If we had found it the first time around, we would have been able to get in. DH promised that we can come back later, as he knew I would whine about it for years to come...
We did enjoy the detour in Castello - we got to see what "real" Venice is like, away from the touristy area.
We turned back towards the water, and kept walking until we reached Giardini. The Biennale admission was € 15. We went in, and aimlessly strolled around and entered random buildings. All the art work shown was just a bit too "modern" for us.
We grabbed a sandwich lunch there, and left before we had time to see everything.
We walked back to Arsenale, and as part of the Biennale is hosted at the rope factory at Arsenale, we went to check it out. As soon as we entered, I recognized the tampon "chandelier" which I had seen pictures of. We walked through the building, but had to turn back about 1/2 way through, as we were running out of time.
On the way back, we went back to Scuola di San Giorgio Degli Schiavoni. It gets 3* from Michelin, but honestly, I don't know what's so great about the Carpaccio cycle. But at least, DH won't be hearing me complain about missing it anymore.
We walked all the way back to San Marco, and attempted to do some shopping. DH was supposed to get me something (as part of wedding present), and I was supposed to get DH something on behalf of my parents. However, the touristy area of Venice is just too touristy for us... It's either Murano glass, or masks, or the usual names of Gucci, Prada, Tods... We ended up not getting anything.
We walked across Accademia Bridge, and instead of heading back to our hotel, we took another detour to Zattere - which apparently is where many Venetians take their late afternoon/early evening strolls. We strolled for a while, then passed by Pensione La Calcina. We decided to have dinner at their restaurant that night, so we stopped inside to make a reservation.
We went back to our hotel room and I took another nap.
Dinner at La Calcina (restaurant is called La Pisani) was not bad. I actually didn't write down what we had - and I guess it wasn't that memorable as I don't remember what we ate.
After dinner, it was raining very lightly. As this was our last night in Venice, I dragged DH to Piazza San Marco to listen to the bands. We got there around 9:30pm. It was a Saturday night, but very quiet - probably the rain kept tourists indoors.
We moved around the Piazza, depending on which band was playing. We also took a short stroll around the Piazza and out toward the lagoon. As the night went on, more people came out. I think some of them were tourists coming out of concerts. The rain had stopped, so people were sticking around longer also.
We were quite amused by the hawkers on the Piazza. When it was raining, they were selling umbrellas. When it stopped raining, they started selling roses. They seem to have goods to sell on any occasion.
We lingered on at the Piazza, and finally we caved in and sat down at one of the tables. Yes, I was fully aware of how expensive they are, but this is our honeymoon afterall. DH ordered a gelato, and I had a pot of tea. The total came out to € 35.
[Originally, we had thought about going to a Vivaldi concert that night, and tickets were € 22 each. But since I slept through most of the Frari concert, we decided not to "waste" the money. I told DH that the San Marco cafe is cheaper than 2 tickets for the Vivaldi concert, and therefore was well worth it.]
The bands stopped playing at 12MN, and it was time to head back.
Nov 1st, 2005, 01:27 PM
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I love the detail in your report. Who knew you could step out onto Juliet’s balcony in Verona. There are so many little tidbits that I will be able to draw on for my next visit. Thank you. More, please…..
Nov 1st, 2005, 01:54 PM
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janemc-
No, I would NOT do the crazy daytrip again; and I would NOT suggest others to attempt (except maybe my friend 111op). Next time (whenever it may be), I'll probably stick with 2 - Vicenza and Verona. We did spend 5 hours in Padova, and I think we saw enough.
Simone-
Well, the trip report is almost to the very end... But I like posting details in my reports - things that are not told in regular guidebooks. I also like to post practical info - such as where to get the Verona Card - as these were things I wasn't able find answers before I left for the trip.
111op-
No, we did not see the Vezzoli trailer. I didn't read your blog in much detail before we left, esp thinking that we were going to skip the Biennale. Of course, when we were there, I wished that I had paid more attention to your review of the Biennale.
And yes, all 3 bands (at 3 cafes) on San Marco ended at 12MN. They are so good at it that the music ended just before the bells in the Campanile started ringing.
No, I would NOT do the crazy daytrip again; and I would NOT suggest others to attempt (except maybe my friend 111op). Next time (whenever it may be), I'll probably stick with 2 - Vicenza and Verona. We did spend 5 hours in Padova, and I think we saw enough.
Simone-
Well, the trip report is almost to the very end... But I like posting details in my reports - things that are not told in regular guidebooks. I also like to post practical info - such as where to get the Verona Card - as these were things I wasn't able find answers before I left for the trip.
111op-
No, we did not see the Vezzoli trailer. I didn't read your blog in much detail before we left, esp thinking that we were going to skip the Biennale. Of course, when we were there, I wished that I had paid more attention to your review of the Biennale.
And yes, all 3 bands (at 3 cafes) on San Marco ended at 12MN. They are so good at it that the music ended just before the bells in the Campanile started ringing.
Nov 1st, 2005, 02:46 PM
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<b>Day 6</b>
Our flight to LGW was at 11:25am. We were set on taking the Alilaguna back to the airport - but it only runs 1x/hour. We could either take the 7:35am and get to the airport at 9am; or take the 8:35am and arrive at 10am. Being bold (and not want to miss breakfast), we took the 8:35am.
That day was also the Venice Marathon - but as we were leaving early enough, we didn't run into any trouble.
For the Venice Marathon, they actually "build" a temporary floating bridge and connects Salute in Dorsoduro and San Marco. Our boat sailed right pass it - quite an interesting sight.
The boat trip seemed to just go on forever and ever. After the Murano stop (the last stop before airport), there was a small commotion on board. It turns out that a few people forgot (?) to get off at Murano. Only in Italy - the driver turned the boat around, and dropped them off at a nearby quai. Because of this, our boat was delayed by 5 minutes. I then realized that we are really cutting it close.
The walk from the boat dock to the terminal seemed farther than 6 days earlier, even though I knew it was the same distance. When we got inside the building, I knew we were in trouble...
The entire departure area was chaotic. Lines were everywhere. It took me a while to weave through the crowd so that I could see the departure board to find out where to check in.
We got to the BA check-in desk, and the line wasn't too long. But the process still took a long time. I just don't understand why check-in takes so much more time in Europe than in the US.
After getting our boarding passes, we went back to the main hall and got in line for security. The line extended almost outside of the airport building! Our gate closes at 11:15am, and we got in line at 10:30am. I figured 45 minutes would be enough to get through security.
Well, it was barely enough. It was just extremely chaotic, with people pushing and trying to cut in line etc. It was probably the most stressful part of the entire trip! I think we finally got through security at 11:10am, then we rushed to the gate. However, before we got to the gate, we had to get in line again for immigration - we were really worried that the plane would not wait for us. But then, when we looked at the passengers ahead of and behind us, everyone was taking the same flight as we, so we sort of relaxed a bit.
We finally got on the plane, and it took off late because of passenger delays.
The flight to LGW was uneventful. We were served the exact same food as the flight we took 6 days earlier.
At LGW, we had to check-in again at the connecting desk. At that point, I tried again telling the agents that we were on our honeymoon, and again, <b>no</b> upgrades.
We had about 45 minutes at LGW before we had to head towards our gate, and DH actually had £15 from our last trip. As a result, we splurged it on Yo! Sushi. £15 didn't stretch very far. We got 4 small dishes. We did precise calculations before picking our dishes, and so we spent all £15 - not a pence more, not a pence less.
The return flight was uneventful as well. We were again fortunate enough to have 3 seats to ourselves, and again I stretched out and slept on and off for 7 hours or so. I watched one of the movies they showed - Fever Pitch. DH and I had wanted to see that months ago when it first came out. Good movie.
We only had carryon luggage, and the immigration and customs at DFW were as speedy as usual. We were out of the terminal within 15 minutes of our arrival.
I had forgotten to mention that on our departure out of DFW, we had arrived at the airport very early. We had over 1 hour to spare before boarding, so DH and I decided to ride the SkyLink around. We even got off at the new International terminal (D) and walked around some. It has some interesting artwork there.
If we had taken our honeymoon 2 weeks later, we would have been flying in/out of the new International Terminal.
When we left Dallas on 10/17, it was 94F. The entire time in Venice, the temperature was in the low 50s. On the flight home, I told DH that the only reason I was willing to return to Dallas was because of the warm weather. When our plane touched down on 10/23 at DFW, we were informed the temperature was 49F.
More to come... Thoughts on Venice, and hotel review.
Our flight to LGW was at 11:25am. We were set on taking the Alilaguna back to the airport - but it only runs 1x/hour. We could either take the 7:35am and get to the airport at 9am; or take the 8:35am and arrive at 10am. Being bold (and not want to miss breakfast), we took the 8:35am.
That day was also the Venice Marathon - but as we were leaving early enough, we didn't run into any trouble.
For the Venice Marathon, they actually "build" a temporary floating bridge and connects Salute in Dorsoduro and San Marco. Our boat sailed right pass it - quite an interesting sight.
The boat trip seemed to just go on forever and ever. After the Murano stop (the last stop before airport), there was a small commotion on board. It turns out that a few people forgot (?) to get off at Murano. Only in Italy - the driver turned the boat around, and dropped them off at a nearby quai. Because of this, our boat was delayed by 5 minutes. I then realized that we are really cutting it close.
The walk from the boat dock to the terminal seemed farther than 6 days earlier, even though I knew it was the same distance. When we got inside the building, I knew we were in trouble...
The entire departure area was chaotic. Lines were everywhere. It took me a while to weave through the crowd so that I could see the departure board to find out where to check in.
We got to the BA check-in desk, and the line wasn't too long. But the process still took a long time. I just don't understand why check-in takes so much more time in Europe than in the US.
After getting our boarding passes, we went back to the main hall and got in line for security. The line extended almost outside of the airport building! Our gate closes at 11:15am, and we got in line at 10:30am. I figured 45 minutes would be enough to get through security.
Well, it was barely enough. It was just extremely chaotic, with people pushing and trying to cut in line etc. It was probably the most stressful part of the entire trip! I think we finally got through security at 11:10am, then we rushed to the gate. However, before we got to the gate, we had to get in line again for immigration - we were really worried that the plane would not wait for us. But then, when we looked at the passengers ahead of and behind us, everyone was taking the same flight as we, so we sort of relaxed a bit.
We finally got on the plane, and it took off late because of passenger delays.
The flight to LGW was uneventful. We were served the exact same food as the flight we took 6 days earlier.
At LGW, we had to check-in again at the connecting desk. At that point, I tried again telling the agents that we were on our honeymoon, and again, <b>no</b> upgrades.
We had about 45 minutes at LGW before we had to head towards our gate, and DH actually had £15 from our last trip. As a result, we splurged it on Yo! Sushi. £15 didn't stretch very far. We got 4 small dishes. We did precise calculations before picking our dishes, and so we spent all £15 - not a pence more, not a pence less.
The return flight was uneventful as well. We were again fortunate enough to have 3 seats to ourselves, and again I stretched out and slept on and off for 7 hours or so. I watched one of the movies they showed - Fever Pitch. DH and I had wanted to see that months ago when it first came out. Good movie.
We only had carryon luggage, and the immigration and customs at DFW were as speedy as usual. We were out of the terminal within 15 minutes of our arrival.
I had forgotten to mention that on our departure out of DFW, we had arrived at the airport very early. We had over 1 hour to spare before boarding, so DH and I decided to ride the SkyLink around. We even got off at the new International terminal (D) and walked around some. It has some interesting artwork there.
If we had taken our honeymoon 2 weeks later, we would have been flying in/out of the new International Terminal.
When we left Dallas on 10/17, it was 94F. The entire time in Venice, the temperature was in the low 50s. On the flight home, I told DH that the only reason I was willing to return to Dallas was because of the warm weather. When our plane touched down on 10/23 at DFW, we were informed the temperature was 49F.
More to come... Thoughts on Venice, and hotel review.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 03:06 AM
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"the driver turned the boat around, and dropped them off at a nearby quai."
This was a bit like my experience to go to San Lazzaro. Vaporetto 20 had pulled away (actually, a small boat), and they turned it back for me.
Your story about checking in was a bit like mine when I came back from Bologna. You probably recall that I was also cutting it close. I think that I had less than an hour by the time I reached the checkin desk. I was practically hyperventilating on the bus.
"tried again telling the agents that we were on our honeymoon, and again, no upgrades."
You should have cried by this point.
But sounds like a fun trip!
This was a bit like my experience to go to San Lazzaro. Vaporetto 20 had pulled away (actually, a small boat), and they turned it back for me.
Your story about checking in was a bit like mine when I came back from Bologna. You probably recall that I was also cutting it close. I think that I had less than an hour by the time I reached the checkin desk. I was practically hyperventilating on the bus.
"tried again telling the agents that we were on our honeymoon, and again, no upgrades."
You should have cried by this point.
But sounds like a fun trip!
Nov 2nd, 2005, 10:37 AM
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<b>Random Thoughts and Comments on Venice</b>
<b>Hotel Location</b>
I picked to stay in the Dorsoduro area. This turned out to be good decision. Even though DH enjoyed Venice, he was rather disgusted by the crowds around San Marco and Rialto Bridge. He told me that he was glad I picked Dorsoduro so that we could escape the crowds.
<b>Tourists</b>
It was unbelieveable. The entire city survives on tourism, and there's no escape from them. I agree with other posters recommending staying in Venice proper, so that one can enjoy some peace and quiet of Venice early in the morning and late at night, when the daytrippers are away.
The only time we saw some locals were the day we walked around Castello, and also at night at the bars near Campo Santo Margherita.
<b>Transportation</b>
Initially I had planned on buying a 72-hr vaporetto pass. In the end, we did not buy any. We rode on the Vaporetto 3 times in the 6 days we were there. The rest of the time we just walked. Yes, we walked a lot (all the way to and back from Biennale), but we enjoyed it. DH just loves the tiny alleyways, narrow canals and bridges. If we had taken the vaporetto, yes we would have saved some time, but we would have missed all the little nooks and crannies we discovered.
I highly recommend taking the traghetto. Fun experience - especially if one does not plan on taking a gondola ride.
<b>Gondola</b>
We debated back and forth whether we wanted a gondola ride. In the end, we skipped. It was just too expensive and the weather too chilly. Obviously, we don't know what we're missing, but there's always the next time to Venice.
<b>Museum Pass</b>
In retrospect, I should not have bought them. Given our limited time in Venice, we ended up going to Ca' Pesaro, Ca' Rezzonico and Museo Correr as all were covered by the Pass. If we hadn't gotten the Pass, we probably would have skipped those 3, and went to Ca' d'Oro and Guggenheim instead.
<b>Motion Sickness</b>
I get motion sickness very easily, and therefore was concerned about getting sick while in Venice. Reluctantly, I bought a motion sickness wrist band - which I thought was a waste of money. But it actually worked! Did not get sick at all the entire time, including the 1hr+ ride on Alilaguna to/from airport.
<b>Food</b>
I was disappointed with the food in general. Maybe we went to the wrong restaurants, or ordered the wrong food. None of the places we went was that great. I don't know if it has something to do with being a touristy town?
<b>Expensive!</b>
Venice is very expensive. I first got the sticker shock when researching for hotels. And € 5 for a ride on the Vaporetto on Grand Canal? That must be the most expensive city transportation that I know of. The only 2 things I find cheaper in Venice are:
Gelato € 1 for a single cone
Coffee
And the coffee is good! Never had one bad cup of coffee the entire trip - unlike here in the US we get watered-down coffee even at expensive restaurants.
<b>Chaos</b>
Overall, I found Venice (I think I can generalize it to the entire Italy) rather choatic. From the Alilaguna (we were told wrong info by the ticket office woman) to the line at Doge's Palace, to the confusing entrance at Scrovegni Chapel, to the bus stop at Piazza Bra in Verona, to the Alilaguna boat making an extra stop at Murano, to the lines at the Marco Polo Airport... I can go on and on.
More than once, I told my DH that we should have gone to Switzerland instead. Switzerland is such a wonderful country, where everything is clearly printed/on view, and everything runs on time. I guess you can tell that I have an rather uptight personality...
<b>Magical?</b>
Many people say Venice is "magical." Did I find it magical? Not really. We definitely enjoyed its uniqueness. The last evening on Piazza San Marco - I have to admit - was quite romantic though.
Hotel review coming up next.
<b>Hotel Location</b>
I picked to stay in the Dorsoduro area. This turned out to be good decision. Even though DH enjoyed Venice, he was rather disgusted by the crowds around San Marco and Rialto Bridge. He told me that he was glad I picked Dorsoduro so that we could escape the crowds.
<b>Tourists</b>
It was unbelieveable. The entire city survives on tourism, and there's no escape from them. I agree with other posters recommending staying in Venice proper, so that one can enjoy some peace and quiet of Venice early in the morning and late at night, when the daytrippers are away.
The only time we saw some locals were the day we walked around Castello, and also at night at the bars near Campo Santo Margherita.
<b>Transportation</b>
Initially I had planned on buying a 72-hr vaporetto pass. In the end, we did not buy any. We rode on the Vaporetto 3 times in the 6 days we were there. The rest of the time we just walked. Yes, we walked a lot (all the way to and back from Biennale), but we enjoyed it. DH just loves the tiny alleyways, narrow canals and bridges. If we had taken the vaporetto, yes we would have saved some time, but we would have missed all the little nooks and crannies we discovered.
I highly recommend taking the traghetto. Fun experience - especially if one does not plan on taking a gondola ride.
<b>Gondola</b>
We debated back and forth whether we wanted a gondola ride. In the end, we skipped. It was just too expensive and the weather too chilly. Obviously, we don't know what we're missing, but there's always the next time to Venice.
<b>Museum Pass</b>
In retrospect, I should not have bought them. Given our limited time in Venice, we ended up going to Ca' Pesaro, Ca' Rezzonico and Museo Correr as all were covered by the Pass. If we hadn't gotten the Pass, we probably would have skipped those 3, and went to Ca' d'Oro and Guggenheim instead.
<b>Motion Sickness</b>
I get motion sickness very easily, and therefore was concerned about getting sick while in Venice. Reluctantly, I bought a motion sickness wrist band - which I thought was a waste of money. But it actually worked! Did not get sick at all the entire time, including the 1hr+ ride on Alilaguna to/from airport.
<b>Food</b>
I was disappointed with the food in general. Maybe we went to the wrong restaurants, or ordered the wrong food. None of the places we went was that great. I don't know if it has something to do with being a touristy town?
<b>Expensive!</b>
Venice is very expensive. I first got the sticker shock when researching for hotels. And € 5 for a ride on the Vaporetto on Grand Canal? That must be the most expensive city transportation that I know of. The only 2 things I find cheaper in Venice are:
Gelato € 1 for a single cone
Coffee
And the coffee is good! Never had one bad cup of coffee the entire trip - unlike here in the US we get watered-down coffee even at expensive restaurants.
<b>Chaos</b>
Overall, I found Venice (I think I can generalize it to the entire Italy) rather choatic. From the Alilaguna (we were told wrong info by the ticket office woman) to the line at Doge's Palace, to the confusing entrance at Scrovegni Chapel, to the bus stop at Piazza Bra in Verona, to the Alilaguna boat making an extra stop at Murano, to the lines at the Marco Polo Airport... I can go on and on.
More than once, I told my DH that we should have gone to Switzerland instead. Switzerland is such a wonderful country, where everything is clearly printed/on view, and everything runs on time. I guess you can tell that I have an rather uptight personality...
<b>Magical?</b>
Many people say Venice is "magical." Did I find it magical? Not really. We definitely enjoyed its uniqueness. The last evening on Piazza San Marco - I have to admit - was quite romantic though.
Hotel review coming up next.
Nov 2nd, 2005, 10:44 AM
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Re Switzerland vs. Italy: Surely you know that immortal quote from "The Third Man":
[I]n Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/quotes
[I]n Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041959/quotes
Nov 2nd, 2005, 10:50 AM
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I didn't go to any of the museums you went to (ok, maybe five minutes of running around in Museo Correr), but I must admit that your choices were indeed a little strange. But, in any case, I think that Ca' d'Oro is the only of the five to get *** from Michelin. I don't think that Peggy G gets *** from Michelin. And, in any case, based on what I've read, I really don't think that you've missed much given all the modern art museums you've visited. MoMA is still where the action is.
I agree with you about gelato in Venice, as I commented on a different thread. I was surprised by how cheap it was at San Marco (I didn't sit down).
I think that the ride is 5 euros because you bought the ticket on the vaporetto. Otherwise, it's probably cheaper?
But anyway, I agree with your assessment of Venice. My own brief stay two months ago was a small disappointment, but like you, I'm not ruling out another visit.
I agree with you about gelato in Venice, as I commented on a different thread. I was surprised by how cheap it was at San Marco (I didn't sit down).
I think that the ride is 5 euros because you bought the ticket on the vaporetto. Otherwise, it's probably cheaper?
But anyway, I agree with your assessment of Venice. My own brief stay two months ago was a small disappointment, but like you, I'm not ruling out another visit.
