Venice trip report May 16--May 21
May 22nd, 2007 | 10:46 AM
#1
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Venice trip report May 16--May 21
My wife and I and 3 other friends, started our trip by taking a limo to the Philadelphia airport at 3 pm in the afternoon. We arrived without any problems and soon checked in at the envoy line. We try to use our miles and upgrade as often as we can. We had enough miles to upgrade both ways of our trip. Along with upgrading, you get admission to the Envoy lounge in the new Philadelphia International wing which just opened about 3 years ago. A beautiful lounge serving free drinks and a buffet before our trip. The flight was late taking off (an hour and a half), but we actually were only late arriving in Venice by 30 minutes. Needless to say an uneventful flight, and very relaxing in Envoy Class. We were there before we knew it.
Arrived Wednesday am at 10. After researching, I found the best way for the 5 of us was to take a water taxi from the airport directly to our hotel, Pensione La Calcina in the Dorsoduro district. Five people for the taxi cost us 95 euros, one way. That’s less than 20 per person and since I only had to pay for 2 of the 5, we found that to be a deal. And the water taxi dropped us off right at the hotel, no schlepping luggage anywhere.
As our rooms were not ready yet, we stored our luggage and went for a walk. We walked up the Zattere to San Trovaso, watched the men working at the gondola repair shop and continued our way up to the Accademia bridge. We did continue across and followed the signs to St. Marks Square as this was the first time for 2 of our other friends. I must say, for their 1st time, they sure did have an entrance going up the Grand Canal in the water taxi taking in the view of Venice! I had a reservation for St. Marks for later in the week, but as there was absolutely no line, we decided to just walk in. I mean it when I say, no line, not one person, but by the time we left, there was a line stretching down the middle of St. Marks Square.
Our friends had on their list to go to Harry’s Bar and have a bellini. I warned them it would be expensive and we should not order any food and stay with one bellini each. So, we wandered over to Harry’s Bar and went inside for that one tiny 15 euro each bellini. That’s right, 75 euros for 5 bellini’s each at about 5 ounces. My friend, the beer drinker, whose wife forced us to go there finally figured out he could have spent his 30 euros on 3 cases of beer back home for the price he paid for his 2 drinks.
Oh well, we knocked that off the list. We started back towards the Accademia Bridge and once on the other side we got a couple of pizzas there that everyone raves about. They were good, but we think we had better later in the week in Campo Santa Margherita @ Trattatoria due Torre. We then walked back and checked in at La Calcina. And as everyone who has stayed there has already said before, this place is excellent, with it location and price and friendly service. Can’t be beat. It was also great to get away from the crowds on the other side of the Accademia.
We decided in advance of the trip that our first meal would be at the hotel. Great service, great atmosphere on the floating deck and the food was also very good. After dinner we walked around Dorsodoru and went up to Santa Maria della Salute to see it in the night.
Since it is Wednesday night about 11 pm and we have been up since Tuesday morning (except for a few hours of sleep on the plane) we decide we have had enough and head back for a good nights sleep.
Thursday, will come later. Must go to my golf league
Dave
Arrived Wednesday am at 10. After researching, I found the best way for the 5 of us was to take a water taxi from the airport directly to our hotel, Pensione La Calcina in the Dorsoduro district. Five people for the taxi cost us 95 euros, one way. That’s less than 20 per person and since I only had to pay for 2 of the 5, we found that to be a deal. And the water taxi dropped us off right at the hotel, no schlepping luggage anywhere.
As our rooms were not ready yet, we stored our luggage and went for a walk. We walked up the Zattere to San Trovaso, watched the men working at the gondola repair shop and continued our way up to the Accademia bridge. We did continue across and followed the signs to St. Marks Square as this was the first time for 2 of our other friends. I must say, for their 1st time, they sure did have an entrance going up the Grand Canal in the water taxi taking in the view of Venice! I had a reservation for St. Marks for later in the week, but as there was absolutely no line, we decided to just walk in. I mean it when I say, no line, not one person, but by the time we left, there was a line stretching down the middle of St. Marks Square.
Our friends had on their list to go to Harry’s Bar and have a bellini. I warned them it would be expensive and we should not order any food and stay with one bellini each. So, we wandered over to Harry’s Bar and went inside for that one tiny 15 euro each bellini. That’s right, 75 euros for 5 bellini’s each at about 5 ounces. My friend, the beer drinker, whose wife forced us to go there finally figured out he could have spent his 30 euros on 3 cases of beer back home for the price he paid for his 2 drinks.
Oh well, we knocked that off the list. We started back towards the Accademia Bridge and once on the other side we got a couple of pizzas there that everyone raves about. They were good, but we think we had better later in the week in Campo Santa Margherita @ Trattatoria due Torre. We then walked back and checked in at La Calcina. And as everyone who has stayed there has already said before, this place is excellent, with it location and price and friendly service. Can’t be beat. It was also great to get away from the crowds on the other side of the Accademia.
We decided in advance of the trip that our first meal would be at the hotel. Great service, great atmosphere on the floating deck and the food was also very good. After dinner we walked around Dorsodoru and went up to Santa Maria della Salute to see it in the night.
Since it is Wednesday night about 11 pm and we have been up since Tuesday morning (except for a few hours of sleep on the plane) we decide we have had enough and head back for a good nights sleep.
Thursday, will come later. Must go to my golf league
Dave
May 22nd, 2007 | 04:07 PM
#3
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trip report continued--Thursday
Met our friends for breakfast @ 8 am on the deck at La Calcina. Typical Italian breakfast buffet. Cereal, juices, milk and water. Some pastries, fruit salad, prunes and fruits. Soft boiled eggs and meats and cheeses.
We then walked up to Campo San Barnaba as my wife loves the movie “Summertime” and had to see where Kathryn Hepburn fell in the canal. We then went in to Ca Rezzonico palace and toured thru all the floors. We then walked to the mask shop as featured on “Samantha Brown” and “Rudy Maxa,” but it was closed for a couple of hours, so off we went around the corner to Campo Santa Margherita for some pizza and wine for lunch. We had a nice conversation with 2 different groups of American students that were there getting credits for school. We then continued on to the church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and went inside to see the beautiful church and all its splendor.
We then continued on to the Rialto bridge and crossed over going to Trattatoria Sempione for what we hopped would be an early dinner as we had tickets for La Fenice Opera house @ 8 pm. But to no avail, they were closed till 6:30. We were disappointed, as we have eaten here before and wanted to today, but we will be back.
Since someone on Fodors said that the clock tower figures would be out on this day, the Epiphany, we went to the square and waited. Naturally the other thing on my friends list was to sit down in the square, listen to the music, and have a drink. So many wasted beers, but we checked that off her list! Oh, by the way, the Magi did not come out on either the ½ or the hour! Much to my wife’s disappointment.
We decide to go to the chiccetti bar in Dorsoduro on the San Trovaso as we had no reservations for dinner as I said we would be going to the opera house tonight. What fun! We just had the man fill up plates of all kinds for the 5 of us and we had some wine and ordered another round of plates and wine. We then walked back to our hotel to get ready to go to the symphony at La Fenice. We got there at 7 and picked up our tickets that we ordered and paid for on line and then headed off to the restaurant on the left for a bottle of wine before the concert. After the concert we walked up to the “gondola garage” as I call it, behind St. Marks Square and my other 2 friends and my wife and I took the necessary gondola ride that evening at about 10:15 pm. We then bought 72 hour vaporetto passes and took the short ride back to Accademia bridge and headed to our hotel. Our waiter recognized us and said hello. We asked him if they had any food, as it was already after 11 he said they were just closing up, but he would get us drinks if we wanted. So he brought us drinks, olives, peanuts, and Doritos at 11:15 pm. With lots of ice, as he knew we were Americans and love our ice.
Off to bed. Friday, later.
Met our friends for breakfast @ 8 am on the deck at La Calcina. Typical Italian breakfast buffet. Cereal, juices, milk and water. Some pastries, fruit salad, prunes and fruits. Soft boiled eggs and meats and cheeses.
We then walked up to Campo San Barnaba as my wife loves the movie “Summertime” and had to see where Kathryn Hepburn fell in the canal. We then went in to Ca Rezzonico palace and toured thru all the floors. We then walked to the mask shop as featured on “Samantha Brown” and “Rudy Maxa,” but it was closed for a couple of hours, so off we went around the corner to Campo Santa Margherita for some pizza and wine for lunch. We had a nice conversation with 2 different groups of American students that were there getting credits for school. We then continued on to the church Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari and went inside to see the beautiful church and all its splendor.
We then continued on to the Rialto bridge and crossed over going to Trattatoria Sempione for what we hopped would be an early dinner as we had tickets for La Fenice Opera house @ 8 pm. But to no avail, they were closed till 6:30. We were disappointed, as we have eaten here before and wanted to today, but we will be back.
Since someone on Fodors said that the clock tower figures would be out on this day, the Epiphany, we went to the square and waited. Naturally the other thing on my friends list was to sit down in the square, listen to the music, and have a drink. So many wasted beers, but we checked that off her list! Oh, by the way, the Magi did not come out on either the ½ or the hour! Much to my wife’s disappointment.
We decide to go to the chiccetti bar in Dorsoduro on the San Trovaso as we had no reservations for dinner as I said we would be going to the opera house tonight. What fun! We just had the man fill up plates of all kinds for the 5 of us and we had some wine and ordered another round of plates and wine. We then walked back to our hotel to get ready to go to the symphony at La Fenice. We got there at 7 and picked up our tickets that we ordered and paid for on line and then headed off to the restaurant on the left for a bottle of wine before the concert. After the concert we walked up to the “gondola garage” as I call it, behind St. Marks Square and my other 2 friends and my wife and I took the necessary gondola ride that evening at about 10:15 pm. We then bought 72 hour vaporetto passes and took the short ride back to Accademia bridge and headed to our hotel. Our waiter recognized us and said hello. We asked him if they had any food, as it was already after 11 he said they were just closing up, but he would get us drinks if we wanted. So he brought us drinks, olives, peanuts, and Doritos at 11:15 pm. With lots of ice, as he knew we were Americans and love our ice.
Off to bed. Friday, later.
May 23rd, 2007 | 03:19 AM
#4
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Friday:
Breakfast @ La Calcina @ 8:30
Caught the 82 from Zattere to Zaccaria (St. Marks Square) and proceeded to go inside the Hotel Danielli for a look around. What a place. We then did the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace. It is everything everyone says, just an excellent tour. After the tour we headed up to Sempione for lunch. Again, we were not disappointed. After which we walked to the Rialto doing some window shopping along the way. (My DW spotted a purse she would later buy) From the Rialto we took a vaporetto down to Rezzonico and then walked over to the mask shop (Mondonovo) featured on the travel channel where we bought a mask. After which, we stopped and had a drink on our way back walking to La Calcina. Of course, once we got to Dorsoduro on the Zattere I had to have my first gelato at Nico’s. Yes, it is very, very good.
For dinner that night we were going to Al Paradiso up near the Rialto Bridge, we took the vaporetto from Accademia up to Rialto and then proceeded to Bancogiro for a few glasses of wine before heading up to Al Paradiso. We all had excellent meals and the mussels were the best I have ever had. We walked back to La Calcina that night getting only slightly lost turning into dead ends a few times before we found our way back home. Off to Murano and Burano tomorrow.
Saturday:
We caught the vaporetto to Ca Doro and then walked to to Fondamente Nuove stop taking the LN to Murano. I’ve been there before, but my friends haven’t so we walked around, found a store doing a glass blowing demo, bought a few little items and proceeded to walk around the main drag looking into stores. Our friends bought some more items and then we were off to Burano.
This was the first time to Burano for all of us. Loved the multi-colored houses. We went to Al Gato Nero, but we did not have reservations (about 12 noon) and they were full and could not accommodate us. Silvio the waiter recommended a place on the main drag and said to mention his name and we were taken care with great service and another excellent meal. I don’t recall the name, but I think it had a “primo” in its title.
Our friend wanted to find a way to go back so that he didn’t have to walk much (knee operation in January) so we decided to take the LN the long, slow way over to Lido and then to St. Marks. This did throw off our timing and dinner reservations for the night. We had 8 pm reservations for Le Corte Sconta. It was about 6 pm when we got back to La Calcina and we all were very tired. Our original plans were to be ready by 6:30 and then proceed to the Accademia Bridge where we were going to have our own “graduation on the bridge” for our friend Sandi. She was actually going to receive her doctorate degree at graduation this day at about the exact same time back in PA. Sandi had missed both of her undergraduate graduations because of family obligations and when this trip came up it was either Venice or graduation. She chose Venice, so we decided to give her a ceremony on the “Accademia” bridge. Soooo, we canceled our dinner plans for Sconta, sat and had a relaxing drink and had La Calcina make us reservations at the last minure for 9 pm at Taverna San Trovaso. Everything worked out fine with us moving our “graduation” to 8 pm so we weren’t rushed. We made her a little diploma, one guy had a hat that looked like a tam. Someone else had a shirt of the colleges colors and my wife donated a shawl that served the purpose to complete her gown. Then we proceeded to the bridge to film her ceremony. She was happy and so were we.
Dinner was good. I’ve heard mixed reviews of this place, but we were fine with it. Can’t complain being anywhere in Italy.
Dave
Breakfast @ La Calcina @ 8:30
Caught the 82 from Zattere to Zaccaria (St. Marks Square) and proceeded to go inside the Hotel Danielli for a look around. What a place. We then did the Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace. It is everything everyone says, just an excellent tour. After the tour we headed up to Sempione for lunch. Again, we were not disappointed. After which we walked to the Rialto doing some window shopping along the way. (My DW spotted a purse she would later buy) From the Rialto we took a vaporetto down to Rezzonico and then walked over to the mask shop (Mondonovo) featured on the travel channel where we bought a mask. After which, we stopped and had a drink on our way back walking to La Calcina. Of course, once we got to Dorsoduro on the Zattere I had to have my first gelato at Nico’s. Yes, it is very, very good.
For dinner that night we were going to Al Paradiso up near the Rialto Bridge, we took the vaporetto from Accademia up to Rialto and then proceeded to Bancogiro for a few glasses of wine before heading up to Al Paradiso. We all had excellent meals and the mussels were the best I have ever had. We walked back to La Calcina that night getting only slightly lost turning into dead ends a few times before we found our way back home. Off to Murano and Burano tomorrow.
Saturday:
We caught the vaporetto to Ca Doro and then walked to to Fondamente Nuove stop taking the LN to Murano. I’ve been there before, but my friends haven’t so we walked around, found a store doing a glass blowing demo, bought a few little items and proceeded to walk around the main drag looking into stores. Our friends bought some more items and then we were off to Burano.
This was the first time to Burano for all of us. Loved the multi-colored houses. We went to Al Gato Nero, but we did not have reservations (about 12 noon) and they were full and could not accommodate us. Silvio the waiter recommended a place on the main drag and said to mention his name and we were taken care with great service and another excellent meal. I don’t recall the name, but I think it had a “primo” in its title.
Our friend wanted to find a way to go back so that he didn’t have to walk much (knee operation in January) so we decided to take the LN the long, slow way over to Lido and then to St. Marks. This did throw off our timing and dinner reservations for the night. We had 8 pm reservations for Le Corte Sconta. It was about 6 pm when we got back to La Calcina and we all were very tired. Our original plans were to be ready by 6:30 and then proceed to the Accademia Bridge where we were going to have our own “graduation on the bridge” for our friend Sandi. She was actually going to receive her doctorate degree at graduation this day at about the exact same time back in PA. Sandi had missed both of her undergraduate graduations because of family obligations and when this trip came up it was either Venice or graduation. She chose Venice, so we decided to give her a ceremony on the “Accademia” bridge. Soooo, we canceled our dinner plans for Sconta, sat and had a relaxing drink and had La Calcina make us reservations at the last minure for 9 pm at Taverna San Trovaso. Everything worked out fine with us moving our “graduation” to 8 pm so we weren’t rushed. We made her a little diploma, one guy had a hat that looked like a tam. Someone else had a shirt of the colleges colors and my wife donated a shawl that served the purpose to complete her gown. Then we proceeded to the bridge to film her ceremony. She was happy and so were we.
Dinner was good. I’ve heard mixed reviews of this place, but we were fine with it. Can’t complain being anywhere in Italy.
Dave
May 23rd, 2007 | 04:22 AM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Sunday:
Slept later today for our final full day in Venice. We were going to walk around a little today and just take in some sights we had missed. Our first stop was at La Fenice Opera House where we had to buy another item to replace the one that my wife left on the gondola ride by mistake the other night. We then strolled thru this section of San Marco and looked at all the shops. Found our way to Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo (spiraling staircase) and then continued strolling leisurely thru the maze of streets behind St. Marks Square until we reached our destination of Trattatoria Sempione again for lunch. We love this little place and again we fortunate to get the window seat looking out on the canal. After lunch we caught the vaporetto to San Marcuola and found our way to the ghetto. Then found our way back to La Calcina.
Later that night we went to Campo Santa Margherita for dinner. We did not have reservations for tonight and just thought we would wing it. All the places on the Campo had room for us. I remembered reading about Trattatoria due Torre and we ended up there with an excellent meal.
We walked back to La Calcina knowing this was our last stoll thru Venice. We certainly did have a great time and felt sad walking home.
Monday:
Up early for breakfast as Luigi was picking us up in the water taxi at 8:15 am.
I was a little concerned about the airport as I have read people having terrible times with security and crowds. The line for check in was long at US AIR, but when they opened up another agent the regular line seemed to move rather quickly then. We had NO, I repeat, NO line at security, we just walked up and entered. I don’t know if it was because it was a Monday or the 9 am time, but not a problem on this day and time.
dave
Slept later today for our final full day in Venice. We were going to walk around a little today and just take in some sights we had missed. Our first stop was at La Fenice Opera House where we had to buy another item to replace the one that my wife left on the gondola ride by mistake the other night. We then strolled thru this section of San Marco and looked at all the shops. Found our way to Palazzo Contarini del Bovolo (spiraling staircase) and then continued strolling leisurely thru the maze of streets behind St. Marks Square until we reached our destination of Trattatoria Sempione again for lunch. We love this little place and again we fortunate to get the window seat looking out on the canal. After lunch we caught the vaporetto to San Marcuola and found our way to the ghetto. Then found our way back to La Calcina.
Later that night we went to Campo Santa Margherita for dinner. We did not have reservations for tonight and just thought we would wing it. All the places on the Campo had room for us. I remembered reading about Trattatoria due Torre and we ended up there with an excellent meal.
We walked back to La Calcina knowing this was our last stoll thru Venice. We certainly did have a great time and felt sad walking home.
Monday:
Up early for breakfast as Luigi was picking us up in the water taxi at 8:15 am.
I was a little concerned about the airport as I have read people having terrible times with security and crowds. The line for check in was long at US AIR, but when they opened up another agent the regular line seemed to move rather quickly then. We had NO, I repeat, NO line at security, we just walked up and entered. I don’t know if it was because it was a Monday or the 9 am time, but not a problem on this day and time.
dave
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May 23rd, 2007 | 06:08 AM
#8
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Joined: Jan 2006
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I just want to add a great big thank you to all the people on this board. Most of my info came from just reading the questions of others and I have gained quite a bit of info here.
Thanks to all who reply to everyone's questions.
Dave
Thanks to all who reply to everyone's questions.
Dave
May 23rd, 2007 | 08:49 AM
#9
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Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 394
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Just to add one more bit of info: the weather was absolutely perfect everyday. I would say it was around 75 degrees F and not a cloud in the very blue sky. Not too hot, not cold, no rain, and blue sky all around. Did I say just absolutely perfect weather??
Dave
Dave
