I guess I was the one drinking the Brunello! It was Katerbug who mentioned the soup restaurant in Chiusi while responding to your trip - perhaps she'll read this and help answer my question. Thanks for the clarification...now I'm off to wash my wine glass.

Unfortunately for me, I must travel with the darn phone (so I can remain tethered to the office even when I think I am not) The daily rental seems reasonable but the $1.49/minute will be a killer. I have a T-Mobile phone and am going to see what others know about this, posting a different thread since it's off point from your wonderful travel account. I just wanted to thank you for the info, so if need be I can use the Verizon UK alternative

<b> SUNNY VENEZIA, UP ON THE ROOF, THE FOUR SEASONS AND BELLINILESS IN VENEZIA </b>

Dan greeted us at breakfast, and we said goodbye to the Tourist House Ghiberti. Linda, true to her word, was sleeping like a log. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the hotel and highly recommend for price, location and hospitality.

Our train arrived in Venice a little before noon, and we were very cognizant of any restaurant near the train station touting turbot, since $200 for a piece of fish is a tad above my budget.
NOTE: Dan and Linda are awaiting the credit card bill for the fish to find out the exact name of the restaurant. It is located near the train station, and Dano told me to tell future visitors, “Beware of a limping waiter pushing the turbot on the menu.”

A little digression about Venice: Our first visit to Venice was in 1996 and we hated it. I called it, “Disneyland on speed.” We had taken the Vaporetto to San Marco, and I remember thinking, “What do people see in this place?” Souvenir vendors, the plethora of pigeons and the enormous amounts of people were overwhelming. The day was rainy, and we were happy to get out and go back to Padua where we were staying.

Over the years, Tracy and I thought that there had to be something we missed about Venice because so many people love it. So, in 2001, we returned (with Kim and Mary) and found out what we missed on the first trip…nighttime in Venice. We stayed on Dorsoduro at the Pension Accademia. We loved Venice on that trip.

Venice at night was magical, and we stayed away from Piazza San Marco during the day except to go to the Basilica di San Marco and the Doges Palace (which we loved). We meandered the streets and alleys, and after that trip, decided that Venice would be a place we could come back to in the future. Often.

This year, after reading so many great recommendations about it, we had booked La Calcina, also on Dorsoduro. We got off the Vaporetto, walked over a little bridge, and there was the hotel a short distance away. It turned out to be just as nice as the reviews we had read before departing.

Our rooms both had balconies, which offered a snippet of a canal view. But the hotel also has a balcony on top that you can reserve. It was an incredibly beautiful day, so we reserved an hour at 6 pm (Vino time).

After settling in, Kim and Mary went to have lunch toward San Marco, but since we were told this was going to be the only blue sky day while we were here, Tracy and I decided to eat a couple of doors down the canal on the water. Lunch was OK, but just sitting and soaking in the sun and the view was spectacular.

I had not remembered so many cruise ships the last time we were here, but on this day there seemed to be no shortage of them. Fortunately, we did not see any pirates.

On the way to converge with Kim and Mary, Tracy and I stopped at a nice little church (Chiesa San Vidal) a short distance after walking over the Ponte dell Accademia. On the train that morning I had asked Tracy if she would be up for a little classical musical if we could find a concert. I had mentioned that I would really like to hear The Four Seasons. When Tracy asked whether Frankie Valli was still with them, I knew that my warped sense of humor had now affected her brain permanently.

Well, luck was with us. There was a concert on this evening and it was The Four Seasons, Vivaldi-style. It only cost 23 euros apiece, so we got tickets for the 9 pm performance.

We met Kim and Mary at San Marco later in the afternoon, and the four of us took turns leading the others down streets leading to who knows where? That, to me, is part of the great allure of Venice. I was a little disappointed because the signage seems better than before, meaning it is a little more difficult to get lost (at least while sober).

We got back to the hotel, and while the rest of the team took a little nap, I decided to walk to the little wine store nearby. It’s funny, at home, if Tracy wants to walk around the block at night, it takes an act of Congress to get me off my butt. In Italy, I’m like the Energizer Bunny who just keeps going and going and going.

The Cantine del Vino Schiavi was hopping on this Saturday afternoon. The place was packed, with the overflow crowd sitting on the little bridge that sits over a narrow canal. I was buying some Prosecco for the rooftop gathering, but since I was here, I decided it would be a big mistake to not partake in the atmospheric moment. OK, all I really wanted was a good glass of wine, but it was atmospheric.

I went back and rousted the sleepy ones out of their respective beds, because it was nearly 6 pm, and I think you know what that means. The view from the rooftop of La Calcina was terrific, but we could feel a change in the weather. Since we had all had late lunches, dinner on this evening was a little cheese and salami on the top of the hotel.

The concert at the Chiesa San Vidal was great, with each violinist taking the lead for the respective seasons. Sadly, they did not play “Big Girls Don’t Cry.”
Afterward, we decided to walk down to San Marco, and on the way, there was an exhibit on Vivaldi, featuring some ancient instruments and a detailed account of his life. We were asked if we wanted to go to another venue the following night for a rendition of…The Four Seasons. Venice: All Vivaldi, All the time!

When we arrived at San Marco, we walked toward Harry’s Bar, ostensibly to have a really overpriced Bellini. I had envisioned Harry’s as being some truly Venetian-type of experience, but after gazing in, it just looked like another overpriced, busy bar to me. Yes, I know, some people say you have to do it, but the atmosphere did not appeal to us for some reason, and I can pay too much for drinks anywhere.

Since it was beautiful outside, we hightailed it back to La Calcina, where they were open a little later than usual for dinner on the outside patio. Tracy and I soaked in the beautiful evening with a little more vino and toasted our return to Venice. We thought, “This beats an overpriced Bellini any day.” It would also be the last time the patio would be open while we were there.

<b> TOMORROW - PALAZZO PERFECTO, SPECTACULAR SCUOLA, WHAT’S THAT IN MY ESPRESSO AND A SINGING GONDOLIER THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE A GONDOLA OR A GUY SINGING </b>

So glad you had a good third trip to Venice. I love Venice; one of the pleasures of my last Italy trip in the spring was that the non-Venice-lover with us (and boy, did I try beforehand to talk her out of joining us there so she wouldn't complain and ruin it for the rest of us)really liked it this time. Why? some of the very things you mention; wandering at night, avoiding places that were too crowded, spending lots of time eating and drinking. I could go for a glass of wine from the Veneto and some cichetti right about now.

Things seem to be going too smoothly, however (oh wait, I actually think I channeled Barb's trip for a minute, yikes!)

More food details, please. Hearing about your yummy meals is inspiring me to cook. (Not that I am close to the fabulous Tracy, I am sure.)

Great journal, tom!

Tom,

This is such a fun read. Looking forward to the next installment.

Tom

Thanks Tom. I enjoyed your report, too. I'm glad you had a good time. I am still in vacation mode after being back a month (of course, that might be because it has taken me a month to get this far in the report).

<b> DAY 18 - PALAZZO PERFECTO, SPECTACULAR SCUOLA, THE CANAL JESTERS, WHAT’S THAT IN MY ESPRESSO AND A SINGING GONDOLIER THAT DOESN’T INCLUDE A GONDOLA OR A GUY SINGING </b>

We woke up to a cloudy Thursday morning, and after breakfast at La Calcina (I usually eat breakfast five times a year at home. This was my 16th straight breakfast on the trip), Tracy and I hopped on the Vaporetto for the Ca Rezzonico, an old palazzo.

We had purchased a Vaporetto pass when we first arrived in Venice, which turned out to be a good deal, so we hopped on for the short trip.

The cost was 6 ½ euro plus 4 euro for the headphones, and it was a very insightful look at what Venice was like a couple of hundred years ago. If you go, the audio guide is a must, because it gives you a more detailed account, although Tracy thought it could have more on the building itself, instead of just the art pieces inside. All in all, we both thought it was a great stop.

We toured around for 90 minutes, and then rushed to San Polo to meet up with Kim and Mary to take a look around the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Tracy had told me that this museum was full of the works of the famed Tintoretto, who up until the day before, I had thought was the mouse that had appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.

It was six euros to enter and the audio guides are free. The highlight to me, besides some incredible Tintoretto paintings, was the wood inlaid library.

The upstairs also had a lot of mirrors lying around, and I was thinking that they were for tourists to look at themselves and make sure pigeons hadn’t pooped on them. Tracy informed me, that if you looked down at the mirror lying on a chair, it gave one a perfect look at the painted ceilings. Sure enough the ceiling was spectacular from this angle, although I gave a quick glance to see that there was no poop on my shirt, since I had worn it yesterday at San Marco.

Our sightseeing continued at the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, the largest church in Venice after the Basilica di San Marco. It cost the others 2.50 euro, but I had bought a cumulative ticket for 8 euro on the first day and got in on that.

That much sightseeing could only mean one thing…lunch. Since it had started raining. We popped into a happening restaurant on a little alley, the Ristorante alla Madonna. The place was huge with four or five large rooms. We got seated in one of the smaller ones. The bread was crusty, and come to think of it, so were the waiters.

Lunch was good, with dishes ranging from spaghetti and clams, ravioli pomodero, scampi and a fish soup alla Venezia with Crostini. I was forced to try the cream cake, which was delicious.

On the way to the Rialto Bridge, there are a number of little stands selling; well I’ll be blunt, crap. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t buy something. Kim and I both attended San Diego State (or as Kim jokingly calls it, the Harvard of the West). The school colors are red and black, and at one of the stands were the ugliest, red and black jester hats (bells and all) you could imagine.

To Mary and Tracy’s ultimate dismay, Kim and I each bought one (five euros each) and took photographs of each other near the bridge in all our sartorial splendor. Now those were two ugly Americans.

The rain was starting to come down, so Kim and Mary took the Vaporetto to points unknown, while Tracy and I walked the streets back toward our destination. It also started Tracy’s 24-hours of shopping. First it was some Murano glass necklaces.

When we were walking I spotted the Pasticceria Bar Rizzardini, and there in the window was a Mascarpone Cookie that said “Tom.” Shopping makes me hungry. Once inside, I decided to have an espresso. “Grappa?” the gentleman behind the counter asked.

“In my espresso?” I replied.

Yep. It was a new drink that I do not know the name of, but the guy assured me that people actually drink it. As stated previously somewhere in this report (where, I know not), Grappa is an acquired taste that I don’t know I will ever fully acquire. However, it was quite tasty, and now I didn’t care if Tracy spent more money shopping. Oh yeah, the cookie was good to, what I remember of it.

That evening, we all started to walk from the hotel to find somewhere to eat. It started raining pretty heavily, and the dinner at La Calcina was looking better to us. Tracy and I headed back to the hotel, but Kim and Mary were not that hungry so they trudged on through the night.

We dined inside, and it turned out to be a good choice, although not great…EXCEPT, for yet another drink invention.

But I digress. We sat next to two schoolteachers from Germany, who we met when they were given Tracy’s soup by mistake. They were a joy to talk with, and they kept apologizing for their poor English (which, by the way, was better than many San Diego State students I have met).

The timing was shortly after the German elections, and we asked whether they liked Angela Merkel who looked like she would become the next Chancellor. They said, “No, but Schroder is just as bad. We actually can’t stand either of them.” Tracy and I told them we felt their election pain.

As we were chatting with our German comrades, I saw some Brits at the other table downing an after dinner drink with much gusto and in good spirits. Knowing that their politicians were as bad as the Americans and the Germans, I surmised it must be the cocktail that was putting them in such good spirits.

I said, “My good man (yeah, I’ve seen too many English movies), what might you be imbibing?”

“It’s a Sgroppino,” he replied, without a stiff upper lip.

A Sgroppino?! My god, it sounded like a disease I could have contracted at San Diego State, but I asked the waiter what it was? He told us it was a concoction (not his own words) of lemon sorbet, Prosecco, a touch of Vodka and a little cream. He added that this drink was a great after-dinner drink to settle your stomach. That clinched it. We decided to try one of the frothy delights.

They were delicious. The German ladies asked if we liked it, and since Tracy had not broken the bank shopping, I ordered two for the Germans (ok, and two more for Tracy and myself).

We liked everything about the Sgroppino except one thing, the name. What could we call this Venetian drink when we serve these at home? After a few seconds of contemplation, Tracy took the first two letters of the drink and said, “Let’s call them ‘Singing Gondoliers’!”

I thought, “Damn, I married well.”

<b> TOMORROW – MEN OF ACCADEMIA, THE TINY SHIP WAS TOSSED, SINGING IN THE RAIN AND WHOSE PEN LEAKED ON MY SPAGHETTI? </b>

Fabulous Tom....one of the best installments yet. I do not want this trip to end!

Espresso with grappa is a &quot;caffe corretto&quot; -- &quot;corrected coffee.&quot; Warning: it can be addictive! We stayed at a B&amp;B in the Veneto where it was part of the set meal every night (the whole dinner only cost 13 euro!), and we got hooked.

But in the US it can be a very expensive habit. We had bought a bottle of grappa to bring home with us (cost in Italy about 10 euro for a normal liquor-sized bottle, whatever that is in litres), and it's getting kind of low. So yesterday my DH asked in the liquor store whether they sold grappa. Well, they said, we're out of the cheap one that costs $40, and the only one left costs $70!

Hi Tom,

Really enjoying the continuation of your report. The string quartet didn't play &quot;Big Girls Don't Cry&quot; -- great visual!

I can't help the gut feeling that I actually did cross paths with you guys in Assisi. When exactly were you there?

Dayle, we were in Assisi on Monday, September 19 BG (Before Grappa)

Hello Tom, so very glad to read more of your trip report, and am so happy you discovered the joys of Venice during your second visit there.

Grappa, an acquired taste, I love it!!
But never buy it here in CA due to the cost as nonnafelice said. But another reason to always return to Italy.

Now, more about your trip please!! Thank you.

Tom,

OK, I was in Rome then. I asked because I stopped for a morning hot chocolate near the Basilica and spoke briefly with 2 couples from San Diego.

Looking forward to the rest!

In the states, never buy Calvados or grappa unless you can afford the higher price, because the less expensive tastes like fire water. Once we were in Europe, what a difference in taste, smooth but strong and wonderful.

MT Tom,
How great are the scropinos or &quot;singing gondoliers&quot;? I discovered them at a restaurant on the piazza in Capri last September and my friend and I were hooked - we are just waiting for an occasion to whip up a batch at home. I am really enjoying your trip report!
JenV

Hi mimi, I always have grappa in Italy but don't buy it here. There use to be a family owned restaurant in NorthBeach (SF)that was sort of like a home away from home for us and the owner would come over with 3 small glasses of grappa and sit with us after dinner while we visited with him. He kept the bottle in the kitchen, not at the bar. We felt very priveledged that he shared his grappa with us. Beautiful memories!

Tom, you're bringing back great memories of drinking in Italy! When we stayed near San Gimignano, we had dinner one night at La Cisterna, on the town square. (Where we found ourselves seated next to an architect from CT who my husband had worked with!)

It was a fun festive evening, made more so by the very delicious &quot;house cocktails&quot; they served before dinner. We liked them so much that we asked for the recipe -- and since they had the information pre-printed on postcards, evidently we were not the first to ask.

So of course when we had a dinner party back home, we had to make the Cisterna specials for everyone. As I recall it involved all the major liquor groups, and was very tasty. But for some reason, it seemed a lot more, um, intoxicating than when we had it in Italy... I don't remember a whole lot about the dinner (I was doing the cooking) but everyone sure seemed to enjoy themselves. We named the cocktail &quot;Cisterna Rocket Fuel&quot;. ;-)

Tom,

As a fellow Tom, and a former San Diego resident,(Graduated from Montgomery High School in 1980), I feel you are leaving us hanging!!

Plllleeeeaaase, another installment of this great report!!

Tom

PS Whats the latest on the 'Trevor' front?

&quot;Plllleeeeaaase, another installment of this great report!! Tom
PS Whats the latest on the 'Trevor' front?&quot;

The last day in Venice will be up later this morning. First day of Rome (hopefully) this afternoon. The Trevor front (for you few Padre fans outside SD) does not look good so far. But Towers said he is going to try hard to make it work, since Hoffmann is &quot;the face of the Padres.&quot; I hope so.