September 25, 2008 – Venice

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AIDAN!!!!!For some reason we had an early morning. Perhaps we wanted to see what breakfast was like in Venice (it was pretty much the same as it as in Rome). Then again, we also did not know where we were supposed to meet for our City Tour (it turned out that there were two tourist offices near St. Marks Square). Either way, I was ready to go back to sleep at about 2pm this afternoon. We actually took about 30 minutes to figure out where our city tour was to begin. It was quite cool so we walked around the alleys and window shopped until 9am. The tour did not begin until 9.30 so we were pretty cold when the guide took us into the sun to explain the morning’s activities. We started at St. Mark’s Basilica. We were among the first to enter and it was an amazing site. First of all, the floor was very uneven due to the increasing water level and what t is doing to Venice – St. Mark’s is one of the lowest lying points in Venice and it floods more than 200 days per year!. Second, the artistry in the basilica was amazing. It was like stepping back in time. We moved through it so quickly though and the lines behind us were ridiculous! We then went around the corner to the Doge’s Palace. We found this tour quite fascinating for both its artistic content (we learned about certain Venetian artists) and the visit to the Bridge of Sighs prison (we were actually inside of the bridge). After those two most informative visits, we hopped on a boat to Murano. Our guide was excellent in leading us on a leisurely stroll to the boat while talking on his cell phone (he looked very chic though so we gave him the benefit of the doubt). The boat ride took u through the Venetian lagoon from the southern to the northern part of Venice. We had wonderful views from the water of Venice and the surrounding islands. Murano was lovely. We immediately went to a glass blowing exhibit. One artist made a glass aquarium – when the molten glass was poured onto the glass fish and such one couldn’t help but hold their breath at the sight of the glowing goo. The master glass blower made two items within a 15 minute period. The first was a highly stylized rose-coloured flower vase; while the second was a horse. The horse was the most interesting to watch as he literally formed it in seconds. We couldn’t help but applaud when he finished the piece. We then went upstairs to the gallery and were awed by the chandeliers, wine sets and other sculptures. Of course, we had to add something to our collection.We headed back to Venice and after walking through crowds and crowds of tourists, we had lunch at a café near the Rialto bridge (the food was ok but the service was lacking). We returned to the Rialto market for fresh fruit (amazing, as before) and then did some window shopping. We found the square that our gondolier trip was to depart from and kept close by, shopping and enjoying afternoon tea in the area. At 6.15 we began to board our group gondolier ride. There were 5 boats with 4 to 6 people in each boat. One boat had an accordion player and a wonderful singer. They played us over most of the Grand Canal (almost to the Rialto Bridge) and through various canals back to the beginning of our trip. We heard most of our favorite Italian songs and many others as the sun went down. Even with another couple in the boat with us, it was easily the most romantic way to experience the true feel of Venice (and it wasn’t that expensive – thanks Viator.com). After our trip we went to Trattoria de Bruno for dinner. It is literally under our hotel and we were spoiled. We were treated to a complimentary sherry as we read through the menu. I opted for cured beef and grilled shrimp while Aidan decided to have vegetable soup and scaloppini. We enjoyed the house red with fresh bread with delicate olive oil and a fragrant balsamic vinegar. Aidan loved the vegetable soup (talk about fresh ingredients) while I savored the Bresola with reggiano. The main course was presented with a flourish. Aidan’s scaloppini was smothered in fresh mushrooms while my grilled shrimp were served whole, split in half and grilled. We followed this with crème caramel for Aidan and cappuccino for me. The restaurant then gave us a lemon flavored aperitif when we had finished. We then decided to visit the Rialto Bridge to enjoy the warm and relaxing evening.