Venice, Italy

“Pizza e Pasta, Pizza e Pasta!” called the animated watiers/waitress’ from the doorways of various restaurants!

This is now the kids’ new favorite phrase complete with the pinched fingertips and the classic Italian flicking of the wrist and hands! Yes, it’s true that Italians are very animated and “talk” with their hands. We saw this motion in every city and town we visited, including Venice.

We were blessed with a beautiful spring day in Venice. It was pleasantly warm, yet the cool breezes wafted through the tiny back streets and canals straight from the Mediterranean Sea! Faywen was a little nervous when we boarded a Vaporetto (traditional public boat taxi…the trams of Venice) and rode it almost the full length of the Grand Canal to San Marco.

For me it was a flashback stepping off the Vaporetto and entering San Marco (St. Mark’s) Piazza. I had visited Venice 27 years ago and it was just as I recalled. The large four sided piazza with it’s Baroque buildings, the Lion of Venice statue on the pole, the Doge’s Palace, the Campanile rising above the city, and the majestic St. Mark’s Basilica. We decided to visit the Campanile, however we couldn’t climb to the top only take an elevator. Atop the bell tower we had stunning vies of all of Venice and the Mediterranean Sea! You could even see the canals dividing the 117 islands.

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Once back down the tower we walked around the corner of the Doge’s Palace to find hte famous iconic Bridge of Sighs The bridge connects the palace with the prison and it is said that as prisoners passed over they looked out the tiny windows and sighted. Another legend holds that when the great lover Casanova was caught with one of the Doge’s daughters he was sent to prison. Many of the town’s women came to the adjoining bridge and “sighed” wishing for the release of the great lover. He was eventually released much to the pleasure of the women of Venice!

From there we meandered through the narrow streets of Venice and over it’s many small bridges connecting the islands. Everywhere there were little shops and cafes. One could hear the call of Gondoliers as they rounded corners and the charming old streets gave us vignettes into what everyday life is like for the locals… from garbage gondolas to hanging laundry outside the buildings.

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As we crossed the Rialto Bridge that spans the Grand Canal, a pop up thunderstorm forced us into one of the little shops that line the bridge. It was a nice place to be caught, because it was full of Venetian blown glass. Venice is known for its mouth blown glass and leather products. Faywen and I purchased leather purses and Robert bought me a beautiful Venetian glass bead necklace.

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After the 20-minute thunderstorm subsided, the skies cleared and the sun came out. The afternoon sunshine made the canals sparkle. It was the perfect time to hire a gondola! Our Gondolier, Marco, was amazing. We asked him questions about the process of becoming a Gondolier as well as the other traditions associated with the job. I think he was a bit surprised to be asked such questions. He spoke enthusiastically about the tradition. Most people ask him questions about Venice and it’s history (he did tell us some of that too). It seems very few people inquire about the history of the Gondolier’s themselves!

Faywen was a bit nervous at first to get on the gondola, but Mr. Marco had her at ease as we gently glided through the old neighborhood canals. There are over 340 Gondoliers and 10 areas where they work in rotation. We chose a less populated area of town for our ride. It really gave us a feel for what life is like in Venice. We did go out onto the Grand Canal for a bit too. The gondola ride is something our family will never forget.

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The kids wanted Robert and I to have a “romantic” dinner in Venice so they ate dinner at the pizza café near our apartment. Robert and I crossed the Grand Canal to a beautiful Roman Restaurant. We sat right on the edge of the Canal as the sun sank over the waters. We had a lovely meal and our waiter, Alex, was actually half Italian and half English. We thoroughly enjoyed the service, food, and of course the ambiance!

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Venice might be old with it’s crumbling buildings, salty and slimy canals, and touristy areas. But if you get into the back streets and talk with the locals it’s one of the most charming cities in the world!