Hopfgarten to Venice (Veneto or Venetia)
Today we drove through the alpine towns in Northern Italy on our way to Venetia. Again the drive offers spectacular view of the alpine villages, the hills, valleys and hillside vineyards. During winter Cortina D’Ampezzo becomes the most celebrated winter resort and ski center in the Dolomites.
Venice has played a prominent role in Italy’s history, from the Roman times to the Middle Ages, and from the period of the free communes through the Renaissance and on to the 17th century.
The first we saw were the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale right at Piazza San Marco. Legend has it that in 828, four Venetians -- a monk, a priest, and 2 merchants -- conspired to smuggle the remains of St. Mark from Alexandria, Egypt. Thus St. Mark replaced the Greek St. Theodore as the patron saint of Venice. The population in the 19th century was nearly 200,000; today’s it’s 85,000.
Our first stop is the Trevisan Murano Glass, where an apprentice glassblower gave a demonstration of the art of making glassware. Venice is uniquely for the intricately carved multicolored glassware from the island of Murano. Murano is famous throughout the world for the products of its glass factories.
Then to Il Merletto Lace School that used to be an old methodist church for a demonstration on the various lace techniques, patterns, thread and case as in the past. The lace was very impressive that most bought articles such as table clothes, bed sheets and handkerchiefs.
It was free time to wandered aimlessly among the city’s labyrinth of streets, and passageway. We lost a couple of people in our group and I ended up with Angela and Geneva to check out the scores of boutiques that fill the narrow pathways. (Getting lost -- is an integral part of its charm.) Most on displays were glassware and porcelain maschere (Carnival masks). During the week and a half before Ash Wednesday, Venetians and tourist alike take to the streets for Carnevale. Revelers dance in the streets dressed in centuries-old costumes and hide behind the colorful porcelain to celebrate the days of bacchanalian revelry.
At 5 PM, we met our group who will be doing the gondola ride. No trip to Venice is complete without a ride on the canals serenaded by a signore. To the locals, gondolas are basic form of transportation, but for tourist, it means romance and it really is as a romantic as it looks. Only royal Romeos can afford it. . I can afford it (29,000L or $20.16). Colins and Lianne, Matthew and Geneva, Angela and I shared one gondola. The accompanying musicians and serenading signore were on the other boat. The canals -- need I say more?. Each alley, each canal, offers a new scenario, quite different from the one before. The charm of Venice lies in its peerless palazzi architecture emphasizing its exquisite marriage with the water. I did not find that bridge where Madonna did a music video Like A Virgin.
Dinner was at the Cantina Canaletto near Piazza San Marco to taste in true Venetian fashion the local cuisine. I have never shelled out this amount of money for dinner before for just one person (45,000L or $31.28). At this point, I am totally separated from the LA gang. Matthew, Geneva, Angela and I joined the couples from Vancouver, British Columbia (Tom & Cristina, Wes & Janet). The white and red wines were overflowing (drink all you can), the antipasto was superb and the entree was just right. It was indeed a recipe for an unforgettable evening in one of the most romantic cities in the world.
We spent the night at Hotel R. T. A. Sturzo, via Don Sturzo. As always a late nightcap at the hotel bar.
