Bellissima Italia Part 2/3 – Gliding in Gondolas!

Venice… it’s the city of beauty, romance, and love but for me it was more about experiencing the place with my love. For me, my true love of Venice came from listening to the gentle sounds of the water lapping against the small wooden boats moored to the weathered doorsteps of the colorful homes lining the canals. Or from the romantic melodies of a strumming guitar or serenading minstrel gliding in a gondola below one of the many bridges that crisscross over the circling waterways. It came from getting lost in the labyrinth of ever-winding allies and walkways that spiral through the city. Or maybe from seeing the gigantic ships and swaying sails that steadily steam through the Grand Canal as you bounce thought their wakes via water taxi. Its from savoring the flavors of a glass of vino rosso paired with a perfectly prepared  prosciutto pasta and finishing it with a scoop of vanilla bean gelato topped with a shot of only the finest Italian espresso. It’s oogling at the storefront windows decorated with glittering glass sculptures and fine designer fashions. Or even from the yellows, reds, and pinks of the setting sun reflecting off the ripples, painting and shadowing the architectural beauty of the ever-aging buildings. For me, the beauty, romance, and love lives within and bleeds from the city itself.


We only spent two days in Venice but we made the very most we could of our brief time there. And what better way to experience Venice than to stay in our own private sailboat. 

The Gargantuan…the sailboat B&B we stayed at while in Venice

A look inside our cute little sailboat suite

Matt found our fun and funky Venice accommodations with AirB&B. It was cozy and different and definitely added the right kind of flair we were looking for to our stay. Our host made sure we were well equipped with snacks, maps, and even a cell phone in case we needed a way to get back to the secluded private marina island where our yacht was moored (this proved to be quite handy later on). It was great for the time we were there but I would have a hard time living aboard such a vessel permanently. I guess the life at sea just wouldn’t be for me.

Watching the boats pass by on the canal as we wait for the water bus

We arrived in Venice late and hungry the first day so our first order of business was to find a close place to get an affordable yet tasty meal. We really didn’t want to take the 45 minute water bus ride to the heart of the city, seeing that it was getting late in the afternoon, food would be pricey, restaurants would be busy, and we knew we would be spending the whole day there tomorrow so we didn’t think we would be missing much. Our host suggested that we just hop the water bus and get off at the closest stop which was right across the canal. He assured us we would find something over there. He also made sure to tell us that the last bus to return to the marina was at 9 so we would have plenty of time since it was only 5:30. We took the cell phone just in case. Once we got off the bus, finding food proved to be more of a challenge than we had hoped for. We walked around the small and almost desolate village for a while and found a small roadside market with vegetables, a pharmacy, a pub with pizza and a odd unmanned store with a bunch of vending machines… none of which fulfilled the local yokel restaurant flair we were hoping for.

This was one of the oddest vending machines Matt and I had ever seen (and that is saying a lot seeing that Matt spent time in Japan where almost everything comes out of a vending machine). It looks just like you typical vending machine at first until you get a better look at what’s inside. Oh yeah…it had your average soda, water, juices, snacks and such but it also had a cell phone, kids DVD’s, a couple of different pre-packaged sandwiches, and of course condoms. Whoever stocked this machine either is trying to appeal to a large market or has one crazy idea of what is needed for a good evening! (again… not the evening we were hoping for!)

So, as a last resort we thought we’d ask the folks in the pharmacy if they knew of any other places then the pub pizza which was starting to look like our only option. They told us that there was one right down the street and pointed at it, looking at us like we were crazy to have missed it. And we did, of course, walk right past it as it looked nothing like a restaurant. It was more like someone's front door. So, out of options, we went down and peeked our heads in to see a completely empty but quaint little family style Italian pastaria. I was a little nervous about the place by the fact that it was so desolate but at this point it was our best option. After about 10 minutes or so of charades with the owner and her mother, who she pulled from the back kitchen to try to help bridge the language gap, we finally realized that they didn’t open till 7 but if we came back we could eat then.

I’m not sure what it is with Italians and eating late but you better not want to eat any time between say two and seven because there is absolutely nothing open. Word to the wise…make sure to pack a Cliff Bar or three in your pack if you are an every couple hours eater like myself.

So, we made the best of the say hour or so we had to kill by admiring the sunset and watching the cruise ships pass by. Little did we know how lucky we were that we showed up when we did because apparently the little restaurant was a by reservation only kind of place and it was completely full by the time the night was in full swing.

We lucked out. This little place was perfect. It was like we stepped into a little Italian grandma’s kitchen. It was home cooking at it’s finest and it was exactly what Matt and I were looking for. I had a crab spaghetti and Matt had Mama’s homemade meat lasagna finished off with “My Mother’s Tart.” It was one of the best meals yet and to top it all off Matt ordered a delicious local red wine to go with it. Now, a glass each would have been sufficient but since wine is cheaper than water in Italy Matt went all out and thought, “why not” and ordered a liter. Now, as most of you know I’m not much of a drinker and tend to get tipsy quite a bit sooner than most so you could only imagine how much fun I was after a half a liter. Let’s just say running was a whole lot more thrilling than normal. In fact Matt got a little nervous and constantly had to try to slow me down as he thought a couple times I was going to run right off the pier.

And to add just a little more drama to the night, our host was wrong about the last water bus. It was at 8:15 and we just missed it by seconds as we watched it pull away right when when stumbled out of the restaurant. Matt started to worry not knowing what to do next but me in my drunken state remembered exactly where to pick up the taxi. Now, I’m terrible with directions normally but add a little alcohol and I’m an instant GPS. In the end we got back to our yacht safe and sound with a story to tell. At least it was a still night on the water and not too rocky on the boat. Then again it probably wouldn’t have even mattered to me.

The next morning we had breakfast on the boat and then set off to explore the city.

Taking in the the salty air aboard the water bus on our way to the city

A view of St. Mark’s Square looking out over the the canal. 

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day or for better weather

 

Matt made a few new friends in St. Mark’s Square. I’m pretty sure the pigeons liked the food more than being held but Matt just couldn’t help himself.  I mean how often do you get to hold a pigeon! I chose to photograph this epic experience rather than take part… in the end I still believe I made the best chose. And yes, he did wash his hands immediately afterward.

Looking over the balcony of St. Mark’s Basilica over the bustling square

For lunch we had prosciutto pasta at a Prosciutteria. It was excellent! I never knew how many delicious dishes that you could make using prosciutto!

We walked around a bit after lunch, did some shopping and got lost in the labyrinth that is the city. Once we found our way out we decided it was time to cross #49 off my bucket list and went on a romantic gondola cruse.

Looking out over the canal where we boarded our gondola

A breathtaking view from over the bow of our boat. 

We even were able to listen to some music as a boat behind us was filled with musicians, 

which only added to the atmosphere

Us and our gondolier Jovani. We made sure to make every moment count while gliding in our gondola!

Even though Venice is an expensive city to visit and sometimes very smelly it is definitely one that shouldn’t be skipped!

Florence

Matt enjoying a laid back trip on the train to Florence

The next day we headed off to Florence. To be truthfully honest we really went to Florence just for gelato and David. I know everyone I’ve talked to raves about it but for me it wasn’t anything too special. Don’t get me wrong it is nice city but it just didn’t have that romantic iconic charm of other Italian towns. It was clean, safe, and comfortable, making it a perfect town for study abroad programs or tourists but with so many other spectacular places to see in Italy it didn’t stand out for me.

The breathtaking elaborate facade of the Ilduomo di Firenze…

…in contrast with it’s rather simple but still elegant interior

 

We made sure to light a candle for the Catholic Grandmas: LaVon and Molly

We then headed off to the Academy of Fine Arts to see Michelangelo's David. A word of advice to those planning on visiting in the future…make sure to get reservations. We didn’t really know when we were going to be available to arrive so we didn’t. Even near the end of the season we still waited about two hours. Now, two hours may seem like an insane amount of time to wait to see a statue…and yes, I thought that too. To be honest I really didn’t know what all the hype was about to begin with. I mean, I know that Michelangelo's work is fantastic but a whole building dedicated to one statue seemed a little overkill. To be honest I thought it was going to be a lot like most of the other carvings we had seen… another famous carving of another naked man. We had seen lots of them so far. And I just didn’t understand what could make this one so special.

Once you see it you know. The pictures just do not do it justice. For one, it is gigantic! I was thinking it was going to be just your standard size human sculpture. No… it is like two stories high and the detail and precision of the carving is spectacular. I now know why it took so long to get into the place… once people get in they don’t leave. You could just stand there and stare at it for hours. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around how someone could create such perfection on such a massive scale. It was truly jaw-dropping. Every minute that we waited was worth it. It is a masterpiece in every definition of the word.

After seeing David we headed off to do some shopping at the street markets.

There was definitely plenty of pizza to sample and smell as we strolled through the open markets

We made sure to eat our body weight in Florence’s specialty, gelato. And even though my pants may be a bit snugger after the fact I do not regret a single bite!

One of the fun things that we did stumble upon was this fun little wine store. What made this store so different was that it wasn’t just lined with bottles. Instead there were big barrels and casks sitting around with tubes draped all along the walls. All the wines were on a tap system and you could buy them in whatever quantity you wanted and then the lady just corks them on the spot. I was shocked at how cheap it was too. You could get a whole bottle of the simple house table wine (mind you it is better than most at home) for around $1.50 a bottle. We stepped it up a notch and got a bottle of nice local white and a bottle of Chianti for abound $5.00 total.

Matt ordered a calzone one night. It was literally a pizza folded in half…as you can see it didn’t even fit on the plate! That night we only ordered half a liter of wine. It was the smarter choice.

Some of the the spectacular gelato we sampled. Mine was tiramisu and chocolate biscotti and Matt had tiramisu and pistachio

Even though we were only there for a few days we made sure to get our fill of Florence (or better said get full in Florence)!
Now off for a few days of R&R along the Italian Riviera in Vernazza!