October 02, 2017:
Visiting Venice, Gondola ride and a visit to Murano Glass Factory
Checking in to Carnival Palace
We only have today and October 3 in Venice. We leave Venice to our respective homes beginning October 4. We will also have our final farewell dinner in Venice. There is also an option to spend a day more in Venice if we choose to. A few did, but we decided not to prolong our stay.
We left Hotel Cortefreda with bag and baggage, as usual around 8:30 after our breakfast. The hotel Cortefreda also sells wine and vinegar in the region. We bought a small bottle of vinegar.
It was a bright day and we will be doing the final leg of our journey- move to Venice and do a whirlwind tour of the city. The bus takes about 3 hours from where we are to Venice.
Our tour director regaled us with jokes and songs. She also gave us some language instructions and played some taped music. The more audacious of our group hummed along.
After about an hour and a half, we reached one of the main recreational/restaurant areas not too far from Bologna. We got off the bus to use the restrooms and drink some coffee or have a snack. Coffee was pretty good.
We reached the end of our bus trip at one of the regular bus stations at Codevigo which is also the place we take water taxis to Venice.
The water taxis ("Vaporetto" ) are small, high speed, covered boats that can seat anywhere from 8 to 10. It may cost anywhere from 100 to 130 Euros one way, to rent the boat. As our group was big, we went in groups of 8, or 9.
We arrived at Carnival Palace, a little after 1 P.M., flutes of bubbly wine were waiting at the lobby. It took a little while to get to our rooms. We sipped our wine in the lounge.
We plan on staying two nights here. Carnival Palace is the most modern-looking of the hotels we have stayed so far. Quite the opposite of the hotel in Amalfi.
Visiting Murano
We really had half a day and some of us wanted to visit Murano. Our tour director arranged some boats that we could take near Carnival Palace. It was perhaps 20 minutes ride to Murano.
We visited the Ferro-Lazzarini glassworks. There are many other glassworks on this island as well.
The glass factory had made an arrangement for the demonstration of working with glass.
The demo was very interesting and we could see the whole thing in close up. We visited the showroom. The display was dazzling.
Here is a quick video of the showroom.
We always wanted so buy some Murano wine goblets, and we bought some here. They were very pricey, but they could ship to the USA.
Riding the Gondolas
The whole of Venice is built on tree-trunks and there are many islands within this island separated by more than 400 bridges. There are 1000's of buildings close together all over this tiny island with some 400,000 inhabitants. Fortunately, there is no vehicular traffic as most traffic is via boats and gondolas. Gondolas were the main means of transport until the motorboats( 'vaporettes') made their appearance. The Gondola ride is a must when visiting Venice. Our tour director with her family living in Venice had no problem arranging this event for us.
We rode the gondolas owned by the Traghetto which usually ferried the tourists in the Grand Canal. Each gondola can accommodate from 5 to 6 in addition to the Gondolieri with a striped T-Shirt and a guy playing on the accordion. Our group was large and therefore we had to ride 3 to 4 gondolas. The accordion music was Ok although we did not recognize any of it. The crisscrossing the canals and going under the bridges with tourists looking down from above was quite enjoyable. We passed in front of many historic waterfront buildings.
Here are some pictures of our group enjoying a gondola ride in the Grand Canal in Venice.
In front of Dario's Palace [Ca' Dario Offset Renaissance Facade]
We got off the Gondola at one of its service points. Our tour director had arranged for another round of bubbly wine. We then parted our ways to return to the hotel by ourselves. We followed the map supplied to us to get back.
In front of St. Mark's Piazza
Bridge of Sighs (Ponte dei Sospiri) over the Palace river. Once you crossed the bridge taking in the sights through windows there was no return.
...
...
I stood in Venice, on the Bridge of Sighs,
A palace and a prison on each hand:
I saw from out the wave her structures rise
As from the stroke of the enchanter's wand:
A thousand years their cloudy wings expand
Around me, and a dying Glory smiles
O'er the far times, when many a subject land
Looked to the wingéd Lion's marble piles,
Where Venice sate in state, throned on her hundred isles!
...
...
From Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, G.G.Byron 1817-1824
Not too far from our hotel, we found a nice restaurant, Laguna Libre. We were early and later it got filled up. One could sit outside by the canal but for the mosquitoes. Inside it was not big but the service was great. We had some pasta and wine. The dessert was very good.
Tomorrow, our last day of the trip, we will do a walking tour with our local guide.
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