How to make sure it won't rain: Buy a $65 pair of kids' rainboots.
How to look like a tourist on the vaporetto: Wave your ticket around (no one shows their tickets, but you better have one in your pocket in case of "control.")
How to make friends: Ask people looking at maps if they need directions.
How to annoy the vaporetto conductor: Try to get on the Number 3, which is only for Venice residents.
How to get a nasty look from the guy at the museum entry desk: Head for the toilets before buying your ticket.
How to get where you're going. Determine your general direction, keep your head up, follow the crowd and don't look at your map.
How to find something interesting: Turn any corner.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Friday, April 25, 2008
Kitty, Meet, Pillow: Pillow, Kitty
Annie is a champ when it comes to imaginative play. When asked what she wants to do tonight while I make dinner, she said she wanted to get Kitty introduced to Pillow. Kitty's definitely going to keep her company at bedtime, but Pillow may stay around for a while yet. And Annie's pretty sure they'll both enjoy each other's company this evening.
When she saw I was closing out this posting Annie stopped me with one final thought: since it seems as if Camel and Doll are gone for good she hopes they eloped and successful and are enjoying their honeymoon, most likely in Egypt, where Camel is showing Doll the beauty of sunset over the Pyramids.
When she saw I was closing out this posting Annie stopped me with one final thought: since it seems as if Camel and Doll are gone for good she hopes they eloped and successful and are enjoying their honeymoon, most likely in Egypt, where Camel is showing Doll the beauty of sunset over the Pyramids.
The City of French Tourists
Forget "The City of Falling Angels." This is the City of French Tourists.
I would say that a full 75% of the foreign tourists in Venice are French (the rest we've seen are German, English and Americans, with our compatriots very light on the ground.)
The French make wonderful tourists. Well-dressed, quiet and well-mannered, they stroll gingerly down the streets, step respectfully to the side in the vaporetto and carefully tutor their adorable, well-dressed, attentive and perfectly-behaved children in the intricacies of Venetian architecture, painting and culture.
We've actually had more conversations with tourists in French than in English or Italian, and we're always met with surprise that we speak French.
Image a city where none of the tourists wear short pants or sunglasses with Croakies, flip-flops are verboten, no one talks above a conversational level or screams into a cellphone, there's no public drunkenness and most of the visitors have arranged a beautiful silk scarf in a cunning way somewhere on their person.
Vacation heaven!
I would say that a full 75% of the foreign tourists in Venice are French (the rest we've seen are German, English and Americans, with our compatriots very light on the ground.)
The French make wonderful tourists. Well-dressed, quiet and well-mannered, they stroll gingerly down the streets, step respectfully to the side in the vaporetto and carefully tutor their adorable, well-dressed, attentive and perfectly-behaved children in the intricacies of Venetian architecture, painting and culture.
We've actually had more conversations with tourists in French than in English or Italian, and we're always met with surprise that we speak French.
Image a city where none of the tourists wear short pants or sunglasses with Croakies, flip-flops are verboten, no one talks above a conversational level or screams into a cellphone, there's no public drunkenness and most of the visitors have arranged a beautiful silk scarf in a cunning way somewhere on their person.
Vacation heaven!
A Brilliant Day
Today was the most glorious day yet weather-wise, and that's saying alot.
Someone slept soundly until 10:30 this morning, so all thoughts of beating the line at San Marco and the Doge's palace were gone by the time we sallied forth at 11:30 and we took a different tack and started the day at the Peggy Guggenheim collection. Small and quirky, just like we like 'em, with beautiful 20th Century art in Peggy's former home. A beautiful still garden full of sculpture and the scent of wisteria.
Wait! What's this? The San Marco Day regatta, heading up the Grand Canal! We hotfoot it out to the terrace overlooking the water and watch for about 20 minutes as a remarkable collection of rowed craft (crew size ranging from 2 to 10), banners flying, headed up the canal. And of course, as is the tradition in Venice, everyone was standing up, looking ahead of them. Pictures were taken!
Annie was leaning towards the idea of going to see the exhibition "Rome and the Barbarians" at Palazzo Barbaro (I think) and then out to Torcello ("our nice day plan, Uncle Harold") but our search for lunch took us to the quayside dining area of the Pension Calcina (Ruskin's home base in Venice) and thence to the boat across to Giudecca where we visited the two Palladio masterpieces in Venice: the Church of the Redentore and then San Giorgio Maggiore. If you can imagine St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London stripped down to their essentials, placed half a mile apart right on the waterfront, and drenched in Venetian sun, you'd get some idea of what we saw today. Words fail.
While on San Giorgio Maggiore we also took in the Cini collection (a beautiful show of the works of a 20th century Venetian painter whose name momentarily escapes me in a gorgeously redone 15th century warehouse building) then Annie informed me that her "gelato level" was "dangerously dangerously low" so we hopped back on the boat to San Marco and a double cup.
We then did a little more than an hour of very productive shopping (not to ruin any surprises, but someone is getting a beautiful Fortuny scarf, someone a Fortuny silk rose pin and someone a beautiful pair of cashmere-lined gloves) and ended up at the Disney store, where Camel ("Caramel") was replaced (as if Caramel could actually ever be replaced) with Kitty.
Then back home to drop off our treasure and out to do some shopping. We're having a quiet dinner in, scrambled eggs for Annie and tortellini ai funghi for me, then an early night.
Beacause tomorrow, come Hell or Acqua Alta, we're going to be at San Marco when the Doge's palace opens at 9 am!
Someone slept soundly until 10:30 this morning, so all thoughts of beating the line at San Marco and the Doge's palace were gone by the time we sallied forth at 11:30 and we took a different tack and started the day at the Peggy Guggenheim collection. Small and quirky, just like we like 'em, with beautiful 20th Century art in Peggy's former home. A beautiful still garden full of sculpture and the scent of wisteria.
Wait! What's this? The San Marco Day regatta, heading up the Grand Canal! We hotfoot it out to the terrace overlooking the water and watch for about 20 minutes as a remarkable collection of rowed craft (crew size ranging from 2 to 10), banners flying, headed up the canal. And of course, as is the tradition in Venice, everyone was standing up, looking ahead of them. Pictures were taken!
Annie was leaning towards the idea of going to see the exhibition "Rome and the Barbarians" at Palazzo Barbaro (I think) and then out to Torcello ("our nice day plan, Uncle Harold") but our search for lunch took us to the quayside dining area of the Pension Calcina (Ruskin's home base in Venice) and thence to the boat across to Giudecca where we visited the two Palladio masterpieces in Venice: the Church of the Redentore and then San Giorgio Maggiore. If you can imagine St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London stripped down to their essentials, placed half a mile apart right on the waterfront, and drenched in Venetian sun, you'd get some idea of what we saw today. Words fail.
While on San Giorgio Maggiore we also took in the Cini collection (a beautiful show of the works of a 20th century Venetian painter whose name momentarily escapes me in a gorgeously redone 15th century warehouse building) then Annie informed me that her "gelato level" was "dangerously dangerously low" so we hopped back on the boat to San Marco and a double cup.
We then did a little more than an hour of very productive shopping (not to ruin any surprises, but someone is getting a beautiful Fortuny scarf, someone a Fortuny silk rose pin and someone a beautiful pair of cashmere-lined gloves) and ended up at the Disney store, where Camel ("Caramel") was replaced (as if Caramel could actually ever be replaced) with Kitty.
Then back home to drop off our treasure and out to do some shopping. We're having a quiet dinner in, scrambled eggs for Annie and tortellini ai funghi for me, then an early night.
Beacause tomorrow, come Hell or Acqua Alta, we're going to be at San Marco when the Doge's palace opens at 9 am!
Questions from our Readers
How big is Venice?
Image the heart of tourist Paris - Ile St. Louis to Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens to the Opera. Then shrink it to 3/5 size. That's what it feels like. To walk all the way from Piazzale Roma to the end of the Biennale Garden would be an hour, I think, but most here-to-there distances are more likely to be 15 to 20 minutes.
How's the apartment?
Dark, but fine, considering the cost. We have two rooms -- a perfectly adequate bedroom with a queen and a twin bed and bookcase, dresser, etc, and a slightly smaller kitchen with a fair-sized round table. A small shot-gun bathroom with a compact shower and sink in one portion, toilet and bidet in another, and washing machine tucked in the back. Considering it was 650 euros for ten days, or about $100 a day, we can't complain.
How's the area?
We're 90 seconds from the traghetto across the Grand Canal to the Ca' D'Oro, 4 minutes from the Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop, 7 minutes from the Rialto Bridge and about 15 from San Marco. We've never had to walk more than 20 minutes to get anywhere. The Rialto Market is 3 minutes from us, and the area has a nice little neighborhood feel. Cafes, food markets, souvenir shops, etc.
How are the prices?
In euros, things aren't that bad. A 7-day pass on the vaporetto for both of us was 110 euros, and that was our biggest single expense. A pizza and a bottle of water is about 10 euros. A plate of pasta is 8 euros to 12 euros, a nice veal milanese was 14 euros. Churches are 3 or 4 euros; the Accademia was 8 or 9. Annie's rainboots were 40 euros. Our gondola ride was 100 euros, but that was 45 minutes for 6 people. Opera tickets in the last row were 45 euros. At $1.60 to the euro you can make your own calculations, but it's not excruciatingly expensive. And we can't really blame the Italians for us ruining the value of the dollar, can we?
How's the food?
It's OK to good. With Annie, we tend to prefer fast and sample. Nothing's been out of this world, but there's nothing that hasn't been good. Nothing complicated, and not a lot of vegetables. Small-ish portions, but not stingy. Venice is in the butter/cream belt of Italy. Not a lot of olive oil, no garlic that I've noticed. We haven't had any traditional Venetian food, as far as I've noticed.
There's great simple food to cook at home -- last night I boiled up some absolutely delicious tortellini with bottled pesto and it was yummy. The eggs are incredible. I made five-minute eggs for breakfast and they were a revelation. Thin-shelled and full of flavor. They made U.S. eggs seem industrial. Butter is great, even store-bought bread is good. And you can't beat the Nutella!
How are you and Annie getting along?
Anne Packard is the most agreeable child in existence. She has yet to ask me to buy her anything and she has a great get-along, go-along attitude. She's all eyes for the scenery and has enjoyed everything from museums to our outings on the Lido. She was an angel in the opera. Considering we've walked miles each day, she's never once draggedher feet. She's been getting about 12 hours of sleep a night, though -- it does wear her out.
Believe it or not, last night was the first tears of the trip, and I think it was partly fatigue, an partly her sense of the dramatic.
She's said some fascinating things. She wanted to now what the "native Venetians" were called. When I told her "Venetians" she asked again. It turns out she meant "native Venetians" like "Native Americans." Interesting to see how her mind works.
She also said she missed singing -- she has choir practice several times a week and "performance" on Sunday. But she sings along to herself all the time.
She's picking up Italian and has been very liberal with her "grazie" "prego" and "buon giorno" lately.
What do you miss?
I'd love to have a bagel and I'm looking forward to a sushi dinner. Other than that, I can't say we miss much. Hilary/Barak/John? Taxis, traffic, subways and buses? Work? The DJIA? The NYT? I'm sure they'll all be waiting for us when we get back.
Of course, we miss all of you desperately and wish you were here with us to enjoy our adventure!
Image the heart of tourist Paris - Ile St. Louis to Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Gardens to the Opera. Then shrink it to 3/5 size. That's what it feels like. To walk all the way from Piazzale Roma to the end of the Biennale Garden would be an hour, I think, but most here-to-there distances are more likely to be 15 to 20 minutes.
How's the apartment?
Dark, but fine, considering the cost. We have two rooms -- a perfectly adequate bedroom with a queen and a twin bed and bookcase, dresser, etc, and a slightly smaller kitchen with a fair-sized round table. A small shot-gun bathroom with a compact shower and sink in one portion, toilet and bidet in another, and washing machine tucked in the back. Considering it was 650 euros for ten days, or about $100 a day, we can't complain.
How's the area?
We're 90 seconds from the traghetto across the Grand Canal to the Ca' D'Oro, 4 minutes from the Rialto Mercato vaporetto stop, 7 minutes from the Rialto Bridge and about 15 from San Marco. We've never had to walk more than 20 minutes to get anywhere. The Rialto Market is 3 minutes from us, and the area has a nice little neighborhood feel. Cafes, food markets, souvenir shops, etc.
How are the prices?
In euros, things aren't that bad. A 7-day pass on the vaporetto for both of us was 110 euros, and that was our biggest single expense. A pizza and a bottle of water is about 10 euros. A plate of pasta is 8 euros to 12 euros, a nice veal milanese was 14 euros. Churches are 3 or 4 euros; the Accademia was 8 or 9. Annie's rainboots were 40 euros. Our gondola ride was 100 euros, but that was 45 minutes for 6 people. Opera tickets in the last row were 45 euros. At $1.60 to the euro you can make your own calculations, but it's not excruciatingly expensive. And we can't really blame the Italians for us ruining the value of the dollar, can we?
How's the food?
It's OK to good. With Annie, we tend to prefer fast and sample. Nothing's been out of this world, but there's nothing that hasn't been good. Nothing complicated, and not a lot of vegetables. Small-ish portions, but not stingy. Venice is in the butter/cream belt of Italy. Not a lot of olive oil, no garlic that I've noticed. We haven't had any traditional Venetian food, as far as I've noticed.
There's great simple food to cook at home -- last night I boiled up some absolutely delicious tortellini with bottled pesto and it was yummy. The eggs are incredible. I made five-minute eggs for breakfast and they were a revelation. Thin-shelled and full of flavor. They made U.S. eggs seem industrial. Butter is great, even store-bought bread is good. And you can't beat the Nutella!
How are you and Annie getting along?
Anne Packard is the most agreeable child in existence. She has yet to ask me to buy her anything and she has a great get-along, go-along attitude. She's all eyes for the scenery and has enjoyed everything from museums to our outings on the Lido. She was an angel in the opera. Considering we've walked miles each day, she's never once draggedher feet. She's been getting about 12 hours of sleep a night, though -- it does wear her out.
Believe it or not, last night was the first tears of the trip, and I think it was partly fatigue, an partly her sense of the dramatic.
She's said some fascinating things. She wanted to now what the "native Venetians" were called. When I told her "Venetians" she asked again. It turns out she meant "native Venetians" like "Native Americans." Interesting to see how her mind works.
She also said she missed singing -- she has choir practice several times a week and "performance" on Sunday. But she sings along to herself all the time.
She's picking up Italian and has been very liberal with her "grazie" "prego" and "buon giorno" lately.
What do you miss?
I'd love to have a bagel and I'm looking forward to a sushi dinner. Other than that, I can't say we miss much. Hilary/Barak/John? Taxis, traffic, subways and buses? Work? The DJIA? The NYT? I'm sure they'll all be waiting for us when we get back.
Of course, we miss all of you desperately and wish you were here with us to enjoy our adventure!
A Slow and Gentle Morning
A somewhat bereft Annie asked mournfully last night how she was going to get to sleep without Camel to cuddle, so I gave her a small pillow from the armchair (oh, this will come back to haunt me) and told her to make believe. Her last words before going down for what's at this point nearly 12 hours of shut-eye (and counting) were "Oh Pillow, you're not Camel, but you're better than nothing."
I had planned to get us up at 8 so we could be in San Marco by 9:15 and avoid the crowds, but that plan has obviously gone by the wayside. Another beautiful day so I think we'll consider the heading across to the Palladian church on the Giudecca, perhaps a trip to Torcello, or maybe the Guggenheim. And some shopping for gifts and souvenirs!
I had planned to get us up at 8 so we could be in San Marco by 9:15 and avoid the crowds, but that plan has obviously gone by the wayside. Another beautiful day so I think we'll consider the heading across to the Palladian church on the Giudecca, perhaps a trip to Torcello, or maybe the Guggenheim. And some shopping for gifts and souvenirs!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
The Case of the Missing Backpack
We had a wonderful day. We met the Michiganders in San Marco a little after 11:00 at the base of the Campanile. Nicole and I wanted to go to the top; the girls didn't , so they and Ken fed the pigeons while Nicole and I took the elevator to the top. What a view! As soon as I can upload photos, I will, but it was a gorgeous day and all of Venice lay at our feet.
After that we went to one of the San Marco cafes for a little coffee and snacks. Expensive, but fun to sit just where Henry James, Marcel Proust and others had enjoyed an espresso and a view of the passing parade.
We had intended to go inside San Marco and do the Doge's Palace, but the weather was so beautiful and it was the last day the girls would have together, so we headed back out to the Lido, where we rented two of the four-wheeler pedal cards and headed for the beach. A lovely hour collecting shells and dipping our toes, then back on the vaporetto to make our 4 pm meeting with Miriam's dad Luca for our playdate with Miriam.
We met Luca at Campo San Giovanni and Paolo, and he took up to Miriam's school, where we all went up to her classroom. What an energetic group of 10 year olds! It made me think of Ethan's 40th grade, but here there were fewer kids and more noise! Anna, Miriam's teacher, welcomed us all, and as she is French by origin, she and I conversed in French. A few of the kids tried their English on us (they seem very caught up in American baseball and basketball) and the Miriam showed the girls her classroom. We finally disengaged and headed to Campo Santa Maria Formosa, which seems to be their afterschool hang-out.
Gelato for all and a kiddie free-for-all. It wasn't just Miriam and our three girls; Miriam's sister who is 6 was also there, along with half a dozen other school friends. Miriam's great-aunt (Prozia) was also there, and she and I did our best to converse in Italian about how nice it is to see the kids playing outside on a nice day, rather than TV, computers, etc. There were certainly some language difficulties and quite a bit of translation necessary, but hopscotch, hide and go seek and tag seem to be very much the same in Venice as in the U.S.A.
At one point Miriam decided all the kids should play "shop," so she went inside and got a sheet and two bags of trinkets and set them up in the middle of the Campo. Those Venetians -- merchants even to the smallest children!
At about 6 pm we said goodbye to Miriam et al and headed home. As we approached the Rialto Bridge, Nicole and I looked at each other and said "Gondola Ride!" It was 100 euros total for 40 minutes, but well worth it. Down the Grand Canal then back through a maze of smaller, silent side canals. The late afternoon sun was beautiful on the old ruined facades as we passed Marco Polo's birthplace and Casanova's Venetian home. Stefano, our gondalier, was very friendly and full of information. The girls, sticklers for what's fair, made sure we all rotated through all of the different seats on the boat.
A tearful farewell at the Riva de Vin. Ken, Nicole, Hannah and Emma leave very early tomorrow morning by train for Paris then Amsterdam. Hugs all around and promises to keep in touch.
We split up then Ken called out: "Annie's backpack!" Gone. We didn't remember having it on the gondola, but did remember having it at the campo when the kids were playing. Inside, as far as we can tell, were two of Annie's stuffed toys (Camel and Doll), one euro and some wipes, but still. That backpack had accompanied Annie to Europe twice already and was, as she said, "my beloved backpack."
We went home to drop off our stuff then doubled back to the campo, but no sign of the backpack. It does have my e-mail on a tag and my cellphone number on a piece of paper inside, so we're hopeful that it will turn up. If not, Annie gets a new backpack in Venice.
Side note: we think that Camel and Doll may actually have run off. They were due to get married in a "multicultural ceremony" mixing the Egyptian (camel) and the Venetian (Doll) which Annie was planning, and perhaps they decided that life for a mixed couple like them would be easier in Venice then in Lexington, MA.
In any event, Annie is being her usual trouper self and has controlled her dismay. She's a little sun-kissed from the day outside and has been bothered by mosquito bites from the swarm that seems to favor our apartment at night (don't ask) so we're going to go home, perhaps take a nice shower, have a little dinner and hit the hay early.
Only three more days! Tomorrow we've promised ourselves to be at San Marco at 9:15 to be first in line for the Basilica and tour of the Doge's Palace, then a trip across the water to the Palladian churches on Giudecca. Still hoping for a trip to Torcello if the weather holds out; at this point very unlikely we'll ever get to do any of our side-trips outside of Venice, but that's just fine with us.
Ciao for now.
After that we went to one of the San Marco cafes for a little coffee and snacks. Expensive, but fun to sit just where Henry James, Marcel Proust and others had enjoyed an espresso and a view of the passing parade.
We had intended to go inside San Marco and do the Doge's Palace, but the weather was so beautiful and it was the last day the girls would have together, so we headed back out to the Lido, where we rented two of the four-wheeler pedal cards and headed for the beach. A lovely hour collecting shells and dipping our toes, then back on the vaporetto to make our 4 pm meeting with Miriam's dad Luca for our playdate with Miriam.
We met Luca at Campo San Giovanni and Paolo, and he took up to Miriam's school, where we all went up to her classroom. What an energetic group of 10 year olds! It made me think of Ethan's 40th grade, but here there were fewer kids and more noise! Anna, Miriam's teacher, welcomed us all, and as she is French by origin, she and I conversed in French. A few of the kids tried their English on us (they seem very caught up in American baseball and basketball) and the Miriam showed the girls her classroom. We finally disengaged and headed to Campo Santa Maria Formosa, which seems to be their afterschool hang-out.
Gelato for all and a kiddie free-for-all. It wasn't just Miriam and our three girls; Miriam's sister who is 6 was also there, along with half a dozen other school friends. Miriam's great-aunt (Prozia) was also there, and she and I did our best to converse in Italian about how nice it is to see the kids playing outside on a nice day, rather than TV, computers, etc. There were certainly some language difficulties and quite a bit of translation necessary, but hopscotch, hide and go seek and tag seem to be very much the same in Venice as in the U.S.A.
At one point Miriam decided all the kids should play "shop," so she went inside and got a sheet and two bags of trinkets and set them up in the middle of the Campo. Those Venetians -- merchants even to the smallest children!
At about 6 pm we said goodbye to Miriam et al and headed home. As we approached the Rialto Bridge, Nicole and I looked at each other and said "Gondola Ride!" It was 100 euros total for 40 minutes, but well worth it. Down the Grand Canal then back through a maze of smaller, silent side canals. The late afternoon sun was beautiful on the old ruined facades as we passed Marco Polo's birthplace and Casanova's Venetian home. Stefano, our gondalier, was very friendly and full of information. The girls, sticklers for what's fair, made sure we all rotated through all of the different seats on the boat.
A tearful farewell at the Riva de Vin. Ken, Nicole, Hannah and Emma leave very early tomorrow morning by train for Paris then Amsterdam. Hugs all around and promises to keep in touch.
We split up then Ken called out: "Annie's backpack!" Gone. We didn't remember having it on the gondola, but did remember having it at the campo when the kids were playing. Inside, as far as we can tell, were two of Annie's stuffed toys (Camel and Doll), one euro and some wipes, but still. That backpack had accompanied Annie to Europe twice already and was, as she said, "my beloved backpack."
We went home to drop off our stuff then doubled back to the campo, but no sign of the backpack. It does have my e-mail on a tag and my cellphone number on a piece of paper inside, so we're hopeful that it will turn up. If not, Annie gets a new backpack in Venice.
Side note: we think that Camel and Doll may actually have run off. They were due to get married in a "multicultural ceremony" mixing the Egyptian (camel) and the Venetian (Doll) which Annie was planning, and perhaps they decided that life for a mixed couple like them would be easier in Venice then in Lexington, MA.
In any event, Annie is being her usual trouper self and has controlled her dismay. She's a little sun-kissed from the day outside and has been bothered by mosquito bites from the swarm that seems to favor our apartment at night (don't ask) so we're going to go home, perhaps take a nice shower, have a little dinner and hit the hay early.
Only three more days! Tomorrow we've promised ourselves to be at San Marco at 9:15 to be first in line for the Basilica and tour of the Doge's Palace, then a trip across the water to the Palladian churches on Giudecca. Still hoping for a trip to Torcello if the weather holds out; at this point very unlikely we'll ever get to do any of our side-trips outside of Venice, but that's just fine with us.
Ciao for now.
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