Venice 

Arriving in Venice, we were expecting to take the large, crowded vaparetto to take us from the bus terminal to "downtown" Venice. We were even warned to watch out for pickpockets while on it. However, to our pleasant surprise, Stacy had arranged for us to take small water taxis with just the people from our tour group.

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After our arrival, we walked straight to our hotel, Hotel Mercurio, dropped off our bags, and then headed out for a tour of the city with Stacy. Since she lives in Venice, she was really able to provide a wealth of knowledge about the city.  She pointed out several interesting places we might want to visit the following day when we had time on our own.

 

Gondola Rides at Dusk

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The first treat she had in store for us was one of the most memorable moments of our trip- a gondola ride at dusk. Along with an accordion player, we had the privilege of having a very entertaining, animated singer who serenaded us with Italian love songs as we rode down the peaceful canal at sunset. Along the way, he looked up at the open windows of the apartments we passed and cheerfully greeted the local women who, with big smiles on their faces, waved back at him.

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Dinner at Ristorante Bentigodi

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After the memorable gondola ride, Stacy led us to a warm and inviting restaurant called Bentigodi which means “Tasty”. This charming restaurant is owned by Stacy and her husband, Chef Domenico Iacuzio. Having the entire restaurant reserved just for our group was a true honor. Once again, the highlight of the meal for me was the dessert: caramelized poached pear in chocolate mousse in Amarone (red wine) which was both unique and very tasty. In addition to being treated like royalty, the dinner was delicious and we had the pleasure of meeting Stacy’s husband.

 

While walking back to our hotel after dinner, Stacy mentioned that the next day we would be visiting St. Mark’s Basilica and that we should not bring any backpacks or purses to make it easier to go through security.

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DAY 6

 

Historical Walking Tour

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After breakfast in the hotel, we walked a short distance to meet up with our local guide, Elisabetta, who took us on a historical walking tour through the back streets of Venice.  As we struggled to find shelter from the rain, she explained to us that Venice locals are used to rain and even floods. When she told us that she always has a pair of rain boots ready by her door, we realized how much life in Venice differed from our sunny Southern California living.

 

Our first stop was at the workshop of an oarlock craftsman, named Franco, who demonstrated the long process involved in making forcola, the wooden fulcrum for the oars used by the gondoliers to steer and guide the gondolas. Each forcola is custom-made according to the height and size of the individual gondolier and takes months to complete. Franco explained that this was a dying art and that he had no apprentices to whom he could pass on this unique trade. Unfortunately, the younger generation is not interested in learning this skill. Stacy told us that Franco is one of only three oarlock craftsmen left in Venice today.

 

St. Mark's Basilica

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As we continued with our tour, a local guide showed us around St. Mark’s Basilica. Because we were with our group, we avoided the long lines and were able to get in right away. We repeatedly realized how much of an advantage we had from being on a pre-planned tour like this that allowed us to constantly avoid the crowds. Our guide showed us around the basilica and gave us the relevant historical background.

 

After our tour, we were given the rest of the day to explore Venice on our own. Stacy offered several suggestions of places to visit and we were then allowed to choose what interested us the most.

 

Doge's Palace

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Our first stop was the Doge’s Palace. As we walked through the palace with another couple from our group, we took in the opulence of the décor and beautiful artwork and speculated about the lives of the former inhabitants.

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Next, we walked across the Bridge of Sighs which is the passageway between the court and the prison. Feeling like we had gone back in time, we could get an idea of how the prisoners must have felt knowing that they were possibly walking to their deaths and  likely taking in the view of Venice for the last time.

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After leaving the Doge’s Palace, we stopped for sandwiches as a late lunch and walked around the piazza looking in the tourist shops. Early on in the tour, we decided that when we were on our own it was sometimes best to just grab food from a stand or small store and eat while walking around so as to maximize our time to explore. Sometimes this was just as enjoyable and more affordable than having a sit-down meal in a nicer restaurant.

 

While browsing in the shops, we discovered that if we wanted authentic Italian made souvenirs, we should ask for some type of certification or tags attached certifying that they were indeed made in Italy.

 

Later, we returned to the hotel to freshen up and decided to eat dinner at a restaurant a few doors away from the hotel. After dinner, we went back to the hotel and saw some of our fellow tour members sitting in the breakfast area, drinking tea, coffee, and wine. One of the couples said they were going back to St. Mark’s Square for some gelato and to walk around and they invited us to go with them. One mention of gelato and we were in! We never passed up an opportunity for more of this creamy confection!