WHEN IT’S A RAINY NIGHT IN VENICE

October 29, 2019


It’s raining all over the world.

That may not be exactly the way the song goes, but it worked this time.  It started raining sometime in the night here (and I heard from Evans and Augusta that it was raining there).  We were glad we went for our gondola ride yesterday, because everywhere we went today – in the rain with umbrellas on loan from Pisani Palace – the gondolas were covered, and no small boats were out on the Grand Canal.

After talking to the folks at the front desk, we decided to go ahead with our plans to ride a vaparetto – the water buses – around the Grand Canal.  It was 7.5 euros for one stop anywhere on the route, so we opted for a one day pass of 20 euros that allowed us to get on and off where ever we wanted.  We stood up in the center of the vaparetto so we could look out easier as we traveled, and it was fun seeing the city from that perspective.

We got off Bus #2 when we saw a church immediately behind one of the stops and enjoyed that visit.  Then we got on #41 and rode the rest of the way up the GC and out into the Lagoona, circling around the eastern side of the city and coming back into the GC on the southern end.  It was a neat ride.

Bonnie said, I thought, “I want to buy a coat.”  What she really said, she said, was, “I want to buy a coke.”  Thinking she wanted a new outer garment, and it was chilly today, I said, “Let’s get off at San Marco and walk back because there are lots of shops to look in.”  Oh well.  It was a nice walk.  The rain wasn’t coming down too hard and we had our umbrellas.

An interesting thing today that we had not seen earlier was their preparation for high water.  Twice a year (I think it’s twice) they have a season called acqua alta when the water in the canal gets higher than normal – and it’s tidal, so in the morning’s the water is higher (I took pictures and a video to show it) – but acqua alta is different.  Well, it wasn’t AA today, but because of the rain, many of the streets were literally underwater.  But they have platforms prepared to put out as raised walkways.  So you can keep your feet dry.

Never one to miss a good sale, the street vendors had today – in addition to their magnets, cards, license plates, bibs, postcards, and other touristy paraphernalia – ponchos and rain boots.  Yes, rain boots.  They had them in blue and orange.  You slipped them over your shoes and they came up just to your knees.  We did not purchase any, but saw lots of blue and orange legs today.

Well, there’s more to tell, but I will turn the keyboard over to my traveling companion.

TTFN

After getting up, washing, dressing and having breakfast we returned to our room and sat for a while. Then, we decided we just as well go out and try to ride up and around on the grand canal. As David said we initially were going off without umbrellas but had decided to return to our room and get ours but they offered us ones with hotel name on it that we could  borrow. We graciously accepted.

When you went out the door to the passage to the street it was flooded. Over your shoes but they had a wooden walkway set up about 2 feet off the ground for you to walk on out to the higher walkway. Definitely a unique adaptation.  So we made it to the street headed for the Academia bridge and bought our tickets for the boat ride. We validated the tickets and soon figured out which boat to get on. The first  boat we got on was not very crowded and we stood on deck watching the buildings, the boats and the scenery as we rode. It was fun. After we passed under the Rialto bridge we saw the church and got off to explore it. It turned out that the stop we got off at was the train station where we will take our taxi ride to tomorrow. 

There are about 7 or 8 steps outside the sation that will be interesting tomorrow to tote our luggage up. Venice is not a handicap friendly town. There are very few ramps to accommodate strollers or wheel chairs or canes. Thought there are many strollers that parents must carry up and over the many small bridges which cross the side canals. There were seats down on the inside of the boats for handicap but I preferred to stand outside on the deck.

There was one interesting thing about the church we went to see. In 1915 the church was bombed and the bomb fell through the roof . It destroyed the greatest fresco painting by Giambattista Tiepoto . It could not be reproduced or replaced. Sadness.

After the church we returned to the boats. After a having a little bit of trouble we figured which one to get on and continue our ride. Un like the first boat this one was extremely crowded. We rode on up and out into the Lagoon and got to see the place where cruise ships dock, the Venice cruise port.  Neither very large or impressive. We had our first glimpse on cars in Venice. There was a large parking lot on the lagoon. There are not vehicles in Venice. UPS or FEDX would use a hand truck to deliver packages pushing them through the narrow streets and up and down the many small bridges.

We finally got off at actually Zaccara stop and started our trek back. Some of the St Marco square was flooded and they had some raised wooden walkways. But we managed to stay on dry ground by the shops. It is fun trying to walk through very narrow streets with umbrellas. We decided to stop at a small deli type store which had a few inside tables for a bite of lunch. Very small but there were two seats left. We had eaten there before and even though they charge extra if you sit down it is good food. I had a calzone with mazazello cheese and proscuitto but I couldn’t find any proscuitto. Oh well the cheese was good. Also, they had a one man toilet for customers only. Very primitive, no toilet seat. We walked on back. And of course got gelato before getting to the room.

David has reserved a taxi for 10:30 to take us to the train station and our ride to Rome. They will kindly carry our suitcases down to the door and onto the taxi. After that it will be all us. I have taken my shower and washed my hair. I have my suitcase ready. I just have to finish the carry on before we go to breakfast.

Well, whoever is in the room above us has finally stopped stomping and racing in the room so we will be in bed shortly. Love you. See you in Rome.

Love Mom, Granny and Bonnie