Bob and Ann in Sicily and Italy 2006

View from Academia Bridge


Osteria La Bitte

Rome to Venice - June 12

Taxied to train station where we caught train to Venice and after a comfortable, minimal eating trip we arrived at Venice St Lucia Station. Lined up for Vaporetto and swarmed on to boat with hoards of tourists after about 30 minutes. Got off in 4 Stops at San Samuele and Bob led us right to the Hotel Art Deco. Bensons on 2nd floor have big room on street side and Lynns have the garret room on 3rd floor, nicknamed honeymoon suite probably because of the drape over the bed to shade a large sky light. Very cozy but fine once we got unpacked and organized.

Took off at 6:30 to find dinner and explore the neighborhood, only to discover that we know the area well as we crossed Campo San Stefano remembering it as ‘gateway’ to the Academia Bridge on our previous visit to Venice. Found Osteria La Bitte from Rick Steves' book where we enjoyed a good meal in the dark little restaurant. Detoured to San Marco on our way home and found our old Hotel Flora. As we passed San Moise Church we spotted surplice dressed midget folk filing into the sanctuary singing. Ellen and Ann followed them in to hear several selections of the concert by the Atlanta Boy Choir, fifty beautiful well trained voices singing Palestrina and Mozart sounded heavenly in the ornate old church. Bob and John were not interested so we walked on to see San Marco glowing in night lights and then hurried back to Art Deco to bed.

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Glass Furnace


Glass Shop Display


Restaurant Torre

Venice - Murano Glass - June 13

After 8am breakfast, off to get three-day vaporetto passes before walking to Zaccaria Joncale stop and catching #47 Vaporetto to Murano Island. Found outside spots on rail to stand for our hour+ ride including a long wait for the boat. Poured off the boat onto Murano and found wall-to-wall glass shops. With Rick Steves’ directions we made our way on a long hot walk to the Glass Museum where we paid for E5 entrance fees and discovered history of Murano glass blowing and ancient glass pieces from BC Roma. Not a lavish exhibit, but interesting. We had spotted a Rick Steves’ recommended lunch option so doubled back to the Restaurant Torre and had a good al fresco meal on the plaza below the tower: salads, fish veal cutlets and liver with cold beer.

Discovered a glass blowing “foundry” where we could view the process of making Forno Co. products. A large studio with teams of glass producers smoothly moving through their intricately choreographed steps involving blisteringly hot furnaces had fascinated audience packed outside each viewing window. See Bob’s video! The examples of the final products were stunningly displayed in the upstairs showroom.

Ellen and Ann found necklaces and earrings in a nearby shop whose window display promised nothing made in China and featured rich color mixes and unusual designs. Our Vaporetto ride back at 2pm went much faster since we were seated. After a brief recovery in our rooms we took a Bob-led tour of wine bars featuring cicchetti (bar snacks)near the Rialto Bridge. On the walk back to Art Deco we discovered an Opera theatre and two other Teatros. Hope to hear music one night.

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Berries at Rialto Market


Piazza San Marco


Venice from the Campanile


Frari Church

Venice - June 14

Up early to plot our day, we started by vaporetto for a tour of Rialto Market. Much luscious produce and tasty looking seafood. Bought bananas and apricots and rode the vaporetto back to Art Deco where we sampled fruit before starting our Bob-led search for Teatro Fenice. "City of Falling Angels" by John Berendt prompted Ann’s curiosity. Following Rick Steves walking tour in reverse, we arrived at the hidden artists’ entrance and had to find the front to see about getting a look inside. No music is scheduled and all the guided tours in English are sold out so Bob and Ann found themselves with tickets for tomorrow's tour in Italian!

We all made our way to San Marco and waited in line about 20 minutes to get in and climb up to the original bronze horses which were gorgeous, but no photos were allowed inside. Outside we were able to capture the handsome reproductions digitally and also get an awesome view of Piazza San Marco. All this and the cathedral museum for a mere E3. For about an hour we enjoyed a nearly crowd free view of the splendor of San Marco from above without so much as stepping into the tourist packed main floor.

Lunch was at a sandwich shop from Rick Steves book - adequate, unusual savory smoothies. We wove back under the bridge of sighs to the Piazza San Marco where Ann and Ellen took the elevator to the top of the Campanile to capture 360º views of Venice. Bob and Ann rode the vaporetto to Academia and walked by the Church of S. Vidale where we got tickets for tonight’s performance of Vivaldi. Back at hotel touched bases with formerly napping Bensons. We rode the vaporetto across Grand canal from S.Angelo to S. Tomas for short visit to Frari Church for Titian, Bellini and Donetello tombs of Titian and Canova. Then back to rest before dinner.

Osteria Bacarate down the street served excellent cod & squid and liver. Then back to S Vidale for perfectly timed concert by the chamber group - Interpreti Veneziani. Strings and harpsichord with solo flautist/ottavinist for 2 Vivaldi concerti , a Rhondo Russo by Saverio Mercodente and 3 violin soloists playing 3 more Vivaldi Concerti. The finale was Saint-Saen’s “Allegro Appassionato” by a wonderfully dramatic cellist whose long flying hair set Bob off ala Kent Nagano. Very lovely playing in ensemble and extraordinary soloists plus short (60 minute) program made for a fine music experience. Small audience 1/2 filled the Chiesa which is 2 minutes across S Stefano from Art Deco. Mostly college group of clean cut, polite but slightly restless kids with us in the audience. Great fun and easy culture, though JB teased as usual about the “same sounding music.” He’s right, of course.

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Street Scene


Osteria Masaroni

Venice 43rd Wedding Anniversary - June 15

Very nice, peaceful day. Shopped first near Rialto bridge ( via vaporetto) and found aprons for men, T-shirts for boys. Soon split from Bensons for a walk back to Academia for lunch and to check e-mail. Panini OK and mail from Karen and Suki. Miss them. Vaporetto across Grand canal for pit stop at Art Deco before walking to La Fenice Opera House for our tour in Italian. Did not understand much from the leader but enjoyed seeing the newly restored interiors, still smelling of fresh paint, though reopened in late 2003 after closing from 1996 fire. The gaudy rococo style with much gilt and plaster of paris embellishing was over the top in the the Main Hall where we were seated in the luxurious Royal Box. Spectacular decoration copied from original 1837 redesigned complex. The English version of the guidebook explains details and we got the feel of “Falling Angels” as A. had hoped.

Met Bensons after the tour and walked from our hotel to the S.M. Nouvella Farmacia on our street. Ann, loath to add weight to baggage, resisted further purchases. Ellen found more gifts to purchase. At 6 in the little breakfast balcony we drank sweet chilled red wine from Trulli shop, toasting the anniversary and enjoying treats the Bensons produced. Dinner at Osteria Masaroni fish place was lively. Ann and Bobo shared mixed seafood spaghetti - clams, mussels, shrimp all in shells.

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Arrivederci Venice

Venice-Munich-Boston-Washington DC-SFO - June 16

(Narrative by Ann)