I am so nervous today. I hope I get to where I need to be when I need to be there. Great breakfast and then onto train station. Thank heavens I could leave part of my things at hotel until I return on Wednesday. Taxi ride to train station was $3.50 more than on Saturday. What is that about? Train from Siena to Firenze was 30 minutes late. This is not good. Was able to catch train in Firenze to Venizia. Thank heavens I was familiar with the Firenze Stazione. The train was beautiful and fast, I loved it. If only I make it to my tour on time, but first I have to find my way on the water taxi and then to my hotel. Oh dear. Water taxi was right there and left for San Marco. Venezia is beautiful. It's hard to believe this is a real place with people living their lives here. Ok, got off at my stop. Next hotel. Just stop and ask. No I don't know where that is. Ask again, ah succeess. "Go through the arch under the blue clock in San Marco Plaza. Take the street all the way until it deadends at the Firarri store. You know Firarri? Yes. Take a right and go behind the chuch. There you will find your hotel." Ok, here goes wish me luck. I must have circled the church 3 or 4 times. I even started over from the Firrari store. (BTW, I forgot to mention, google has the hotel in 3 locations.) At last, there is Ca' del Campo. Just a doorway in the street. I hurriedly checked in, found my beautiful room, unloaded bag, and started out to find my tour.
Of course all of streets look the same. Somehow I made it back to San Marco Plaza and found the museum office. And there is my tour. Yea, I made it 15 minutes early. The tour started with a gondola ride. No singing. It was surreal to ride through the streets and see all of the houses. It really was beautiful.
Guido, our guide met us as the dock. He was great and told us lots of interesting side stories. I learned that the city was built in the water to escapr Attila the Hun. The way the buildings are constructed to survive the water is very clever and constantly being updated to preserve the city. It only takes 7 minutes to walk from one side of the city to the other. If you need to find your way just look for the signs 'Per San Marco' and you will go back to the center. If only I had known this when I arrived. We visited Palazza Contarini with Bovolo (spiraling staircase). We also got to see La Fenice Teatro where one can hear a variety of concerts, many of which are written just to be performed here. I would have liked to attended an event here had I known.
No bicycles or skateboards are allowed here. It would be almost impossible to use a wheelchair in the streets. Artisian water from the mountain feeds into city, is free to the people and safe to drink from any taps. There is only one piazza in Vinezia and this is San Marco. All others are Campos, or camps, and were used for farming.
After the tour, I explored on my own. I found Rialto Bridge and wandered a nearby market. Here I found a gondolier's shirt and another cup of ciaccolato caldo. The waiter was so excited that I was from Ohio because he had family there. I love it.
Last week Mardis Gras occured here. I can't imagine. Oh my gosh. I can't believe I made it Yes!
