ah, Venicia!! <3
Here are the last of my vacation photos. Venicia, Italia That is actually the link to my entire vacation album (in case you missed a post!) and the Venice pics are labeled in separate sub folders.
I spent 2 1/2 days in Venice, Italy and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I would happily live there. ♥
We arrived late morning and the weather was perfect! My brother had hired a private water taxi, and our apartment was located in the Dorsoduro sestiere at the very end of the Grand Canal, so suffice it to say, the entrance into the city was quite impressive!
Venice was everything I had dreamed it would be. The city is beautiful & romantic; the people were warm and friendly. Such a relaxing atmosphere! I could hardly believe I was there; everywhere I turned was a photo opportunity and I took hundreds of photos. I've no idea why these old buildings with peeling paint are so fascinating to me, but there is something so charming & inviting about them. All of the colors & textures! I loved the narrow streets & colored buildings, the exposed brick and cracked plaster; the dark shutters & cast iron planters filled with brightly colored flowers.
Our first afternoon we just wandered around San Polo with no particular agenda, just soaking in the atmosphere. Everyone is so relaxed, and there are no cars, so it feels like the world just slows down. That evening, shortly after 10 pm, church bells began to ring all over the city. What a beautiful sound! I think it must have had something to do with it being Easter the next day, but the bells played randomly over the next couple of days as well.
We woke up to light rain on Easter Sunday, and ventured into San Marco. The Piazza was crowded with people--and pigeons! The outside of St. Marco's Cathedral is a bit more impressive than what they allow you to see inside, but the architecture and mosaic art are absolutely incredible!
Later we bought tickets for an evening performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons! The chamber orchestra played on instruments crafted during the age of Vivaldi, and the acoustics of the church were absolutely perfect--it really showcased the beauty & intimacy of the concerto. We also enjoyed pieces by Handel & Saint-Saëns, and two encores! I was seated next to a woman who also lived in California, but was originally from Washington state, just like me. What are the odds? Devon & Christa has never attended a classical music performance, so it was fun for me to be with them their first time. They really loved it! Jack said it was okay, and Joy fell asleep in the middle of Spring, so her 6 year old opinion, "it was kinda boring", amused me, lol Hearing Vivaldi in Venice was definitely a highlight for me! :)
Monday was our last full day, and Devon had wanted to explore an area near the Piazza. While they toured the Teatro La Fenice, (a famous opera house) I wandered down an alley and came across this!
Then it started to get a bit crowded...
I loved how some of the gondolas had people singing & playing instruments! Later we saw a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit and had a very nice dinner that evening. I would have liked to sample more local cuisine, but they kept grabbing slices of pizza for lunch and I wasn't going to do a sit down by myself. Next time I probably won't be traveling with a family with young children, and I can take more time to sample the bread, wine & cheese. ;) I was disappointed with the gelato, however; it was served too cold and I could taste the ice crystals, so I felt like a total snob but hey, it's not nearly as good as the stuff I used to make! lol
My only mishap was the very first evening. We'd stepped out to get pizza for dinner and I stopped at an ATM to get cash, since most of the stores wouldn't take my bank card. All of the instructions were in Italian but I figured, how hard could it be? I followed the prompts and everything seemed to be working well--entered my pin number & dollar amount and it seemed to indicate that in 30 seconds, my transaction would be complete! Only, after 30 seconds, it sucked in my bank card without giving me any money and NEVER GAVE ME CARD BACK!
Um.... hello? I'm in a foreign country over a holiday weekend, and the ATM machine has taken my bank card? Thankfully it's the travel card I bothered to get, with my balance protected if anything happened. So I had to call and report it lost and they put a freeze on it, but damnit--that's my vacation money. I still (thankfully!) have my regular bank card, but if I lose that I'm well and truly fucked, with no way to get money for the trip home.
My brother offered to loan me money if it came to that, but the next day we went to an ATM machine-not the same one I had used, I swear, it was the same location but the inside was completely different! And this machine had an English option. Turns out, if you don't REMOVE the card in 30 seconds, it takes it, WTF? Anyway, I was able to get money, I sorted things out with the bank when I got home for the frozen travel card but still, a definite freak out moment! And I was so glad I didn't get a Visa gift card or the money would have been lost completely.
We left Tuesday morning, and I was starting to feel ready to go home by then. When we got back to their place, Devon and I went to the store and got stuck in the rain/hail storm of all storms, sheesh! We were SOAKED! I had makeup running down my face and Christa laughed at us when we stepped through the front door. :D Wednesday morning I left for home, and by the final stretch I didn't want to get on another airplane for awhile but I really had the most AMAZING time.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to browse my photos and leave me comments! So often I was taking a photo with my friends in mind, so I could share this amazing experience with all of you. *hugs*
I spent 2 1/2 days in Venice, Italy and I absolutely fell in love with the city. I would happily live there. ♥
We arrived late morning and the weather was perfect! My brother had hired a private water taxi, and our apartment was located in the Dorsoduro sestiere at the very end of the Grand Canal, so suffice it to say, the entrance into the city was quite impressive!
Venice was everything I had dreamed it would be. The city is beautiful & romantic; the people were warm and friendly. Such a relaxing atmosphere! I could hardly believe I was there; everywhere I turned was a photo opportunity and I took hundreds of photos. I've no idea why these old buildings with peeling paint are so fascinating to me, but there is something so charming & inviting about them. All of the colors & textures! I loved the narrow streets & colored buildings, the exposed brick and cracked plaster; the dark shutters & cast iron planters filled with brightly colored flowers.
Our first afternoon we just wandered around San Polo with no particular agenda, just soaking in the atmosphere. Everyone is so relaxed, and there are no cars, so it feels like the world just slows down. That evening, shortly after 10 pm, church bells began to ring all over the city. What a beautiful sound! I think it must have had something to do with it being Easter the next day, but the bells played randomly over the next couple of days as well.
We woke up to light rain on Easter Sunday, and ventured into San Marco. The Piazza was crowded with people--and pigeons! The outside of St. Marco's Cathedral is a bit more impressive than what they allow you to see inside, but the architecture and mosaic art are absolutely incredible!
Later we bought tickets for an evening performance of Vivaldi's Four Seasons! The chamber orchestra played on instruments crafted during the age of Vivaldi, and the acoustics of the church were absolutely perfect--it really showcased the beauty & intimacy of the concerto. We also enjoyed pieces by Handel & Saint-Saëns, and two encores! I was seated next to a woman who also lived in California, but was originally from Washington state, just like me. What are the odds? Devon & Christa has never attended a classical music performance, so it was fun for me to be with them their first time. They really loved it! Jack said it was okay, and Joy fell asleep in the middle of Spring, so her 6 year old opinion, "it was kinda boring", amused me, lol Hearing Vivaldi in Venice was definitely a highlight for me! :)
Monday was our last full day, and Devon had wanted to explore an area near the Piazza. While they toured the Teatro La Fenice, (a famous opera house) I wandered down an alley and came across this!
Click to viewThen it started to get a bit crowded...
I loved how some of the gondolas had people singing & playing instruments! Later we saw a Leonardo Da Vinci exhibit and had a very nice dinner that evening. I would have liked to sample more local cuisine, but they kept grabbing slices of pizza for lunch and I wasn't going to do a sit down by myself. Next time I probably won't be traveling with a family with young children, and I can take more time to sample the bread, wine & cheese. ;) I was disappointed with the gelato, however; it was served too cold and I could taste the ice crystals, so I felt like a total snob but hey, it's not nearly as good as the stuff I used to make! lol
My only mishap was the very first evening. We'd stepped out to get pizza for dinner and I stopped at an ATM to get cash, since most of the stores wouldn't take my bank card. All of the instructions were in Italian but I figured, how hard could it be? I followed the prompts and everything seemed to be working well--entered my pin number & dollar amount and it seemed to indicate that in 30 seconds, my transaction would be complete! Only, after 30 seconds, it sucked in my bank card without giving me any money and NEVER GAVE ME CARD BACK!
Um.... hello? I'm in a foreign country over a holiday weekend, and the ATM machine has taken my bank card? Thankfully it's the travel card I bothered to get, with my balance protected if anything happened. So I had to call and report it lost and they put a freeze on it, but damnit--that's my vacation money. I still (thankfully!) have my regular bank card, but if I lose that I'm well and truly fucked, with no way to get money for the trip home.
My brother offered to loan me money if it came to that, but the next day we went to an ATM machine-not the same one I had used, I swear, it was the same location but the inside was completely different! And this machine had an English option. Turns out, if you don't REMOVE the card in 30 seconds, it takes it, WTF? Anyway, I was able to get money, I sorted things out with the bank when I got home for the frozen travel card but still, a definite freak out moment! And I was so glad I didn't get a Visa gift card or the money would have been lost completely.
We left Tuesday morning, and I was starting to feel ready to go home by then. When we got back to their place, Devon and I went to the store and got stuck in the rain/hail storm of all storms, sheesh! We were SOAKED! I had makeup running down my face and Christa laughed at us when we stepped through the front door. :D Wednesday morning I left for home, and by the final stretch I didn't want to get on another airplane for awhile but I really had the most AMAZING time.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to browse my photos and leave me comments! So often I was taking a photo with my friends in mind, so I could share this amazing experience with all of you. *hugs*