Venice in December - 1

 

We leave Gozo, it is 12 degrees centigrade (the weather had just turned and the Grigal had settled in (with its usual forceful wind!). After two short flights (via Rome), there we are: Venice, the unsinkable sinking city, full of canals (rio)! And 2 degrees centigrade! It’s cold and I had not realized it was that cold even at this time of the year! Nor I had realized that there would still be that many visitors in Venice at this time of the year (mostly from the Orient)! (For one reason or another, Venice seems to be a favorite destination at this time of the year for Europeans– Xmas and New Year! Lots of French heard around also!) But I am a bit anticipating!

 From the airport we take a private water taxi and half an hour later we are at our B&B, Gio & Gio, deep into San Marco! It is a former residence, converted some years ago into a small B&B, with 3 bedrooms – very cosy! We are recommended that evening a few places to get a bite to eat nearby (it’s past 8pm), but we could not find any of them and end up at a restaurant that I recognized (actually the B&B had recommended it before in an email!), a beccafico, not too far away: good place (simple fare: stuffed calamari and a plate of vermicelli covered with some sardine residue and glasses of wine – Pinot Grigio and something else), even if not planned!

After a light breakfast (and a sleepless night as usual!), walked to San Marco piazza, and spent the morning visiting the Doge’s Palace: spectacular! Don’t have time to visit anything else! After a cappuccino in late morning at a café (Café Lavena) on the piazza (the most expansive one ever at 8 Euros and a half each!), decided would come back to visit the cathedral on Wednesday morning and went back to the B&B located not too far away (pit stop at the nearby ATM to collect cash to settle the account at the B&B). The piazza is full of people: if this is like this at the end of December, I can’t imagine what it is like in July! Lunch: walked back nearby the piazza at restaurant where I had booked days before via the B&B, Osteria Enoteca San Marco, for a copious meal (foie gras and tagliatelle ragu that we shared, with a half bottle of Barolo, and secondi platti (veal liver for Cy and sea bass for me, with a glass of wine) – all delicious! In the afternoon, forewent the cruise on the Grand Canal (it’s too cold!) for a well-deserved rest, at the B&B (after a short walk to the Teatro La Fenice to get tickets for the concert tomorrow afternoon) 

The evening is spent at Teatro San Gallo, to see a video and a play (in English), both on the history of Venezia. We are reminded of the historical importance of the place, its fights against Islam (revisionism?), its trading network, Marco Polo, its artists, Titian, Canaletto, Casanova (le débauché!), Vivaldi, etc.

Dec 29, 2014