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Venice - July 15, 2007

First off, I need to apologize to Andi and the Italian Untours team for going on Denny's orientation June 21. On the 20th Andi emailed me NOT to go because I may be stepping on Denny's toes. This is supposed to be just for Untourists, and not independent travelers. I've been on three Untours to Venice and still feel like an Untourist. I had just wanted to meet some of the Untourists I had met through the Chatline. Wednesday July 11 was the first time I'd been able to find an Internet Point that could speak enough English to help me with a "real computer" - I just have a TV computer, you may remember. So didn't read her email til then. Again, I apologize, but did enjoy meeting Denny again and fellow Untourists.

Last night was the Redentore celebration, and fireworks that didn't start until 11:35 p.m. I had left the apartment about 8:30, and found a very good spot to watch - next to the top step on "my bridge". Hadn't brought the cane I use for steps because I wasn't expecting steps, but I figured I could manage because I can always hold on to the sides. Ha! When it was over, the bridge was still wall-to-wall with people, no way of getting near the sides. I asked a guy if he could move a bit, and he insisted on helping me all the way down ("I'm a macho guy" he said). I "grazie, grazie"d him. All the hotels had special rates for the evening, with prime rooms going as high as €600, and special dinners with prime view as high as €300 a person. The restaurant near me, at the bottom of the bridge, had a multi-course dinner for €90, and waterside seating. Not a bad price, considering the view and dinner and being able to SIT for four hours!

The rio outside my window was especially quiet today. They are probably resting up after a night of partying.

Did I tell you about my bathroom? It has to be the world's smallest at 3'4" wide and 4'3" deep, with the door facing the apartment door. It's so small I can touch both sides at one time. (For those who don't know, I'm only 4'8"!) In this room is the sink, toilet, bidet, and shower. The shower is just curtained off in the middle of the room with the drain in the floor.

I'll write more later, now that I've found a place where I pay when I'm finished, and won't get cut off when my paid time runs out. That's happened before when I lose everything because my time ran out and I didn't realize it.

Lynanne

Venice - July 11, 2007

Hi all,

I've just found an Internet Point that speaks English and can help me with this terminal. For those who don't know, I just have a terminal that goes through the TV set. My girls tell me to get a real computer!

My apartment is in the eastern end of Venice, off Via Garibaldi, overlooking a side rio. Very nice except I was told it was on the first flloor, but with 28 steep steps to my door, it's really the second, although I'm the first door I come to. The door is very hard to open, and my first night here, I couldn't get it open to get in. And of course I didn't bring any phone numbers, they were all in the apartment. Fortunately I had met a young American lady that evening, living in Venice for 29 years, who came to my rescue. Seems I hadn't turned the key hard enough.

By The Way - I've always thought that somewhere in my past, I have some Venetian blood. It's true!! Most Venetians talk loudly, and my friend and my girls all complain I talk too loudly. But after raising five children and calling them to dinner from two blocks away, I got used to talking loudly.

This is just a start. I'll be back soon.

Lynanne

Venice - September 08, 2005

Hi everyone,

Well, the packing has started, and it's not easy. I'm taking one suitcase to Piazza Roma tomorrow and storing it until I go to the airport early Sat. morning.

These last few days have been busy, trying to do everything on my list. Last week I went to Lido on the car ferry, something I've been wanting to do because the boat goes through the lagoon from the car park at the western edge of Venice. A really nice ride. In Lido I walked through the quiet residential neighborhoods and the canals to the main tourist street. Tried to find the cafe where David and Christine and I had lunch. I wanted their hot dog and frenchfries, but couldn't find it, so had a hot dog at another bar - good but not as good as the one last year. Walked westward through more neighborhoods and hotel areas, then came back to the cafe where Peggy and George and I had lunch, and had an excellent Spritz.

Went to the Chiesa Santa Maria della Pieta, where Vivaldi was organist. There was Moroccan art exhibit there, in connection with the Biennale. Most of the oils were "Untitled", which is understandable, because I don't think the artist knew what he was drawing!!

Last Friday my landlady brought 4 new chairs, brushed aluminum with straw/cane seats. Really pretty, but 2" too high for my short legs. Fortunately she left two of the old chairs, one of which is my favorite. I had bought a paper, the International Herald Tribune, and read about the tragedy in New Orleans. So I'm buying a paper every few days to keep up with what's going on.

Sunday was the La Storica, the historic celebration every first Sunday of September. A big costumed procession on the Grand Canal, then a regatta of four races of different catagories of oared boats. It started at 4:00, I got to the Salute steps at 2:30 and all the good steps were already taken! Beverly, I filled up my memory card! I've been having to delete pix every day so I can take more.

Tuesday I walked to see the newly restored facade of the Scuola Grande di San Marco, by the Fondamenta Nuovo, built in 1490. It is huge and is now the civic hospital. On the way, I went into the Miracoli church, where Ellen Marie and Beverly and I went to an English Choral group's concert. Built of marble inside and out, it is said to be leftovers from building the Basilica. On the Fondamenta I watched the ambulances come and go to the hospital, their wheel chairs are wooden with handles front and back so they can be carried.

Yesterday I finally got to Mestre and their street market. Spent about an hour touring all the stalls - there are a lot of them; clothes, housewares, undies, many fruit and veggie stands, cheese stalls, fish and meat markets, flower shops, shoes, linens, hair accessories, pocketbooks and wallets of all types, baby clothes, sewing gadgets and buttons, jars of honey, salsas, nuts, etc. As I was finishing it started to drizzle, and some of the venders started putting away early. Went into the Coin department store there, then wandered a bit before catching the bus to come back to Venice. By that time the sun had come back out and stayed out til late afternoon when it started to drizzle again.

I'm going to find it hard to get back to the real world, but will be glad to have my bathtub again.

See you soon.

Love, Mom Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - August 29, 2005

Hi Everyone,

I'm not sure, but I think I just sent you all a blank email - oops!

I'm cramming in last minute sightseeing and shopping in between the rain drops. August has been cold and rainy, and it has rained all four Sundays this month. Some days it was so cold I had to close windows and keep my sandals on in the apartment. Altogether we've had 12 days of rain this month, some with lightning and thunder. But today is beautiful! Very sunny and not too humid or hot.

The holiday August 15 was Assumption, a religious day, for my church had a service at 9 am. On August 16 I went to get a newspaper, but since the day before was a holiday, no papers were delivered the next day!

Last Tuesday my landlady came by and put the curtain rod back up that I had knocked down, but I'm afraid to touch it because it isn't in securely as compared to the other rods. I tried to tell her but she said it's okay.

I've been shopping, but a lot of the stores are still closed for vacation. I did walk from my apartment to Piazza San Marco, - didn't go into the Piazza - window-shopping and looking at the sights that my JG LInks "Walks" book described. In 1998, when I was here with Elderhostel I found a really neat card shop, and each year I try to find it again, but with no luck. Since I knew it was around San Marco, I was determined to find it this year, and I did. I wrote down the address so I can find it another year. I found the perfect outdoor window thermometer. It's made of that clear cling plastic, with red numbers and the mechanism in the middle. No wires - it just clings to the window. Didn't buy it - 24 euro.

Two things I've found most valuable here - Ellen Marie had bought the three of us a bag-in-its-case, and put in a zipper so it would close securely. Closed up it's only about 2" x 5" and fits into the pocketbook. The second is Beverly loaning me her adapter/converter - I'm always charging my camera battery.

You know how at home the boomboxes ride by in cars and vibrate the ground? Well it's the same here in the evenings, except these are in the small boats that travel the rio (little canal) across from my apartment. And people walk the streets until about 2 am where I am. If I wake up and hear nothing, I know it's between 3 and 5 am.

I did another dumb thing Saturday. I wanted to catch a particular Vaporetto (the 7:09 am one) and was late leaving home so I had to really hustle. Half-way to the bus, I realized I hadn't combed my hair that morning and too late to turn back and I don't carry a comb with me. So every few minutes I ran my fingers thru my hair to pretend I meant for it to look tousled.

Looking forward to this weekend and the Regatta Historica. I've seen more rowers lately than usual, probably practicing. I'll let you know how it turns out. I also want to get to Mestre for their street market on Wed or Fri, but I need a sunny day, and they've been scarce.

Talk to you later.

Love, Mom, Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - August 19, 2005

Hello everyone,

I've been spending these last two weeks dodging the thousands of tourists that have overrun the city. In the big tourist areas - the Rialto and the main drag from the train station to San Marco, it's a little better in the morning. By 4 pm it's a zoo. (When I was in class, I had mentioned something was "a zoo". I had to explain to those foreigners what I meant!) I have found several nice quiet places to go to to sit, sun, and people-watch, tho.

Went to Murano and visited the church every guide book said I should - very impressive. Also went to their large glass museum. Wandered a lot, and after not finding a place to eat that I liked and was in my budget, I went to the busy bar/gelateria by the Colonna vaporetto stop that we went to last year.

It's been very cool here in the evenings these last several weeks. I've even had to close windows because of the winds. We've also had lots of cloudy, rainy days. Yesterday it started warming back up, and it now is beginning to feel like August should.

I had planned on bringing mail addresses for those who don't have email, but I couldn't find them. When Beverly called, I had her give them to me. I - dummy me again - cut myself twice in one day with my Swiss Army knife, and when I got out my box of Band-aids, the addresses were in the box. Another "dummy me", I knocked one of the curtain rods off the wall. So had to tell Christina. The walls are about 10 feet high, so I couldn't put it back up. She didn't understand my English and was worried, so she had an English-speaking friend call me.

The other day she and her friend came by to see what needed to be done. Her friend wanted to rent the apt after I leave, and needed to see if her clavichord (like a piano) would fit. It won't. But I found out something very interesting......The mosiac tile floors in the apartment are 400 years old!! Female monks used to live there and before alterations there were 3 complete rooms. The bedroom has a mosiac pattern in the middle of the room, that is covered by the bed, that I found by accident.

This past week I've been to the Biennale, the Guggenheim museum, the Scuola Grande San Teodoro to see an exhibition there, the Museum of Natural History, Ca' Pesaro Modern Art (up to the 60's) Museum, and a light show at Chiesa San Stae.

Every year August 15 is a holiday of some sort but it's not in any guide book. The meat man didn't open, and my church had a 9:30 service. so it must celebrate something or one religious. The Billa grocery store was open, so that's where I went Monday.

Yesterday I went to Chioggia and to their street market. It extends the whole length of the main drag, beyond the biggest church and over the bridge. I saw several tempting things but didn't buy anything but lunch and gelato. Missed the boat back and had to hang around for 55 minutes - the boat runs hourly. Chioggia is a day trip - it took 2 hours and 15 minutes from my apt, each way. But it's a painless trip. Vaporetto # 1 to Lido, land bus # 11 the length of Lido, then the bus gets on a ferry, then it travels the length of the skinny island of Pelestrina. We get off the bus and get on a passenger ferry to Chioggia.

That's it for now. Talk to you later.

Love, Mom, Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - August 05, 2005

Hi everyone,

Sort of a quiet week here. Enjoying not having to wrack my brain at school. Did some maintenance around the apartment - cleaned out the showerhead so water will come out, and cleaned out one gas burner that wouldn't light.

Saw a water ambulance in action. I was walking down the fondamenta when a man coming towards me appeared to be in distress. He wobbled, then fell, hitting his head on the pavement. He appeared to have a seizure. A nearby pharmacist administered first aid, then the ambulance and the EMTs took over. They loaded him into the ambulance and took him off. Their stretchers are wooden chairs with wheels and handles, and stirrups to cradle the feet.

Christine, there are three times as many pigeons in St. Mark's square now as last year. It was really gross.

Wednesday I did a really dumb thing. There is a broken chair in the apartment that I put on top of some shelving to get it out of the way. (I don't have extra room to put things.) The shelves are next to a window that opens inward, not up and down. Well, around noon it started raining and blowing very hard, so I ran to the window and slammed it closed, forgetting that I had tied the window to the chair to prevent the breezes from closing it. The chair came crashing down on my face, and knocking my glasses off. They didn't break but were bent badly. My cheek got a little scratched, but not bruised, just real red. It took until today to find an optical shop with the facilities to straighten them out. They still need a little adjustment, and I have until tomorrow evening to go back for some fine tuning. Then they close for vacation for two weeks.

I'm still trying to find out what makes liver and onions "Venetian Style". My teacher said that the onions are sauteed first, then removed from the pan, then the liver is sauteed. A waitress said it's the polenta, but the polenta she served was a 1" cube, hardly worth bothering with.

With my windows looking out onto the bridge and the fondamenta beyond it, I'm fascinated with the morning activities. The meat man opens around six and spends the next half hour dusting inside and out, washing the pavement in front of his store and lowering his awning. His supplier comes around seven. The street sweepers are out by 6:30 the garbage man by 8:45. The construction guys in the campo to my bedroom side are on the job by 7 am. The lady across the bridge tends her flowers, and the lady next to her has swept her apartment by 7:00. The supply boats also travel back and forth all morning on the canal in front of me.

That's it for now.

Mom, Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - July 27, 2005

Hi everyone,

Things are going pretty smoothly here, with some interesting exceptions.

Friday week ago there was a vaporetto strike in the morning. Since I hadn't moved from the first apt. yet, it didn't affect me because I walk to school. They were running in the afternoon when I went to the Giudecca island to take a walk with one of the instructors. He was taking a group of students and explaining the history of the island and the Feast of the Redeemer the next day. I didn't pay attention at the end of our walk (he was talking in Italian and I couldn't understand most of what he said anyway), and hung around the island as the rest of them got on the vaporetto. When I realized my vap wasn't coming I took one to the S Zaccaria stop, beyond S Marco. That turned out to be the last boat before the evening strike! I had to walk home from there to Campo S Barnaba. Took an hour.

The next afternoon I went to Fred and Kitty's (Linwood's friends) boat. Before dinner we had vino and appetizers. Then Fred grilled chicken that had been marinaded in Kitty's recipe, and potato salad, and a tossed veggie salad. Amazing what they can do on that boat. Dinner was delicious!! Then we went to the water's edge at S'Elena and watched the fireworks from 11:30 to 12:15. A fabulous sight. I spent the night on the boat, and on Sunday Kitty cooked a brunch of melon (so sweet), scrambled eggs with cheese, onion, and diced yellow pepper, toast, butter, jam and coffee. I have a CD of some of his pix. I also have a CD for Sheila that Fred made for her.

So far I've been to three restaurants in search of the best Liver and Onions Venetian Style. I can't tell what makes them "Venetian Style" unless it's the Polenta, because it's cooked exactly like I used to cook it before I closed my kitchen! The best one had soft polenta which was very tasty, € 15, the most expensive of all. This weekend I'm going to go to Hotel Marta Trattoria. Their Turist Menu is € 12 for 3 courses - spaghetti, liver and onions, and seasonal veggie. Plus 12% service charge and drinks.

One day while I was on the Zattere at a little bar "hut", having a spritz and people-watching, a small outboard tied up to a piling. When I turned to look again it had sunk! After a futile attempt to bail it out the fire boat came. They had to work quite a while to tie it securely and, with a huge pump, raise it up out of the water. They then towed it off to somewhere. Always something interesting.

Last wednesday I moved to my new apartment. I'm literally between two canals, and the only thing on my island beside apts is the Chiesa San Marziale. It's very tiny (the apt). The bathroom is 4-and-a-half feet by 6 feet. In it is a shower, bidet, toilet, sink, and washing machine. The door only opens half-way because of the washing machine. I'm also getting hill practice. There is a decided slant from the living room to the kitchen area and to the bedroom. In the mornings I feel drunk, because I've forgotten about the slant, not a direct hill, but a sideways slant. Haven't been able to light the stove yet. Maybe the matches I bought last evening will work. I'll try when I get home today. The next island over, on Fondamenta de la Misericordia, has shops and bars that people go to day and night, but not loud like the other apt. Below me are several storage rooms that the bars come to in the evening to replenish their stock. I'm still running to the window every time I hear someone on the street or hear a boat pass by.

At school last week, five students had their last day on Friday, so we all went to lunch together, and exchanged email addresses. This is my last week of school, along with four others, so we're doing lunch again Friday. An interesting observation: In my first 4 weeks the students in my class were all between 19 and 29. Every day, all during class, they'd just get up, one at a time and walk out, then return a few minutes later. These last two weeks I had older - 35 to 65 - people, and not a one has gotten up during class.

I've found a fill-up store and also bought a bottle of Aperol. Now I can make my own spritz and save money.

Next week I'll start relaxing and do some sightseeing and shopping. Plan to go to Mestre to their huge street market, Murano, Chioggia, etc.

Talk to you later. Keep me posted as to what you all are doing.

Love,

Mom, Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - July 15, 2005

Hi everybody,

Left my journal in the apartment, so this is from memory. I can't remember what I did yesterday, much less last week!! After the organ recital last Sat., Fred, Kitty and I went to Trattoria San Toma' for dinner. Had my liver and onions, and introduced Kitty to sgroppino. She loved it. Sgroppino is for after dinner, like a desert, made with lemon sherbet, prosecco and vodka - smooth and delicious.

On Sunday my landlady Christina took me to my next apartment in the Cannaregio sestiere. That's where I'll be going on July 20. It's very bright and airy and TINY. But more space than I use now. I don't go into her livingroom, and it's a pain to have to share her bathroom. Plus I haven't cooked on her stove. I'll have a tiny bedroom, large enough for a double bed and nothing else, with a SE window. A tiny livingroom/dining area is on the corner, so I have a window on the NE and SE. The tiny bathroom has a shower, washing machine, toilet, bidet, and sink. (Bev, it's much smaller than at San Rocco apt) The kitchen area is off the l/d room. I'm looking forward to the move.

Tuesday I went back to the Sailing Club to shoot pix of the Mariah, Fred and Kitty's boat. Stayed and went to dinner with them and three new people they had met that morning. They are staying through tomorrow night, so we'll meet in S'Elena and watch the Feast of the Redeemer's fireworks from the park there.

That's all I can remember, so I'll leave for now. Hope everyone is well.

Mom, Grandma, Lynanne

Venice - July 08, 2005

Hi All,

Not much time so this is short. I have to sign up for a particular time slot.

Wed I met up with Linwood's friends who are living on their boat and traveling all over. They are staying in Venice about 2 weeks, at the Sailing Club on Isola Sant'Elena. We had a delightful evening. Tomorrow we are going to the organ recital at the Salute church. It will be nice if I can talk them into staying through next Sat night...the Feast of the Redentore....a big celebration with fireworks, and all the boats gather and party.

Tonight I'm meeting some classmates at 7:30 at the Zattere Vaporetto stop and we're going to dinner (inexpensive, because they are very young with not much money, I think) on the island of Giudecca. Several of them are leaving after this week.

Lately I've been a Venetian.... on our break at 10:50 I go down and stand while I drink my caffe so I can hurry and do a tad of shopping before class picks up at 11:15.

Love to all,

Lynanne

Venice - June 24, 2005

I'm here, and had no problem, except my luggage is VERY heavy after a block of lugging it. As I had expected, my hip pain was gone by the time I got here. This weekend I am babysitting Christina's cat while she is in Trieste with family. The cat is very old and blind, has a urinary problem, so has special food for that. Hope the cat is still alive when she returns Sunday evening!

Yesterday, 5 of us went to Valerie's apartment for a nice salad lunch. She is one of the students and has bought a tiny "flat" here in Castello. She is English and owns a house and a flat in England that she rents out, plus this one in Venice. She owns/lives in a very old house in the Cotswolds and she has a business of rentals.

I'm on the free computer at school - for a half hour. We have to sign up a time to use it.

The class is interesting. the 2 teachers don't speak anything but Italian in class, and starting next week, we can't say any English.

ps: On my long flight I was in the middle of 3 people.

2004 Venice 2004

6/04/2004
Hi Everyone,Sat. I went to a free Organ Vespers recital at the Church of the Salute. The best selection was the encore - Bach's Fugue in d minor. He played it much better than I ever could!
Sunday I left home at 8:30 am to watch the 30th Annual Vogalonga regatta that started at 9am at the end of Dorsoduro. Perched myself on the steps of the Salute and had a great view. The Vogalonga is a regatta of all sorts of rowing boats - from one-man kayaks to long 22-man boats where they stand up and row. The cannon blasted at 9am and they were off. They went through the lagoon to Murano, Lido and then back through the Grand Canal from the train station. The first ones were back by 11am, and between 12 and 2 most of the rest came back. Still some stragglers at 2:30. During the regatta, no motorized boats (vaporetti, taxis, etc.) were allowed along the Grand Canal. The 2-blast cannon sounded at 2:30, marking the official end. The first vaporetto, heading west, got to the Salute stop at 2:40. There were 4,000 registered participants, from all over the world. Saw one American flag. I had brought cheese, bread, strawberries and water. So I was all set. Afterward stopped at Bar Accademia for my glass of vino.
Thursday I met with the Untour group (10:20 at San Toma stop) and Denny invited me to their orientation, in a little bar across the rio from Dona Onesta Trattoria. I'm also invited to their group outing to a villa and lunch at Denny's restaurant next Sat. Afterward, one couple invited me to be their guest for lunch at Gianni's on the Zattere. Very good pizza, but one is too much for one person.Evenings are still cool, and thunderstorms and/or rain can pop up any time.Talk to you later, Lynanne

06/10/2004
Nothing real exciting . Peggy and George are spending the week with me. Today they've gone on The Dolomite Day Tour, last night they went on the Ghost Walk, and Saturday evening they are going to a Wine Tasting Dinner and are treating me to it also. Should be interesting, especially considering the hefty price! They just ended a 16-day tour through Italy and are enjoying staying in one place for a while. She also is enjoying fixing simple dinners! We've done some sightseeing , but mostly taking it easy. Lynanne

06/16/2004
Hi all,Peggy and George have just left, after spending 9 days with me. A very nice and agreeable couple. Saturday the three of us (Peggy treated me) went to a wine dinner - 4 courses with 3 bottles of wine. Everything was excellent except for my first course choice (we ordered off the menu, and the steward gave us the proper wines). I had Scampi Agruso. Was worried about the agruso, but it was the scampi that was weird. In Venice, scampi are crayfish and they were mashed in sort of a pasty sauce. Agruso are citrus fruits, little slivers of orange and lemon peel, very good. Second course we each got their colored lasagna-shaped pasta with herbs and tomatoes in a delicious sauce. My entree was Venetian liver and onions and polenta - the best polenta I've ever had here. Dessert was Strawberry Tiramisu, Very light and delicious!We also visited Murano and Lido, wandered through the Rialto fish and veggie markets.The weather has stayed nice and warm this week. Hope it stays this way. I've spent so much time here trying to learn to use my phone card, that I had to buy another one today.Talk to you later, Lynanne

06/24/2004
Hi everyone,Nothing really exciting this week. I'm just enjoying living here in Venice. I'm sort of collecting those Murano-glass watches with different colored bands. So far I've gotten pink, lavender, purple, and turquoise ones since I've been here. I've got lots of honeysuckle on the patio, and the aroma is overpowering at times. The roses have about finished blooming for now, but the trumpet flowers are in bloom, and today I saw the first butterfly. Sparrows are everywhere, and eat off the land because I don't feed them. I'm enjoying my private patio, and when it's not too cool I stay out til dark - about 10 pm. I feel like I'm home, even down to the breakers tripping for no reason. Every evening and early morning, the chimney swifts swoop and continuously fly around, and making a squealing noise. They never land anywhere.
Last Thursday I met with the Untour group at their orientation and enjoyed meeting them. Andrea Zyper, from the home office was at the meeting, and it was nice talking to her. Today they were going to visit the Francesco Deserto Monastery. My daughters and I had seen it before, so I didn't join them, even tho I was invited. They were only doing the monastery, not visit Burano or have lunch on Torcello like my daughters and I had done.
I've been a tourist this week and visited some churches. I bought the Chorus Pass for Euro 5.00, which allows me entrance to 15 of the churches that charge admission. Also visited some free ones, and the Carmini, across from my apartment is very elaborate, and much bigger than it looks from the outside. Pretty little church on the far west side is San Nicolo Mendicoli, and the area is very different from most of what I've seen so far. It is perhaps a lower middle class neighborhood, no tourists, and hardly any dogs. Maybe dogs are a status symbol!Enjoyed the Organ Vespers again last Saturday at the Salute, and I've reserved the Hill Towns of the Veneto Day Trip for this Sunday. Saturday nights are still lively at Campo Santa Marguerita, and this week the grads have been celebrating on the square.Last Sunday was a miserably cool rainy day all day, so I stayed inside. I feel for the tourists on a tour and have to continue as planned because they are only here 2 days! Even the lightning and thunder are different here. There is a continuous rumble that never stops, just gets louder or softer, like it's echoing all through the heavens.So far I've never been asked to sign a contract for the apartment lease. He's very casual about when I pay rent.Yesterday I did a "first". I went on my first traghetto ride.Also stopped and got my abonnamento for July, This monthly vaporetto pass saves me a ton of money. It's even cheaper than a one week pass.That's it for now. Oh, Linwood, in your spare time in your geneology search, see if you can find out how much Venetian blood I have. I've got to have some.Lynanne

7/02/2004
Hi All,Happy Fourth of July!! All last week there was a big Flea Market/Antique Fair on Campo San Margherita. And the graduates are still celebrating there, singing "Dottore, dottore..." with their big green wreathes on and reading a proclamation and having a grand time.Saturday I met Andrea, the Untour Italian rep in PA. She was here to talk to Denny and scope out possibilities for an Untour in Rome. Had cappuccino in Campo Santa Margherita and chatted. At noon she suggested we go to lunch, and went to a nice little osteria near cpo S Geremia D'Orio. She treated! and I tried her spaghetti in squid ink. Not bad, but I wouldn't pay money to order it. Afterward I wandered through Santa Croce sestiere, trying to get lost, but ended up knowing exactly where I was.Sunday I took The Hill Towns of the Veneto day trip with Avventure Bellissime. Went to Maristoca and Bassano where I sampled some grappa and bought 2 little bottles. Had a nice lunch in Asolo, a real old really hilly little town. and after lunch we walked the town, with our guide pointing out all the historical sites. Going up and down all these bridges in Venice prepared me for this very hilly town. Then we traveled to the Villa Barbaro where we saw outstanding frescos. Our last stop was up a winding road to a winery that makes prosecco. The six of us shared a bottle of their extra dry prosecco, excellent! This is not the flat kind that we get at the fill-up store, but real champagne-style bubbly. Bought some to take back to Norfolk, but have decided it's too heavy, so I'll have to drink it here!
I've gotten the hang of taking the cart when I go shopping, so much nicer than lugging bags. Went to find some shampoo and had to make a choice among all the different Pantenes that were offered. Finally decided on Antiforora, which later my translator said was Antidandruff. A lucky choice. Tuesday I took a day trip to Chioggia, trying to get some info on a fishing trip for David. Did get a business card, but don't think it's for actual fishing. Walked all along the waterfront, it's a real serious commercial fishing village. To get there I went to Lido, caught Bus No 11 that traveled the length of Lido, then the bus gets on a ferry to Pellestrina. The bus then travels through Pelestrina to a passenger ferry. Get on that and get off in Chioggia. From the apartment it took 2 and a half hours to get to Chioggia - a real day trip.
Wednesday I met two ladies - Sandy and Stephie - I had chatted with thru Untours chatline. Helped them get their vapporetto tickets, then took them to their hotel. They treated me to dinner at the Bar Accademia, right on the Grand Canal and round the corner from their hotel. It's recommended for their pizzas and fantastic views of the Grand Canal. We then took a tour of my apartment.Last Sunday, there was one couple who was from near Toronto, and Sandy is from upstate New York. They each asked if I was from Canada, because of how I pronounce "house", "out", "about", etc. I've had comments about those words all my life! As you all know, I've lived in Norfolk, VA all my life.Yesterday the "gardeners" finally came to clean up my patio. It was beginning to look like a forest. What I called honeysuckle, Sandy said is jasmine, very much in bloom and very aromatic.That's about it for now.Talk to you later, Lynanne

7/12/2004
Hi everybody,Saturday I visited a former palace, Ca' Rezzonico, full of 17th century paintings, frescos, furniture, sculpture that was typical of the way the rich citizens lived back then, very impressive. Saturday night I met my two new friends from the states and we went to a Vivaldi concert and listened to "The Four Seasons" and other works. As a gentleman we met leaving the concert said, the only place to go to a Vivaldi concert is in Venice!! As I was hurrying to meet them I had the ultimate trip, right in Campo Santa Margherita, in front of the whole world. Skinned my knee and elbow, but didn't do serious damage to my long black split skirt. Sunday evening I had Sandy and Stephi to the apartment for real Prosecco that I had gotten on the Hill Town tour - extra dry and sparkling - , cherries, cheese, and crackers at 6pm, and we sat out on the patio until 10pm. Tuesday, the day David and Christine (son and granddaughter) were to arrive here there was a 24-hour bus strike, so we came back to Piazzale Roma by private taxi, but still had to lug their luggage to the apt. Christine had left her wallet at JFK, so we went back to the airport to pick it up Thursday. While waiting in line in the restroom a lady wanted to know where the Tourist Information office was and how was she going to get into Venice, etc. So I told her what she needed to know. She was impressed and called me her private info office.Peggy had gotten in touch with David last week and gave him a "care package" to bring to me - 2 jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzle book, BIG wine plastic glass (the ones here were teeny weeny), and Kroger's Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter! (There's no peanut butter in Venice).Friday the three of us spent the day in Murano, the glass island. Found lots of goodies, and an inexpensive cafe for lunch. Saturday we spent the day shopping around the San Marco area, and ate lunch at an expensive restaurant. The food wasn't bad, it was the cover charge and service added, that I had neglected to notice. To top it off, the lady leaving the table next to us swung her pocketbook around and knocked a big glass bottle of balsamic vinegar off our table onto the sidewalk. Needless to say, it shattered, and got on Christine's favorite cream-colored purse that had been on the floor. The waiter took it and sprayed some powder on it, and when we got home, Christine scrubbed it and soaked it, and all the stain has come out. Seeing how upset Christine was, the waiter went across the calle where some guy was selling little pliable rubber-like toys and gave Christine one. We call it her "stress ball"!Yesterday, on a cold and very windy day, we went on a self-guided walking tour of an off-the-beaten-path route. We only got through 2/3 of it because we kept getting off the suggested route that we were trying to follow, and one time really couldn't get to where the route said we were to go!This morning we went and reserved the Ghost Walk for Wed. evening, and did some window shopping.Talk to you later, Lynanne

07/24/04Hi All,We've been busy exploring the city this week. David, Christine and I spent the day in Chioggia, a little fishing village west of Lido. It's a pleasant 2-hour ride from the apartment. Take the vaporetto to Lido, then get on the No. 11 bus that travels the length of Lido. The bus then goes onto a ferry to Pellestrina. After traveling the length of Pellestrina, everyone gets off the bus and gets on a passenger ferry to Chioggia. Lots of shopping opportunities there. And of course, the fishing boats. Most of them were big commercial vessels.We three rode the vaporetto along the Grand Canal from its beginning at Piazzale Roma to its end in Lido. We got the front outdoor seats so we could see everything and take pics along the way. We had lunch in Lido before heading back home. Christine had some very good French Fries there!
Wednesday night we took Avventure Bellissime's Ghost and Legends Walk. Went through a lot of the calles that we had taken Sunday when we had gotten lost on the little walk we were trying to follow that went from Fond. Nova to the Arsenale. This time tho, the guide told us about the area and the legends associated with it.David and Christine took the 11:35am Secret Itinerary Tour at the Doges Palace, while I hung around the regular tour area of the Palace. I have the Museum Pass that lets me into 10 different museums, including the Doges Palace. I had already been on the Secret Itinerary tour before. When they finished, we had lunch in the cafeteria there - a different but very good pizza. We also toured the Peggy Guggenheim Museum with its modern art collection. The museum was her home, and some of her furniture is still there. She collected the art and was friends with lots of the artists whose works she admired. She and all of her dogs are buried in her garden. We had lunch in the Guggenheim Cafe'.
On Friday afternoon we walked along the Zattere to check out where the pontoon bridge will be erected on Sat. to span the Giudecca Canal for the Feast of the Redentore. On Sat. afternoon the people and boats started gathering for the huge party that evening. Private boats big and small covered the Canal, with many boats having tables set up for eating and partying. Yellow lanterns were lining both sides of the canal. At 11:35 the fireworks started, and for 45 minutes we watched a magnificent display. Since the Vaporetti were not allowed along the canal that evening, we started walking back to the apt. What normally would have been a 30 minute walk, took 75 minutes, because many, many other people were also leaving and squishing into the narrow calles. There were still lots of people and boats staying and partying. Sunday afternoon we went back and watched the 2-man row boats race. They had 3 categories, starting at 4:00, 4:45, and 5:45. A busy weekend. A very special weekend for the Venetians.I'll finish this later (I've just gotten through Sun the 18th) because I'm supposed to meet Ellen Marie and Beverly back at the apartment so we can go up into the San Giorgio Maggiore bell tower on this clear Sat. morning.Talk to you later. Lynanne

07/31/04
Hi all,David and Christine left July 20 at 10 am and Ellen Marie and Beverly (daughters) came the same day at noon, so I spent most of the day at the airport. The best way to get to and from the airport is a bus from Piazzale Roma, a 12 minute walk from the apartment (without luggage). In our wanderings in Cannarregio, we found a nice "fast food" restaurant, sort of on the order of Morrison's cafeteria. The difference is if you want meat, they cook it while you wait. Lots of good cheap food, and self-service wine and beer on tap.After all these trips to Venice, I finally got to San Giorgio Maggiore Church and went up into the bell tower. Great photo ops of the whole area for EM and Bev with their cameras, but my point-and-shoot needs a zoom, which I don't have. Saw the swimming pool that the expensive hotel on Giudecca Island has that is advertized in brochures, but is hidden from public view.Sunday I went back to the Guggenheim Museum with the girls and spent the whole afternoon there. Can't take pix inside the museum but there's lots of stuff in the gardens and on the terrace facing the Grand Canal. One statue that everyone was shooting was the naked man on a horse on the terrace facing the canal. Peggy G.'s ashes are buried in the garden, as are all of her dogs. We also enjoyed a nice, but pricey, lunch in their cafe, and spent time in the gift shop.Monday evening we had a nice long dinner at Pier-Dickens, a very popular and recommended restaurant in Campo Santa Margherita. I got bold, and we all ordered the spritz, an orange-colored drink that is a specialty of Venice and that almost everyone at the bars seem to be drinking. Should have tried it long time ago! It's made with white wine, aperol (a sweet liquour) and a splash of soda water. Served with a big green olive on a stick in the glass and a garnished with a slice of orange. It can also be ordered with compari, which is a red, bitter liquour. I had my liver and onions with polenta, one of my favorite dishes in Venice. The girls got Tiramisu, good, but not as good as what we had bought in the grocery store. As a final treat, we had Sgroppino, a thick drink made of lemon sherbet and vodka, also a Venetian specialty.I had read that Chioggia had a flea market every Tues or Thurs. and Bev wanted to shop. We took a chance that it was Tuesday, and went there. Enjoyed wandering around the fishing village, but the flea market is on Thursdays. This is also a day trip because it is a 2 and a half hour bus and boat ride. On the way back we spent some time in Pellestrina, a long narrow strip of land. They have a parapet all along the Adriatic side of the island, and on the sea side there is a nice beach. We walked along the parapet for a while, and the girls went to the beach to dip their feet into the Adriatic Sea! The bus makes several stops along this island, so we hopped back on the bus to return home. All this is covered by our regular vaporetto pass.Today (Wed) we found our flea market! Went to Mestre and saw a market that goes on forever. Clothes, shoes, hair accessories, household stuff, fabrics, bathing suits, lingerie, notions. They also had lots of veggie and fruit stands, meat markets, cheeses, flower shops, baby clothes. Bev found two culottes, and I got a bright sleeveless loose dress (only for wearing at home) and a "sweat band". They started putting away at 12:30 so we wandered abit and found a little bar to enjoy some lunch. After we got back to Venice we decided to ride the Vaporetti around the outer edges of Venice. Started at P. Roma and went left, through the Giudecca Canal to Lido. Got on the return vaporetto and went around the northern lagoon of Venice. Our vap ended at Fond. Nuovo, so we had to catch another vap to go back to P. Roma, and our 12-minute walk back home.Thurs morning early, EM and Bev left to take pix of the working boats, then we went to the airport to check their flights for Fri. The airport assured us that the 4:40 bus to the airport will give plenty of time for their 6:25 am flight. In the evening we strolled through Via Garibaldi, a main calle toward the eastern end of the island that has very few tourists. Everyone was out, chatting and visiting with one another.. There were lots of little bars, and benches in the middle of the calle. We stopped and had another Spritz. During the day they have lots of small stores and veggie and fruit stands open.
On the way we had watched a big private yacht trying to leave the dock, but the wind kept pushing it back against the pier and toward another ship docked right next to it. Finally it got away, with the help of a little auxilliary tug boat from the yacht. The girls took lots of pixs of that, and the lights across the lagoon.After staying up all night packing, we left yesterday morning at 4:00 am for the bus to go to the airport. Their 6:25 am flight left with no problems. I came back and took a little nap. Then caught up on my paperwork.Talk to you later, Lynanne

08/17/04
Hi all,These past two weeks have been pretty hectic for me - doing last-minute shopping and going to new places. There are still lots of places I haven't been to yet. Maybe next year. I also have had to do some housecleaning that I've neglected while at the apt. When I went to change the vacuum cleaner bag (the girls said dust flew out of it so they didn't use it) There was no bag in it, and no filter that should have been in it. Spent one whole evening trying to get a bag installed,and never could figure it out. The instructions only told how to remove the bag! Left it open and told Michele when I left. I finally bought the little mask I had been eyeing for a while. It's going on the wall in the dining room.Sunday I went back to San Giorgio Maggiore Island to take the guided tour of the Giorgio Cini Foundation. It was founded by Vittorio Cini in 1951 to commemorate his son Giorgio, who died in an air crash, and is housed in and on the grounds of the monastery there. V. Cini spent over a year restoring it to its original glory. The Foundation today has eight Advanced Institutes with scholars coming in from all over the world to study Italian culture and attend workshops, exhibiions, etc. Palladio, Longhena, and Buora are some of the big names in architecture and design that helped build the buildings and the cloisters. Since I was the only one to sign up for the English tour, I had my own personal guide!Beverly has been handling my checkbook and paying my bills while I'm gone. When she returned from visiting me she learned that BB&T had not been transfering my savings into my checking account as I had directed. And of course I had "Insufficient Funds". So she had to deal with straightening the mess out. No permanent harm done, except to Beverly's nerves!While the girls were visiting, we watched a family move out of a fourth floor apartment beside mine. It took the movers one whole morning to raise and position the loong ladder that is used to haul the furniture out. Everything had to come out through the window on a large platform. Then they loaded everything onto the boat that made two or three trips to the new place. Altogether, it took them two whole days to move out. I went to the far eastern part of Venice, an area with very few tourists, and went onto the Isolo di San Pietro. The church there was the original "Church of Venice" before the religious center was moved to Piazza San Marco. There are two bridges to the island that cross a busy waterway where there are boat repair shops all along the shoreline. Leavng the island, I walked along Via Garibaldi, a very wide street that has mostly Venetians along it. The street is wide enough to have park benches in the middle. When I got to the end, I rewarded myself by having a Spritz at one of the cafes.Wandered through an area in Cannarregio that was all apartments that seemed to be built in the 20th century, very nondescript and bland, but right next to them were the very old apartments. Most of the street names weren't even on my map.Should have gone to Ciak 1 sooner. It's a little bar on Campiello San Toma'. Had a Spritz, and it came with four baguette slices with a different spread on each and a bowl of chips that was bigger than the 99¢ bag we buy in the states. That ended up being my dinner!I finally got back to Trattoria San Toma' for my dinner of Venetian-style Liver and Onions with Polenta. It is actually very close to how I used to cook it, with lots of onions, except they cut the liver into small pieces. For dessert I had sgroppino, the delicious Venetian specialty of lemon sherbet, vodka, and prosecco, and served in a champagne flute. When I got to the trattoria at 6:45, there was only one couple there. But when I left at 8:45, it was packed.I managed to buy two dresses, in the new European style (for mature ladies) of always being wrinkled. They are so-o-o comfortable, and don't show the water that is always running down my face and back and dropping off the ends of my hair. I also indulged in my favorite pasttime - buying the Murano glass-faced watches in different colored bands to match my clothes. On one occasion I saw a watch, in a case outside a shop, that perfectly matched one of the dresses for 15 euros. Went inside and she showed me the same watch in the watch drawer - at 20 euro. Started to walk away (I've never paid that much for any of my watches) when she said 15 was okay. Didn't know haggling was so easy!My last installment will come shortly :-]Lynanne


Hi all,Venice is such a fabulous place for me, I have to give you some of my thoughts and observations:In Venice, the children are mostly very well-behaved and happy. The adults gush and fawn over them, not only their own, but their friends' and relatives' children. A dad was walking with his two young sons when a friend came along. Before the friend chatted with the dad, he talked to the children and shook one's hand (the littlest hid behind Dad). After the children, the adult came next. This was typical. I was especially surprised at how the men - young and old - made over the little kids. Everywhere there were grandparents walking with their babies and little ones in strollers.In the small shops and stalls, if a purchase comes to an odd amount, they will usually go down. They don't seem to care about the small change. At one veggie stall, all I had was a 5 euro bill for 50 cents. He said "domani" (tomorrow)! Yes, I did go back with my 50 cents. He was surprised and pleased.What I like about Venice and my apartment:Leaving my front door open, no screen, and knowing no-one can enter (screens are mostly non-existent in Venice)........ Pointing to fruits and veggies at the stands and having the vender bag them for me.......Alternating between my upstairs living room, downstairs den, and patio, depending on my whims.......Doing sign language with non-English-speaking Venetians and being understood (sometimes it didn't work) .......Walking the calles and neighborhoods alone, day and night, and being perfectly safe...... Realizing that everything I buy has to come to the shops by boat ....... Helping a Hungarian lady find a grocery store....... Eating and drinking Venetian specialties, Liver and onions with polenta, Spritz, Sgroppino.......Going to the "fill-up" stores with my empty 1½ liter plastic water bottles and filling up with my choice of keg wines at under 3 euros.This is my last installment, and I'm having a terrible time getting used to the "real world" :-[Arrivederci,Lynanne

2002 Venice 2002

Day 1 Tuesday 6/4
Finally - We're off to Venice - Lynanne (Mom, 69) and 2 daughters (twins, 41)! Lynanne's sister took Beverly (daughter) and her to Norfolk airport for the short flight to Dulles (DC). There, we met Ellen Marie (daughter), who was flying in from Oregon. As for security - while we were waiting in Dulles, Beverly went to the restroom, and came out white as a sheet. She had found the box cutter she uses at work in her pocketbook, and had forgotten about it! While no one was looking, she tossed it into the trash. And this was after we had cleared security! We left Dulles at 5:45 pm on Lufthansa for the long overnight flight to Frankfurt. Two of us were seated together, and a very nice young lady changed seats so that we three could be together!

Day 2 Wednesday 6/5
Had a four-hour layover in Frankfurt and enjoyed wandering through the shops and exploring this BIG airport. Arrived in Venice at 2 pm. Denny (the local staff) met us and 11 others, and took us by private water taxi to our apartments. What a glorious way to begin our Untour! And oh! What an apartment! We were on the third floor (there was a little elevator) in Idyll's apartment called the Domus - around two corners from the Scuola San Rocco (art museum) in the San Polo sestiere (neighborhood). We each had our own bedroom, and therewere two bathrooms - one with tuband the washing machine and the second with a shower. Both had bidets (which Beverly would use to wash out her delicates). An interesting feature in both bathrooms was an emergency cord to call for help. One day while Beverly was in the tub, Ellen Marie and Moheard a buzzer, went to the door, no one's there. Heard it again, so we went to the phone, no one's there either. The buzzer rings a third time- to the door and out into the hall we went, looking for someone. Finally Beverly yells "Mom!". She was pulling the cord, and the buzzer was on a panel by the front door. She wanted us to bring her the shampoo! There was a full-sized kitchen with a table and three chairs (three more kitchen chairs were in the front and back halls). Directly above the sink there was a cabinet just like normal cabinets in a kitchen, except that when you open the doors, instead of the bottom of it being a shelf, it is a dish drainer "shelf". You wash and rinse the dishes, and put the wet dishes up on this rack and close the louvered cabinet doors. The water drips into the sink. No dish drainer with dishes drying on the counter to clutter things up! This was a typical European kitchen with free-standing lower cabinets. The living/dining room contained three sofas, two stuffed chairs, a table with six chairs, four other straight chairs, TV, coffee table, and a bookcase with all sorts of books, plus several chests. A little balcony with French doors held two chairs and one chair that we centered in the doorway. Signora Zucchetta lived there before her husband died. She now lives inTreviso, one half hour away. This evening we wandered to the Grand Canal, found an ATM machine to getour euros. Then had a nice dinner of pizza along the canal. The pizza topping was very good, but the crust was "uncut-able". We wandered back to our apartment and finally got to bed at 1:30 am. Didn't have time for jet-lag!

Day 3 Thursday 6/6
This morning we had our orientation with Denny at her and husband Luigi's ristorante, Alla Fornace, on the mainland outside of Venice. All 14 of us met her at Piazzale Roma at 10:00 am and went by public bus to their ristorante. After our orientation, Luigi prepared an outstanding luncheon sampler of Venetian favorites, including carafes of red and white wines (and water if you wished). After dessert and espresso, our meal was topped off with Limoncello, an Italian liquour, that is fabulous. After being pleasantly stuffed, we got back on the bus - it stops right at the restaurant - and reached home about 3:30 pm. Daughter Beverly, who was with Lynanne in Venice in June 1999, had wanted to see acqua alta. That only occurs between September and April, when the winds, tides, and storms push the Adriatic sea into the lagoon, flooding much of the city until the high tide recedes. Well - at 4:10 pm the sirens sounded. That means that in 3 hours the waters will start flooding the low-lying areas. It gives the merchants time to get everything up off the floor and to put the flood gates at their entrances, and the Venetians can get their hip boots and umbrellas out. When acqua alta strikes, there is most always a rain storm. We got our water shoes on, and our cameras and umbrellas, and headed for Piazza San Marco - and were not disappointed. Acqua alta never occurs in June, and here we were, in the middle of it and loving it. Of course, the only people there were the tourists, and they were having a ball! We're sure the Venetians would say we're crazy! As we were getting ready to go home about 8:30, the huge thunderstorm came. Lots of lightning and high winds and rain. We hunkered down at the vaporetto stop until it slowed up, then sloshed back to our apartmet An exciting day. P.S. As Beverly says, acqua alta is neat to see only the one day, but would not make for a fun two weeks. In October 1998, Lynanne saw five days of acqua alta, usually starting between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. Got tired of it in a hurry.

Day 4 Friday 6/7
We got a slow start this morning, a luxury all three of us enjoy as a nice change from our rat-race lives. Our goal today was grocery shopping, so we went first to Campo San Margherita. The fruit and veggie stands were closing down, and most of the little shops were closing until 4 or 5 o'clock in the afternoon. (At the fruit and veggie stands you don't touch the produce. Just point and the merchant bags it for you. By law, you must be given a receipt, and keep it even after you leave the stand.) So we stopped and had lunch at Il Caffee, a little bar (in Italy that's like a coffee shop). Sat outside so we could watch the locals come and go. Lots of college students in this area. We then wandered toward the Zattere, along the Giudecca Canal. On the way we stopped at the gondola factory and watched them work on building and repairing boats. This is like nothing else in Venice. It is housed in an Alpine-like chalet, dark wood and flower boxes galore. Not too many of these factories left. It's becoming a dying art. We couldn't go in, just watched from across the rio. At the Zattere we went to Bila's, probably the largest grocery store on the island, but still very small by U.S. standards. Most of the Venetians bring wheeled carts and park them inside the door (apparently there's no theft, or they wouldn't feel secure leaving them unattended). Remember, we walk everywhere. All the stores with shopping carts charge 1 or 2 euros, which you get back when you return the cart. Beverly was trying to ask a nice Italian lady how much to put into the change slot, when the lady took her by the arm to the cashier. She thought Beverly wanted change! Finally - put 2 euros in the slot and went shopping. They have mosteverything you might want (except peanut butter), just not as manyvarieties or quantities, but lots of produce. And - NEVER handle thefresh produce without putting on the furnished plastic gloves! You even weigh it and attach the price tag that is produced automatically when you use the scales. At checkout, you supply your own bags or buy plastic ones at 5 cents each. You also bag your own groceries. Ellen Marie had bought little sacks for each of us - and added a zipper to let us close them securely - a great help when shopping and walking home. The handles were long enough to hang on our shoulder. Made of nylon, it is 2 1/2" x 5" in its attached carry pocket. Has a belt loop and a clasp that Lynanne hooked onto her purse until she needed it. Opened up it measures 13" x 161/2", just perfect for a day's shopping. Made by Kia Design. Before we got home, we had stopped at three gelateria (can't resist thatgelato!) and so far, we like Nico's near Bila's, the best.

Day 5 Saturday 6/8
Our plan today was to ride the #1 vaporetto on the Grand Canal fromPiazzale Roma on the west end all the way to the east end of Venice, then go wandering. (A vaporetto is a public water bus in Venice that goes along the Grand Canal and the lagoons and to outlying islands. #1 travels the Grand Canal and to Lido. Other significant lines are #'s 12, 52, and 82.) We started out in late morning and ate lunch at Al Muretto, a little bar across from our apartment, of tramezzini and caffe. Then we were on our way. Across three bridges to Piazzale Roma, a bustling, busy place where all the buses come to carry people to Mestre and points beyond. It is the closest that cars can come into Venice. There are several parking garages there (expensive, I'm told). This is also the starting point of our vaporetto #1, because this is the western end of the Grand Canal.We try to get on first so we can grab the front outside seats, the favorite of the tourists. Perfect for seeing all the sights as we slowly ride easterly. And photo-ops! The ornate palaces, the busy working boats carrying everything the city needs, the huge cruise ships docked near Piazza San Marco, the car ferries going to Lido and Chioggia, the many churches facing the canal. The palaces all have a canal-side entrance for their guests, with pilings to tie the boats to, and a land-side entrance for walking guests and hired help. Many of these palazzi now house government offices, art galleries, hotels, etc. Passed by the Casino, with its carpeted and covered pier. Even the outside looks posh. Had planned on getting off at Sant' Elena, but the lush gardens persuaded us to get off one stop early - at the Giardini stop. This is a very pretty quiet neighborhood, shady gardens and pathways with lots of old statues. A nice little playground with swings, slides, sandbox, and all sorts of stuff to climb on for the little ones. Saturday must be the new laundry day, because all along the calles (Venetian pedestrian streets) clotheslines that were strung from the second and third floors to the apartments across from them were filled with sheets, shirts, pants, etc. They fluttered in the breeze like flags over us as we walked along the calles. We then crossed the Rio dei Giardini and landed in Sant' Elena - another nice everyday neighborhood with a large grassy, tree-lined parkoverlooking the lagoon, another play area, and a soccer field foryoungsters. In the afternoons ladies walk arm-in-arm (a very common custom in Venice), children ride their tricycles, young moms chat, and elderly men sit on benches and discuss whatever it is that men talkabout. Then we got on the #52 vaporetto at the Sant' Elena stop andheaded for Giudecca Canal. One big rule was, always validate your vaporetto pass the first time youuse it and always carry it with you. If an inspector comes around andyou don't have a ticket, you are fined on the spot plus have to buy the ticket. Since no one had ever seen one of these "inspectors", we thought it was a scare tactic - not so! On this trip, a real inspectorcomes on board and checks everyone out. We all seemed to be "legal".Got off at Nico's on the Zattere. We were thirsty for gelato, and sat to eat. Big mistake. They charged way much more than most shops do for a table. Got back on #52 and headed through the canal in Cannaregio to the Fondamenta Nuove, on the north side of Venice. Wandered past trattorias, through narrow alleys and came into Campo S. Maria Nova. While we were sitting there and snacking and drinking vino and beer, we heard beautiful choral music. Followed the sound. The Woodstock Chamber Choir from near Oxford, England each summer chooses a town or city in England or Continental Europe to rehearse and give a concert. This year it was Venice and they were giving a free concert tonight at the Chiesa di Santa Maria dei Miracoli, an exquisite little church of early Renaissance. They say the church is hard to find, tucked away among tiny alleys. We just lucked onto it, and enjoyed a lovely concert. Lynanne had brought a nice outfit to wear to a church concert, but went in her touring clothes, like most everyone else there. So much for dressing up! After the concert, had we known we were about two blocks from the Grand Canal, we'd have been home about an hour earlier, but we retraced our steps to Fondamenta Nuove. Got on #52 vaporetto until the Ferrovia stop, where we had to change boat lines to the #1 or #82, whichever came first. Also had to make a pit stop, so after the necessaries, we wandered through the train station, checked out the tracks, and window shopped. It's amazing how many people - young mostly - were hanging around with their backpacks waiting for a train at 11:00 pm. Finally got back home at 11:30, and raided the frig for dinner.

Day 6 Sunday 6/9
Was wakened this morning at 3 am by a thunderstorm and heavy rain. Rained lightly until afternoon. Took advantage of the down time with a delicious brunch of nectarine juice, Nastrine (a really good breakfast pastry that has a hint of a hot cross bun taste) and butter, eggs and frizzled ham, milk, espresso, and green tea. The girls cooked, and Lynanne had the clean-up duty. Then caught up on the diary. Left home about 6:30 pm for dinner and to do some exploring. We ate outside at Old World Pub (Al Vecchio Pozzo), over one bridge and around the corner. We each had a very good pizza and enjoyed chatting with our friendly waiter. Beverly always enjoys beer, Lynanne is a wine drinker, and Ellen Marie enjoys both. Italian pizzas are SO different from ours, much better. To walk off our dinner, we went wandering and ended up at Campo San Giacomo dell'Orio in the Santa Croce sestiere. And what a surprise! The small campiello beside it had a DJ (a mature gentleman with coat, tie, and hat) sitting at a table and playing salsa-type music. The young adults there were having a great time dancing in the square. Most of the women were skinny with spiked heels, and either skintight pants or tight mini-skirts. How they danced in those shoes I'll never know! There were several trattoria with tables and chairs outside and lights around the perimeter of their patios. Beverly talked to one of the waiters, and he said these dances are once a month. About 10:00 pm we started wandering back home through big and little calles without checking our map, and, of course got lost. Finally came to a huge square that (after we pulled out our map) was Campo San Polo. Since it was dark, we had no idea which calle to take, so - pulled out the trusty compass and went west until we reached Campo San Toma. Then we knew where we were and headed home. In Venice there is never any danger walking at night. Instead, the dimly lit little calles are rather romantic.

Day 7 Monday 6/10
Today dawned nice and warm and sunny. Had our cappuccino at Al Muretto's, then went to our No Name grocery store. It's actually Punta Market, but we never could find the name outside this narrow little store. It's round the corner from Campo San Margherita. Did I ever mention - only Piazza San Marco can be a Piazza. All other squares in Venice must be called a Campo. After we brought our groceries home, we headed over the Ponte Rialto to find Venice's main post office. We wanted to verify the postage needed for postcards to the USA. (Also a good excuse to explore a new place.) Then we had lunch of pizza at the Self Service Cafeteria by the Rialto. In addition to pizzas, they had all kinds of pasta dishes and other Venetian specialties. (Can you tell we like Venetian pizzas?) Very inexpensive - $3.00. Then wandered the Rialto area like tourists before coming back home to call Denny to reserve our Dolomite tour, because the phone card that Ellen Marie bought from her didn't work. After that we went out to find the little fresh pasta shop we had bought from in '99. No luck, so we returned home and had dinner of tomato sandwiches and canteloupe. This may seem like a strange dinner, but if you've ever had Venice's fresh tomatoes and canteloupe, you'd understand. When we are home in the evenings we like to sit out on our balcony before sundown and watch the swallows swooping and flying around the tops of the buildings (remember, we're on the third floor), never stopping, and making lots of noise, a glorious sight. A beautiful way to end our day. Lynanne also enjoyed observing the neighbors across the calle from us. One lady had a balcony ledge full of colorful geraniums that she tended to each morning and evening, pruning and watering. We also enjoyed listening to the street activities below us each day. Venetians walking, chatting with neighbors, children playing. Every morning except Sunday the garbage man picks up the little tied grocery bags that everyone puts outside their doors by 7:30 am. Can't put them out at night because the cats will get to them. The postman also comes by daily, pushing his wheeled cart. We could hear the click-clack of ladies' shoes rushing by, and the rumble of wheeled luggage passing under our windows. We were on a sort of main calle to the Evangelista church and college. Truly in the midst of Venetian living. One day while we were outside our apartment, a family approached us with map in hand, and asked directions - in Italian! We liked the fact that we didn't look like tourists! :-)

Day 8 Tuesday 6/11
Today is another nice warm sunny day. We went out determined to find the neat fresh pasta shop we'd bought from, in '99. This lady gift wrapped each of the three pastas we bought. Oh no!! Her shop is now a jewelry shop.:-( Oh well. We hung around Campo San Margherita, watching three young boys play street soccer. We also watched while movers took mattresses from the third floor out the window and down to the street with an automated ladder. Fascinating! Found a wine fill-up store right off the campo. These are little stores where they have 8 to 15 varieties of wine in kegs. If you ask, they'll let you sample before you buy. Bring your own empty 1 1/2 liter plastic water bottle, or they will supply one, and they will "fill-up" for around $1.80 per liter. And the wine is good! Had lunch at home of prosciutto and tomato sandwiches while waiting for Denny to bring us our new phone card. Then headed out to Panarama, on the mainland. This is a huge general store/supermarket similar to SuperKMart, except the merchandise area is much smaller and the grocery store is much, much larger than here. They have a free, brightly painted bus that travels from Venice to the supermarket every half-hour, a 15 minute ride. They have a huge wine and spirits section, plus huge deli, cheese, and bakery departments. While we were in the grocery store, a woman promoting individual, sealed cubes of water that, after they are frozen, just pop them out of the seal, untouched by human hands! (Found this out later.) Anyway, she cornered Lynanne, giving her the spiel, going into a very detailed explanation of her product - in Italian! Finally, Lynanne got in a "No, grazie", but she insisted Lynanne take a free sample. The girls were off to the side watching, and said Mom looked like she understood everything the woman said. Of course, Mom didn't know a word of what she was saying, but must not have looked like an American tourist! :-) After we returned home on the 7:00 pm bus, we had dinner of some fresh spaghetti that we'd bought at Panarama.

Day 9 Wednesday 6/12
Another bright warm and sunny day. All Untourists are given clean linens for the second week. Our landlady, Alessandra Zucchetta, came by to give us our sheets. A lovely lady who is very interested in her tenants. We chatted a while (she knows no English, so this was a challenge!) and took pictures of the four of us. About 11:30 am she took us to the Rialto by the fish market at Campo Beccaria and treated us to prosecco (sparkling wine), panne, bacala' montrecato (cod fish spread), prosciutto parme, sopressa veneta. All these are Venetian specialties, and were delicious. One of the girls asked for cappuccino - but Signora said No! (Many Italians consider a milk drink is only for breakfast.) and gave her vino! The signora left us for a few minutes and came back with a big whole fresh fish she was taking home (to Treviso) for dinner! In 1997, as Lynanne and her sister were crossing a bridge, they came upon the back side of a shop where men were unloading pallets of paper into the back of the store from a boat on the rio (a little canal). Took a bunch of pictures. This year she wanted to find that same spot again. Sort of a personal challenge, since she had nothing to go on except a photo, which showed the metal bridge railings (each bridge has a different design) and the dead end of the rio past the shop. On this trip she had been searching for it in vain. As we were coming back to our apartment, suddenly there it was! Whooped and hollared and showed Alessandra the 1997 photo, so she'd know Lynanne hadn't suddenly gone crazy, and we all laughed and enjoyed the moment. She said in Italian "Five years ago!" What fun!! After Alessandra left, we came back in the afternoon and took pictures of the shop to show to Lynanne's sister, then headed back to the Rialto shopping area. Along the veggie and fruit stands there are coconut slices in their brown inner shell, on cake-tier-like stands with a soft water fountain raining down on them to keep them moist. Had to indulge, and it was really good. We also bought postcards and T-shirts for souvenirs. Crossed the Ponte Rialto and headed into Salizzada San Lio to the Boutique del Gelato - hyped as "the Venetians' favorite". Yes, very good gelato. After looking into clothing and housewares stores, we went through Campo San Bartolomeo and stopped for a while at Campo San Salvador. While resting on the church steps and listening to a choral concert rehearsal, who should come by but a fellow student in Lynanne's Tai Chi class in Norfolk, VA!! She and her husband had just finished a bike trip in Northern Italy and were spending just one day in Venice! As we headed home and got off the vaporetto at the San Toma' stop, the police were setting up a radar speed trap for the boats along the canal. We watched while they stopped a water taxi (the driver was really upset), and then a private motor boat. Enough excitement for one day, so we went home.

Day 10 Thursday 6/13
Another nice and hot and sunny day. We all met today at Fondamenta Nuove for our Untour group trip. Our private taxi boat took us to St. Francis Deserto Island where an 82-year-old monk gave us a tour of his beloved monastery. He was very adamant in letting us know that this was St. Francis' first church, not Assisi! The monastery is on a little island that is not on any vaporetto route, so this was a special treat. We then stopped at Burano where Denny led us through little back alleys to the brightly painted door shown in our tour book. Don't think we'd have found it on our own. Next, to the highlight of our excursion - lunch! Our private taxi took us to the island of Torcello and let us off right at the front door of Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo. This was "boat-to-door" service! (Torcello is a very quiet and pretty little island with about 75 residents and the famous Santa Maria Assunto Cathedral and its many mosaics.) We highly recomment this Osteria for its fabulous food. Our lunch started with a huge plate of vegetable pasta, then a huge green salad with an excellent dressing. Our entree was salmon with buttered zucchini matchsticks. That salmon was so good that Lynanne will never try salmon in the states (well, maybe in Washington state or Alaska). Along with all this was water and vino in carafes at the table. With our dessert of gelato and mixed fruit, we had caffe correto (espresso "corrected" with alcohol - usually grappa!) After our taxi brought us back to the Rialto, we checked out Coin department store. Expensive and trendy. Then went riding on # 82 vaporetto through S. Marta, the back, working part of Venice - where the fire boats, etc. are kept, and where they unload the trucks from the mainland onto the boats headed for the stores of Venice. This was a very hot sunny day, and we had to take three vaporetto trips back and forth to get good photo shots of the young muscular males working the boats in their white skivvies! Went home to a light dinner this evening.

Day 11 Friday 6/14
Another hot sunny day. We had reserved with Avventure Bellissime Tours to go on their Dolomite Day Trip today. Monica's and Jonathan's company has four different tours each week. Some of our group went on, and enjoyed, the Hill Towns of the Veneto tour. They take a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 8. A very personalized day trip. Our group of seven met at 9:10 am and started on our trip in a Mercedes mini van. This is a trip that's so great, it's hard to describe. On the way up to our peak of 7,500 feet, we had many stops that had us gasping at the awesome views of the Dolomites. Each of our stops was a fabulous photo-op of a different view of these mountains. Some of our stops were at Cadora, the Dam, Mt. Serapice, Lake Misurena. On the way up to our top stop, we had a picnic lunch at Lake Antorno that Jonathan, our guide, prepared for us. Beside the lake we enjoyed all-you-can-eat salami, local cows' cheese (so-o-o good!), tomatoes, big Italian rolls, and a fruit-filled pastry for dessert. He also supplied us with plenty of water. We were stuffed. So simple, but so good! :-) Then we went up to Tre Crime at 7,500 feet high. Spectacular limestone mountains in all four directions. One of the places we stopped at on our way down the mountains was Cortina, a town of rich people and their shops - most of them were closed at this time. But did enjoy stopping for a vino and walking around the town window shopping. The lakes in the Dolomites and the valleys are a beautiful green from the copper and other minerals in the water. (Not like our waters - green from algae!) Got back to Venice at 6:15. Ellen Marie had bought each of us a 2-way radio to use when we went our separate ways. She decided to go out walking about 8:00 and took her radio with her. Lynanne was sitting on the balcony when her radio beeped. Ellen Marie said, "Look down, Mom". There she was, with a huge pizza she'd bought at a take-out store. We really enjoyed our excellent simple dinner! :-)

Day 12 Saturday 6/15
Hot and sunny again! This morning we went into Cannaregio searching for more fruit and veggie stands. Along many of the larger campos and on the bridge leading to the train station, dark-skinned men (South African, maybe) would lay out huge white sheets on the ground and sell pocketbooks, watches, jewelry, etc. As we were coming into one campo, a little Italian girl of about 8 or 9 had spread her small blanket out and was selling her toys! This afternoon Ellen Marie and Lynanne went out to find milk and a wine fill-up store near home. The little store around two corners had milk, and we asked about the wine store. The young girl spoke some English and said, "Turn left, then turn right, then meander a bit. It's right past the pizza restaurant". We set out with our trusty map and meandered, and - surprise!- we found i! Turns out we'd passed this place before and didn't know it. Again 1 1/2 liters for $2.80. For dinner tonight we went to Campo San Margherita. Seems everyone else had the same idea, because it was lively and crowded. There are about five trattorias there, and they were all busy - couples young and old, families with small children, mostly locals because we heard very little English. After dinner (Lynanne's lasagna was great!) we sat on one of the benches, and as the evening progressed the college kids came out, which livened up the scene even more. An Italian gentleman (Gianni - pronounced "Johnny") and his wife joined us on the next bench. They live near the Rialto and he travels to the States every year. He was very interested in our Untours, and how inexpensive it is. He has a friend who owns Dona Onesta, one of our recommended budget restaurants. Around midnight, as the five of us walked toward home, we stopped by the trattoria, and Gianni introduced us to his friend, who was just closing for the evening. Since he's closed Sundays and Mondays, on Tuesday we'll surely have to return - our last night. :-( As we passed one of our favorite gelateria, he said another of his friends owns it, but the friend is always on holiday, so others run it. We then parted and got home at 12:30 am.

Day 13 Sunday 6/16
This morning started out hot and sunny. Today we went to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, where hangs Tintoretto's phenomenal cycle of paintings that are in the meeting halls of this magnificent building. Plus there are some fine 17th century woodcarvings along the walls of the main hall. Next we went to the huge Gothic church, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. It is packed with great paintings, monuments and sculptures, and is the city's second largest church, and the burial place of some of its most famous citizens. We wandered, and didn't know what we were looking at, so Ellen Marie bought a guide book. Big mistake! Now we felt we had to stop at each site, for if we didn't, we'd miss something important. But it was worth it to understand all the great works in this church. In 1999 Beverly and Lynanne enjoyed a concert there, that included the two organs above the ornately carved choir stalls. A magnificent sound! Ate dinner tonight at Trattoria S. Toma', and chatted with a couple from Nice. They were on a cruise through Turkey and Greece, and had a port stop in Venice for the day. We left, and got home around 9:45 pm, right before a heavy windy thunderstorm broke loose. We were afraid our Nice friends didn't get back to their ship before it hit. They were still eating when we left them. There was continuous lightning and a constant rumble of thunder. In trying to close the shower bathroom window blind (these are heavy thick outside wooden blinds), Lynanne broke the cord off its moorings. We also lost hot water and had storm water pouring through the blind slats on all the east side windows! By 10:45 the rain had stopped, but still lots of lightning.

Day 14 Monday 6/17
Hot and sunny again. Ellen Marie and Lynanne went on the "Secret Itinerary" tour at the Doges Palace. This tour goes to the Doges' private quarters, up into the attic, Casanova's prison cell, the place where he hid when he was making his escape, and other "behind-the-scenes" areas. Then they toured the rest of the palace, from the attic to the prison cells in the basement. Beverly stayed home to wait for Paolo to come and fix our water heater, and confess to breaking the window slats' cord. Lynanne was glad she wasn't there! (Beverly had been on the Secret Itinerary before, so she was okay with staying behind.) Met Beverly at 2:30 pm in Piazza San Marco (our 2-way radios were great!) and went into the Castello sestiere looking for lunch. On a tiny calle we found Trattoria Barbanera, and had good Bruschetta, vino, and shared dessert. Very, very good. Beverly splatted herself with chocolate sauce while trying to slice her dessert, so while she and Ellen Marie were in the toilette cleaning Beverly up, Lynanne was sitting at the table, dying to sample the desserts sitting in front of her! They almost had no dessert when they got back to the table! Then we went to the Rive Degli Schiavoni and took more photos. Lynanne bought a neat painting there. Bev went back to Piazza San Marco to take photos of some of the many tourists that are in the square. The tourists can buy small bags of corn from vendors, and feed the pigeons. This seems to be a very popular attraction among the tourists. Watching the children's (and adults') expressions, and capturing it on film is an awesome feeling - at least Bev thinks so. Lynanne wasn't as impressed with the pigeons, as they are a nuisance at home. Made a quick trip to Panarama this evening to get a few items and return an item we didn't like. Barely made the last bus back to Venice. Had dinner at home.

Day 15 Tuesday 6/18
This is a broken record - hot and sunny again. Went to the islands today. Our first stop was at Mazzorbo, a little island beside Burano. We walked through a pretty church yard with trees, benches, lush green grass, and a small playground. Sat awhile and enjoyed the serene quiet, and of course, took photos. A small wooden bridge took us into Burano - the lace-making island. One can watch the ladies in their little shops making beautiful lace items. This is also where the brightly painted houses are. Each house is a different color. They are like row houses, all attached to one another. Many of the houses had what we called colored sheets hanging in the open doorways, probably to keep nosy tourists from peering into their homes, while still allowing breezes to come in. Our next stop was Murano. Went into one of the many glass-making factory showrooms - lots of expensive glass, lots of staff, very few lookers and buyers. Lynanne did buy two Murano glass watches in one of the little shops ($16.50 each). But both the restaurant and gelateria we wanted were closed. :-( Came home to go to dinner at Dona Onesta (honest lady) - about 5 minutes from our apartment. This is the trattoria that Gianni's friend owns. Each of us had a Venetian specialty: Beverly had Sarde a Saor, Ellen Marie had clams in an oil and garlic broth, Lynanne had liver and onions. Lynanne tasted both of theirs, but they declined her offer of a taste of hers. Probably because they got it more often than they'd liked growing up at home! Each of our dishes was outstanding. This was our best and most expensive meal in Venice - Lynanne's bill was $24 including wine, cover and service! A great last night dinner. By the time we got back home, we decided to pack early tomorrow morning. Wow! these last two weeks flew by!

Day 16 Wednesday 6/19
Aha! I bet you thought this was our last day. We did too - but it wasn't to be! Our trip home was almost as exciting and more adventuresome as our two weeks in Venice. We got up before dawn to pack and get to our meeting place by 8:10 am for our water-taxi ride to Venice's Marco Polo airport. The airport was packed because of an air-controllers' strike in Paris affecting Air France. We were smug, because we were going on Lufthansa to Frankfurt at 10:30 am. Hah! The 6:30 Lufthansa flight had been cancelled, so they all booked the 10:30 flight. By the time we got to the ticket counter, 10:30 was overbooked and we couldn't get on. After much hemming and hawing, they booked us on a 6:15 pm flight to Frankfurt. This meant we had to contact our people in the states concerning our new arrival time. Lufthansa did this for us. (Ellen Marie's person was never contacted.) They gave us an all-you-can-eat-and -drink lunch at Venice's airport (Excellent food!) We each got vouchers for either 600 euro travel or 300 euro cash. Lufthansa paid for our Steigenberger Esprix Hotel in Frankfurt. We had two rooms - Bev and Lynanne in one, Ellen Marie in the other. After our long day, Ellen Marie and Beverly went down to the hotel pub and brought back a very good pizza for our dinner. Finally to bed. A typical German bed with a "feather"bed for a cover (or sheet? we still don't know how to use one!)

Day 17 Thursday 6/20
This morning we had a fabulous free all-you-can-eat buffet breakfast at the hotel. You name it, we had it - was listed as $16, and I believe it! Ellen Marie's flight to San Francisco was 9:45 am. (and then to Portland, OR). So Beverly went with her on the hotel shuttle at 7:00 to the airport to see her off. While there, Beverly found a beautiful scarf with a gondola, and Venice in the background. She's planning to frame it. She got back to the hotel about 10:30. Then she and Lynanne checked out and went back to the airport. Our flight doesn't leave until 5:55 pm. After a LOT of haggling at the Lufthansa counter, Beverly got the two of us each a $15.00 lunch voucher. We had an excellent meal at Lilienthal, a German restaurant. Of course we ate German, and it was so-o good! We used all of our voucher and more! When we learned we were to spend the night in Frankfurt, Lynanne had put her corkscrew into her carry-on, in case she bought a bottle of wine for the evening. Frankfurt's airport is huge, and we had lots of time to wander, going in and out of security several times. Our first time through security Lynanne was stopped and had to open her carry-on. He examined her inhaler, she had to unwrap her camera from her nightgown, and finally he found what he was looking for. Of course, he took it. Beverly was horrified because she didn't know Mom had done this! What's so bad, Mom didn't even use the corkscrew at the hotel! Lynanne had a combo lock that we couldn't get off her purse. While we were hanging around the airport, Beverly managed to force it open. Lynanne put it in her pocket, to discard later. The next time through security, Lynanne's body set off the alarm. It was the lock! She told the guard to toss it. Interestingly, the lock had gone through many check points on the purse, but not in the pocket! Frankfurt's security is very good! Finally left Frankfurt and went through Chicago, getting to Norfolk, VA at 1:15 am Friday morning. Lynanne's checked luggage arrived Friday afternoon at 5:00 pm! Lynanne is already looking to go back to Venice again! There is a magical mystical draw for her.