We stayed between Venice and Verona at Montebello Vicentino. I have to say, this is some of the most beautiful landscapes we have seen our whole trip. Grape vines, rows of crops, rolling hills, green, green, green. We only booked 3 days here, which was a mistake. We needed a lot longer. The apartment we stayed in was great. Cool, fitted out perfectly for our stay, 2 small balconies and nice views from the (all be it bathroom) windows.
Staying in or near Venice was prohibitive in price. This fitted our budget nicely. Just driving around here was a pleasure, we spent 3 nights in Tuscany only a week or so back, and I have to say, this area tops that, hands down. Anyway, the reason for us staying here, is Venice. We are a little tired after so much full on Italy sight seeing, luckily our last stay in Abruzza, just meant swimming at the beach for 3 days, but we still have residual touristphobia from Rome and Pompeii. Still, we sucked it up and headed for Venice. We went on Sunday, which in hindsight was a mistake, but it was a beautiful 22C and a little overcast, where as the day before was 30 and very sunny. The difference in sight seeing temperatures, was worth it, but most of the glass factories on Murano island were closed on Sundays (mind you, i think they are closed on Saturdays too - so going the day earlier may not have helped).
We parked the car at Trochetto, and bought the 12 hour waterbus pass. This was 18euro each, but it meant less walking for Haze and Keith, and got us out to Murano Island and a grand canal ride. St Marks Bascillica only opened between 2 and 5pm on Sundays too, so we went out to Murano to check out the glass blowing first. We got a no. 2 waterbus and were lucky enough to get seats right up front. This meant Lee and I got great view of the canals, boats, old buildings and the kids liked it because if we hit a bow wave from another boat it splashed up and hit the kids. The screaming tourists behind weren't so excited about it, but the kids squealed with joy (which I think annoyed the other tourists too). Oh well.
Murano island is the glass blowing capital of italy (probably the world - but i am a little ignorant on these things). We wandered around the factory outlets and stores, along one canal street, across the canal bridge. Magical. The fancy glass outlet we looked in was amazing, chandeliers like flowers, the most amazing glass vases. I was impressed, we had gone out there because Hazel has a glass bowel fetish, but this stuff was actually really interesting, colourful, beautiful. Then we went into the next shop, and it was not so cool, nor was the next one. I am so glad we went into the amazing shop first, because we really wouldn't have got a good impression, with most being a lot more old fashioned.
We were motivated enough to look for a souvenier, something we dont normally do - with so many places, we just cant carry a sovenier from every place we visit. Grandi bought us girls each a little piece, madi got a beautiful 3d blue heart on a necklace. Lee got a square layered piece of glass, also for a necklace, with gold and green and lapis colored blue. Very nice. I got a pair of light blue earings. After going to the effort of "reopening" my peirced ears for dressup nights on the cruise ship, i want to keep them open, so wanted a nice simple pair of earings I can wear everyday.
Around 2pm we went and caught the waterbus back to the main St Marks square. It is free to go into the main part of the bascillica, with little mueseums off to the sides inside for 2 or 3 euro each. We just did the freebie. But there was a lineup, i read online that you can buy a 2euro skip the line ticket, but ... 6 of us is still 12euro ... seemed a bit steep. The line moved quickly, no more than about 15 minutes and we were inside. Ok.
We are not church fans, really, at all. But this one is opulant. From the first step inside, the ceiling is completely covered in mainly gold mosiacs. The first foyer you walk into (on boardwalks, because it is sinking and the floor is covered with water) is amazing in itself, then you go into the main part of the church - wow.
The floors are covered in the most interesting patterns of mosaics, the whole thing is made of marble, walls, columns, floor mosiacs, of all different colors. Now, I don't pretend to know anything about rocks, or marble, but I had no idea how many colors and patterns marble could come in. Truly worth the visit this church.
We saw the bridge of sighs, the dog palace, all very interesting. Venice is interesting. I just stood and sucked in the reality of living so much on water, it is a very different reality. Full of tourists, its hard to see what the locals do. But as we traveled around on the waterbus, you could see glimpses of people in small boats pulling up to docks, lifting out children and groceries. People walking through beautiful squares and parks, lots of children on bikes, 3 story houses with shutters and flower boxes.
We got a waterbus #1 to go down the grand canal, now this may actually have been a mistake. It was packed. Hazel and Keith got a disabled seat inside near a window, thank goodness. Lee and I and the kids were cramped outside, we managed to nuzzle the kids through to the edge so at least they could see, but then they were 4 people away from us, and hard to view. Eventually we got near the rolling gate that opens, and the kids were right
next to the ropes, the guy had to throw out to secure the boat at each dock - not ideal, but we got some pictures, got to see the houses on the edge of the grand canal. The kids got tired standing, it took about an hour (or felt like it, the sun had come out and the crowd was unbelievable). We saw the and went under the Rialto bridge, and got to the main parking square. From here we took a #2 (which was the nicer style waterbus - and which also did the grand canal!!! hindsight!) and went around to Tronchetto were we had parked. Somehow, everyone had held on all day as it cost 2euros for a bathroom in Venice. The WC at the carpark was the discount price of 1euro. Relieved, we headed back to Montebello Vicento with a stop at Lidl along the way for supplies for dinner.
Lidl is the same as the Australian supermarket Aldi - so we feel very at home in this store, and as much as we should be trying to be as local as possible, with the daily hunt for food, it is nice to have something familiar and regular, so we go out of our way to find and shop at Lidl from France and so far all over Italy. I looked it up, and Lidl is in Croatia too. Phew.
We are off to Croatia tomorrow. Madi and I are doing some Croatian language cramming - so far we really have only learnt hi/bye "Bok" - similar to Ciao, and "Dobar Dan" good afternoon. Hmmm.. that will get us far.
Staying in or near Venice was prohibitive in price. This fitted our budget nicely. Just driving around here was a pleasure, we spent 3 nights in Tuscany only a week or so back, and I have to say, this area tops that, hands down. Anyway, the reason for us staying here, is Venice. We are a little tired after so much full on Italy sight seeing, luckily our last stay in Abruzza, just meant swimming at the beach for 3 days, but we still have residual touristphobia from Rome and Pompeii. Still, we sucked it up and headed for Venice. We went on Sunday, which in hindsight was a mistake, but it was a beautiful 22C and a little overcast, where as the day before was 30 and very sunny. The difference in sight seeing temperatures, was worth it, but most of the glass factories on Murano island were closed on Sundays (mind you, i think they are closed on Saturdays too - so going the day earlier may not have helped).
We parked the car at Trochetto, and bought the 12 hour waterbus pass. This was 18euro each, but it meant less walking for Haze and Keith, and got us out to Murano Island and a grand canal ride. St Marks Bascillica only opened between 2 and 5pm on Sundays too, so we went out to Murano to check out the glass blowing first. We got a no. 2 waterbus and were lucky enough to get seats right up front. This meant Lee and I got great view of the canals, boats, old buildings and the kids liked it because if we hit a bow wave from another boat it splashed up and hit the kids. The screaming tourists behind weren't so excited about it, but the kids squealed with joy (which I think annoyed the other tourists too). Oh well.Murano island is the glass blowing capital of italy (probably the world - but i am a little ignorant on these things). We wandered around the factory outlets and stores, along one canal street, across the canal bridge. Magical. The fancy glass outlet we looked in was amazing, chandeliers like flowers, the most amazing glass vases. I was impressed, we had gone out there because Hazel has a glass bowel fetish, but this stuff was actually really interesting, colourful, beautiful. Then we went into the next shop, and it was not so cool, nor was the next one. I am so glad we went into the amazing shop first, because we really wouldn't have got a good impression, with most being a lot more old fashioned. We were motivated enough to look for a souvenier, something we dont normally do - with so many places, we just cant carry a sovenier from every place we visit. Grandi bought us girls each a little piece, madi got a beautiful 3d blue heart on a necklace. Lee got a square layered piece of glass, also for a necklace, with gold and green and lapis colored blue. Very nice. I got a pair of light blue earings. After going to the effort of "reopening" my peirced ears for dressup nights on the cruise ship, i want to keep them open, so wanted a nice simple pair of earings I can wear everyday.Around 2pm we went and caught the waterbus back to the main St Marks square. It is free to go into the main part of the bascillica, with little mueseums off to the sides inside for 2 or 3 euro each. We just did the freebie. But there was a lineup, i read online that you can buy a 2euro skip the line ticket, but ... 6 of us is still 12euro ... seemed a bit steep. The line moved quickly, no more than about 15 minutes and we were inside. Ok.We are not church fans, really, at all. But this one is opulant. From the first step inside, the ceiling is completely covered in mainly gold mosiacs. The first foyer you walk into (on boardwalks, because it is sinking and the floor is covered with water) is amazing in itself, then you go into the main part of the church - wow.
The floors are covered in the most interesting patterns of mosaics, the whole thing is made of marble, walls, columns, floor mosiacs, of all different colors. Now, I don't pretend to know anything about rocks, or marble, but I had no idea how many colors and patterns marble could come in. Truly worth the visit this church.We saw the bridge of sighs, the dog palace, all very interesting. Venice is interesting. I just stood and sucked in the reality of living so much on water, it is a very different reality. Full of tourists, its hard to see what the locals do. But as we traveled around on the waterbus, you could see glimpses of people in small boats pulling up to docks, lifting out children and groceries. People walking through beautiful squares and parks, lots of children on bikes, 3 story houses with shutters and flower boxes.
We got a waterbus #1 to go down the grand canal, now this may actually have been a mistake. It was packed. Hazel and Keith got a disabled seat inside near a window, thank goodness. Lee and I and the kids were cramped outside, we managed to nuzzle the kids through to the edge so at least they could see, but then they were 4 people away from us, and hard to view. Eventually we got near the rolling gate that opens, and the kids were right
next to the ropes, the guy had to throw out to secure the boat at each dock - not ideal, but we got some pictures, got to see the houses on the edge of the grand canal. The kids got tired standing, it took about an hour (or felt like it, the sun had come out and the crowd was unbelievable). We saw the and went under the Rialto bridge, and got to the main parking square. From here we took a #2 (which was the nicer style waterbus - and which also did the grand canal!!! hindsight!) and went around to Tronchetto were we had parked. Somehow, everyone had held on all day as it cost 2euros for a bathroom in Venice. The WC at the carpark was the discount price of 1euro. Relieved, we headed back to Montebello Vicento with a stop at Lidl along the way for supplies for dinner.Lidl is the same as the Australian supermarket Aldi - so we feel very at home in this store, and as much as we should be trying to be as local as possible, with the daily hunt for food, it is nice to have something familiar and regular, so we go out of our way to find and shop at Lidl from France and so far all over Italy. I looked it up, and Lidl is in Croatia too. Phew.
We are off to Croatia tomorrow. Madi and I are doing some Croatian language cramming - so far we really have only learnt hi/bye "Bok" - similar to Ciao, and "Dobar Dan" good afternoon. Hmmm.. that will get us far.
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