Dan got some relief from his cough last night, which made both of us feel optimistic. It’s a shame we didn’t get to see much of Bologna, but that couldn’t be helped. Today should be an interesting one as we board the bus and head toward Venice.
This was the last bus ride of our trip and the last stop at an AutoGrill rest stop. The rest stations in Italy far exceed those in the U.S. AutoGrills are fantastic! We got to experience them several times on our travels. There is a mini grocery store, a cafe where you can get espresso, fresh sandwiches, baked goods, and hot food selections. Plus there is an area to where you have the choice of tons of packaged food stuffs and toys. There was a huge candy selection with some tubes of cookies or chocolates measuring 3 feet long. We were amazed to find several stacks of Lindt chocolate bars each measuring 12” x 3-1/2” x 1/4” thick for 4.99 Euros each. I bought two. I wish I had taken pictures of the place. In addition, the restrooms were nice and clean.
You can only go so far with a bus when traveling to Venice. It was time to say goodbye to our driver Alfredo, and board our private boat to begin exploring the Venetian Lagoon and its islands. Our first stop was the Isle of Torcello where we we had lunch at the lovely Locanda Cipriani restaurant.
Torcello is the birthplace of Venice. It was the first place people fleeing the barbarian hordes settled. Today, however, only about 20 people live there. It is a peaceful place with many families packing their small boats with food and drinks and heading there for a picnic. To get to our restaurant we strolled along a canal for about 15 minutes.
We had a wonderful lunch and had a little time to explore the gardens, and the small church Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta. The church was originally erected in the 7th century. Inside (no photos were allowed) was a wonderful Byzantine mosaic from the 11th century. Near the church there was a stone chair that is said to have been sat upon by Attila the Hun, and now by me.
Our next island hop was to Burano. It is known for its lacemaking. The colorful village is a perfect place to explore. The main Piazza Galuppi is filled with tourists and shops selling locally produced wine and lace. We found a lovely shop selling Murano glass called Over the Colour. Since Burano was as close as were going to get to Murano, where glass is produced, we purchased a number of very pretty pieces of jewelry that are supposedly manufactured at their Murano location.
Why are the houses painted such vibrant and different colors? Supposedly fishermen decided to paint the facade of their homes with an identifying color in order to be able to return there without worrying about entering the wrong home even with the thickest fog or even if they were somewhat inebriated. Residents are not allowed to change the color of their homes. It was enjoyable just walking about this charming place. It even has its own leaning tower.
It was time to board our boat again. We were dropped off at the dock of the beautiful Hotel Gritti, which sits directly on the Grand Canal. Dan and I took a quick walk around our new neighborhood. and grabbed a tomato mozzarella sandwich from a local shop. Venice is jammed with tourists, narrow streets and shops, but what is super nice is that there are no motor vehicles to run you over.
We had a chance to rest up a little bit before heading out to our evening activity, a visit to St. Mark’s Square (Piazza San Marco) and St. Mark’s Basilica. At just before dark we arrived at the immense St. Mark’s Square with the last of the day’s light hitting the Campanile. The grand square is surrounded by historic buildings, the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, Torre dell’Orologio (clock tower) and St. Peter’s Basilica. At night there was also live music streaming from two cafes on opposite sides of the square.
As we waited to enter St. Mark’s Basilica, The Torre dell’Orologio (The Clock Tower) built in 1496, started to mark 9:00 PM. Two bronze men (Moors) swing their mallets hourly. It was then our time to enter the Basilica. Built in the 11th century it is decorated like a Eastern Orthodox Church, but is Catholic. The story goes that Venice needed a way to increase its status in the world. One way was to obtain the relics of someone truly special to represent the city. So, they went to Alexandria and stole the body of Mark, a writer of the New Testament. His body was hidden in a pork barrel. Since about 830 A.D. the saint’s bones have been housed on this site. However, several years ago his crypt was moved upstairs due to flooding.
We sat facing the front of the church. It was kept dark as we sat and then all the lights were turned off. Slowly, area by area lights were turned on surrounding us in light and gold. It really was a incredible sight. The mosaics sparkling in all directions. The amount of time, and money involved in the construction of this place is almost impossible to imagine. The gold mosaic tiles were all cut slightly differently in order to catch and reflect more light, enhancing the effect of lanterns, candles and sunlight. Several mosaic scenes were pointed out to us such as the mosaic of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood, and The Ascension Mosaic in the center of the central dome in the heart of the church. Even the floor is mosaic with geometrical designs. The floor has suffered from so much movement over the years it rises and falls like waves, so you have to watch your step.
Saint Mark’s remains now lie beneath the high alter. Above the altar is the Golden Altarpiece which only faces the congregation a few times a year. It is made of 250 blue-backed enamels with religious scenes, all set in a gold frame and studded with 15 rubies, 300 emeralds, 1,500 pearls and assorted sapphires, amethysts, and topaz.
An interesting aside is that there are some that think the remains are actually those of Alexander the Great. Even if they opened the crypt, there may not be enough remains left to test, but the Church will not allow it. They believe it is Mark and that is the way it is going to stay.
Our time was up at St. Marks and all of us then headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow is our last day in Italy, and except for dinner, we are free to explore on our own.
BY THE WAY WITH WENDY & DAN 