Canals and Bridges and Masks; Oh My

Friday, June 12, 2015
Venice, Veneto, Italy
The line at Italian customs at Venice Marco Polo International Airport was long and chaotic but fast moving. At immigration, after what can only be described as cursory glances at our passports and flourishing pounding of the rubber stamp, we have landed. B4's checked bag has arrived at the carousel before we do. There appears to be no customs inspection and we emerge through the glass doors to a throng of awaiters, many of whom hold signs with their guest's name emblazoned. One of those is ours. A handsome young Italian man who speaks almost no English (only fair since we speak no Italian) whisks us off to a shiny black car and makes the 30 minute drive to Plazzale Roma where he parks and beckons us out.

With him assisting, we walk five short minutes to the Hotel Moresco. We cross Rio Novo canal via Tre Ponti footbridge and roll the bags for two short blocks. The Moresco is located at Sestiere Dorsoduro, 3499, Venice Italy. www.hotelmorescovenice.com  It is a charming small inn with great service and serviceable rooms. We recommend it.

We are greeted warmly by hotel staff who take our passports for check-in formalities as they usher us to the garden outside so we can enjoy a prosecco as they do the paperwork. This is the first drink I’ve had (among many to come on this trip) in over two weeks. It is particularly refreshing. The garden is breezy and pleasant with the only real noise emating from over the wall: the sound of inboard motors on water taxis streaming by. Lemon and lime trees (we think) surround us as we lounge on a couch beneath an umbrella. Our room is ready but we hesitate to leave this idyllic setting.

WiFi connects, we do a bit of housekeeping on the web. American/USAir rescheduled our return upcoming on the 25th to provide us with an undesirable five hour layover in Charlotte so B4 works to reroute us in a more efficient manner. She finds flights that are more efficient on the return and that’s that.

We’re off to explore. Venice abounds with mask merchants. The Carnival of Venice, held annually in a fashion similar to Mardi Gras in New Orleans, celebrates the 1162 victory of the "Serenissima Repubblica" against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico di Treven. What better reason to wear as mask could there be? A grumpy King of Austria ruled this area for a time and in 1797 outlawed masks. They reappeared and now appear for the festival and at private feasts. In any event, you can buy them large and small, inexpensive and outrageous, scary and welcoming.

This is a city resting on over 100 small islands separated by canal after canal after canal. Bridges span the canals and the only time a walker rises much above sea level is when he climbs the stairs of a bridge. The architecture here is, with just a few exceptions, ancient or aging as it seems are most of its quarter million residents. Venice is the capital of the Veneto region of Italy, both named for the Veneti people who arrived in the 10th century…before Christ. Romance abounds here as do cruise ship passengers who flood the streets now in much the same way water is supposed to do as global warming gradually inundates this place. We don’t suppose we will live long enough to see that.

Venice does a brisk business in the eyeglass frame industry and, as B4 passes each one, her resistance falls until she cannot stand it. She buys a funky pair of round frames ordered to house prescription sunglass lenses. We’ll pick them up when we are here after our cruise.

Accosted by an aggressive seller of faux designer purses as we crossed the Accademia Bridge over the Grand Canal, B4 can only say “No,” so many times before succumbing. Selfie photographers congregate at Piazza San Marco but we find more interesting sites at random spots along the canals where green grocers set up shop and appliance delivery crews drop off dishwashers for the locals.

Lunch is a Margarita Pizza and a glass of Chianti. The Fitbits we both wear register well over 10,000 steps, some of it in crowds and some of it in isolation. Our feet are sore from our great circle route which took us round and about through neighborhoods both residential and commercial. The temperature is hot but no too hot and, from time to time, we come upon a street or alleyway where the breeze sweeps us up in a cooling embrace. We pledge not to rest until bedtime to facilitate a rapid adaptation to the seven hour time zone change.

As I write this from the garden at the Hotel Moresco with B4 at my side (as is the welcoming bottle of Tre Ville Prosecco left as a gift for us in our room) it is 6:30pm meaning that Kansas Citians are pondering their lunch destination while B4 and I think about where we will have dinner. We are fading fast. Ceasing activity even for a few minutes is a bad idea if a traveler doesn’t want to fall victim to jet lag.

Our plan is to find a piece of fish.

Comments

robert kempler
2015-06-12

enjoy...hope Pipa is not following your path

Bev corr
2015-06-13

Love your blog I feel that I am on the trip n with you guys
Enjoy

CC & JC
2015-06-13

Beautiful....looks like a great first day.....love the pictures. Be thankful for no Bed bath and Beyond! Enjoy!

Janet Watson
2015-06-14

As always, your blog is amazing. For a few minutes each day, I leave Kansas and travel beside you.

2025-02-06

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