Blog Archives

My Aunt Teela and Uncle Jim wrapped up their two-week west coast vacation with a return visit with us last night. They arrived early enough in the afternoon for a sunny walk with Jeff along the Embarcadero…from the Ferry Building all the way to Maritime Park. For dinner, I made our favorite white-bean chili. We topped off the evening with a third-and-final round of Mexican Train. Jim held onto his lead…and Matthew held onto last place 🙂

This morning, Teela and Jim left for the airport at 5am…we said our goodbyes the night before. Safe travels.

It was harder to get through Day 2’s images than I had originally thought. This was quite a long day of wide-eyed wandering through a city that I love. The day’s overcast skies allowed for some rich, saturated colors, which I think are fitting for a city full of paintings. [FYI, I haven’t quite gotten to the image descriptions…so please pardon this work-in-progress.]

Our first full day in Venice was like getting reacquainted with an old friend. After a light breakfast in the hotel, began the day with a slow stroll through the Dorsoduro. Window browsed tiny shops full of local treasure…glass, paper, fine prints…all too tempting. Visited our favorite church…Santa Maria della Salute…her dome clad in scaffolding…her interior always grand. A familiar waterfront return route…the Guidecca looking picturesque across a choppy channel. A Greek cruise ship passed…reminding us to stick to paths less traveled today.

Lunch at an outdoor cafe at the foot of the Accademia bridge. The sights and sounds of the Grand Canal accompanied our simple meal.

Spent the afternoon winding through the sestieri of Cannaregio, Castello, and San Marco. Light drizzle sent us into tiny shops. Visited several churches spanning the centuries. Standouts included the Gothic church of Santo Stefano and the marble-clad jewel box Santa Maria dei Miracoli (home to a bona fide miracle painting). Our favorite new site: the church of San Zaccaria…a 14th or 15th-century church with a fantastic 10th-century crypt beneath glimpses of a former 9th-century church. Layers and layers of history…such is Venice.

Returned to the hotel past dozens of wily fake handbag scalpers. A quiet drink on the loggia before dinner.

Caprese di Bufula and simple pastas for dinner at a popular spot in the Campo de Santa Margarita. After dinner gelatos from Il Doge…still our favorite gelato in Italy. Late night mojitos and a fantastic tiramisu from Impronta Cafe.

First it was rubber bands and broken glass. Then we found the dead squirrel. And today’s treat? A nice runny pile of dog shit in our front flower bed. I’ll spare you the photo.

We think it may be because Jeff yelled at the Church of Scientology to stop calling us!!

By special request, I’m going to attempt to post my photos along with the original journal text. This is going to make some of these entries long…but let’s see how this goes. We begin our two-week photo recap of Italy with Day 1…the flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt (on United) and on to Venice (on Lufthansa). (The original journal entry from May 15/16 is here.)

And we’re off.

Once in Frankfurt, we made our way to our connecting flight like two seasoned travelers. A sweaty bus from gate to plane, and a quick flight across the Alps to Venice. (Our first time at this airport.)

We caught an airport-based water bus…Alilaguna…which got VERY warm when everyone closed their windows to keep the splashes out. We hopped (slowly) across the Lagoon…to Murano, the Lido (our first glimpse of this popular, car-ridden beach destination), and a couple stops in Venice before reaching the last stop in Venice–our stop–Zattere in the Dorsodoro. Our hotel–the Hotel Belle Arte–was only a short walk away.

A quick shower to de-sweat, and then off for a short welcome-walk and then dinner. After a long day, we went straight for the reliable Rosa Rossa. Pizzeria. Pizze Diavola and Pizze Funghi. Tiramisu to finish.

We ended the evening on the hotel’s loggia overlooking their compact garden. Oversized cushioned chairs and a cool breeze coaxed us toward sleep, which was soon to follow.

Most spam email gets caught and fitered away these days. But today, one made its way into my inbox, and I found the random spam-thwarting words (scatted before and after “Helen’s” appeal for “new friends”) to be calmly poetic:

interest

make least
job

Seems to fit my mood for the day. Thanks “Helen”.