VENICE

When I talk Venice to people, some say they loved it, and others hated it. The ones who hated Venice cited such reasons as 'smelly, too crowded, too touristy, dirty, etc.'  I'm happy to say I loved it! I'm a tourist at heart, and loved all the kitsch souveniers, gondolas, aged buildings, churches, noisy locals, aromatic narrow streets, bridges, happy honeymooners that crowd to  such places like Venice, and last, but not least, the ambience. I knew as I walked down those winding little streets I was not in Canada. Vive la difference!

We took the train from Milan and our return trip cost us approx. 75 euros each. The journey was about two and a half hours in duration, and was very pleasant; made all the more enjoyable by a fascinating encounter with a chap by the name of Colin from Sydney, Australia. Colin was on a three month trekking adventure around the world. He was married to a woman from Malaysia and they did not have any children. He was probably around my age and his wife, he informed me, was 55. He had the 'ideal' bachelor existence. The wife spent half the year in Malaysia with her aged parents and he would join them for a while before being kicked out to travel. They would rent out their house in Sydney (not his bedroom) for the months he was away, to pay for his travels. By coincidence, it was during a trip to Vancouver Island, that he developed his love for trekking.

His wife, he told us, was a deeply spiritual person, and he shared many interesting facts he had learned from her about buddism, and life in Malaysia; throwing in some interesting tidbits about Australia to amuse us. The missus was healthy as a trout he continued, and she never ate dairy (and we downing 3 gelatos a day!!) never had any menopause symptoms, (Superwoman n'est pas? ) and never worries about anything (clearly not the possessive type either) As he left our carriage one stop short of Venice, I marvelled at the size of his 3-month suitcase - a small backpack, which also housed his bed. Wouldn't you love to be able to travel like that? I tried to estimate what he had fitted into his backpack - a toothbrush, one trousers and two t-shirts...maybe a tiny negligee to sleep in, since pyjamas wouldn't fit. Talk about travelling light - mentally and physically! Don't you love?

When we arrived in Venice, it was love at first sight. Our hotel was 2 minutes walk from the train station, and everything was in full swing; the gondoliers were singing away to their heart's content (business was booming), the views were picture-postcard perfect, the street vendors were blinding me with the bling, the sun was roaring hot in the sky. Again, I got a bit tipsy on the stimuli. And then the Hotel...

'Hotel Belle Epoque' was something else. Just google it, and see what I mean. Mary deserves a gold medal for finding this beauty, and at such a whopping great deal (46 euros each bed and delicious breakfast). Like Hotel Rio in Milan, Hotel Bell Epoque had those heavy charming key rings from another era. They are so heavy, you have to leave them at reception when you depart, and collect them upon your return. HBE's keyring was a tassel attached to a heavy brass ball and bore the hallmark of a bygone elegance. The chandeliers were exquisite, and the lighting was all Murano glass, for which Venice is renowned. Like Parisian Hotels, fabric, not wallpaper, lined the bedroom walls; something rather bordello-esque about the rooms. You could see they cater to honeymooners.

Upon arrival, we dropped our bags at reception, as we were too early to check in, and then headed for the powder room to freshen up. The powder room delivered a big surprise. The sink was a see-through aquarium, with goldfish swimming all around as you washed your hands. I wondered where the sudsy water went to. It was a unique piece of art, and raised our travel experience up a notch. Anything you wouldn't see at home, is big in my book.

Mary had arranged to meet with a friend of hers who worked in Venice; a very nice girl by the name of Raphaelle (hope the spelling is correct!). Raphaelle went ahead with Mary and Rose to show them some sights. The rest of us were TOO HOT, and needed to chill, as the weather was in the 30's, and the gelatos we'd consumed were melting within, and without us. We needed to sit down - badly!

A hot and winding half hour's walk through cobbled streets brought us to St. Mark's Square. Similar to Duomo Square in Milan, it was packed with tourists and we offered to take photos for lots of happy honeymooners. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, St. Mark's square is one of those 'must-see' places in the world. The architecture and history of floodings is part of its charm. All around you can observe the green tide-lines where the river rises. It is especially high around November to January, when the city is under water siege.

Sitting in St. Mark's Square, we were serenaded by an exquisite string orchestra. It's what I imagined the music on the Titanic to be like. Images of water rising came into my head as I sat sipping delicious English tea in a fine bone china cup, accompanied by scones and clotted cream; reminiscent of the Empress Hotel in Victoria.

Food in Venice was even more expensive than Milan, and I noticed they were sort of meager with the portions. They gave me no prawns or decent seafood in my tagliatelle, just a couple of lousy cockles and mussels. I felt the hunger pangs. Yes, all around I noticed Venice was a bit measly with the grub; even the gelatos were slimmer.  I'm a foodie and notice all these things; though I cannot fault the breakfast we got at 'Hotel Bell Epoque'. It was waitress served. We had our tea served to us in pots, as many cappuccinos as we desired, and plenty of food. So the hotel ticked all the satisfaction boxes for me.

Sister Sonya had been in Venice some years ago, and advised us not to buy souveniers around St. Mark's Square, as they are more expensive there. How right she was. Shoes I saw in Milan for 29.99 euros were 39.99 euros near St. Mark's. All the Murano glass goodies were WAY more expensive than the shops near us in the hotel. So, a word of advice...Shop Around, before you make any purchases. What to purchase? Murano Glass of course!

My abiding memory of Venice is a trip to Mary of Nazarath Church, and gliding along in a gondolo, singing the song 'Row row row your boat gently down the stream, merrily merrily glide along, life is but a dream...' And isn't it true...Life is but a dream. What a pleasant dream Venice was...

Choo Choo for now!

Love,

Patricia xxx