venezia

Venice is a little over an hour away by plane and, if you keep an eye on flights, you can score a great deal. For hubby's b-day I thought I'd take a peek at Ryanair and see what I could find. I had my doubts about the airline because I have heard some bad things...but really, what airline doesn't have its crappy reviews? I booked a Tuesday 6:40 am flight out of Charleroi airport...it's a smaller airport just next to Brussels. I ended up paying 127 Euro for 2 round trip tickets that included taxes. I could have gotten it for 79 Euro but snoozed by a few days and the price went up. I have to say that our Ryanair experience was great. We didn't check any bags so it was a breeze. I picked up Ginette (our nanny) @ 3:45 and we were on the road by 4:15, arrived at 5, checked in, headed to the gate and were on the plane by 6:20. Ryanair isn't messing around...they want that "ontime arrival" status and when they get it, a recorded trumpet blasts the cabin with the start of a horse race theme and an Irishman announces "yet another ontime arrival with Ryanair...bal bla bla" It's pretty funny. We were hustled off the plane and onto the tarmac old school style practically high five-ing the passengers waiting to get on...I'm telling you...they are no joke with that ontime thing!

So we head straight to the ATVO counter where we purchased the roundtrip bus pass along with the 24 hour boat bus pass...for those who don't know... Venice is a walking city. No cars, bikes, skateboards...nothin'! The 30-70 minute bus ride (depending on traffic) takes you to the tip of the city and drops you off. You then hop on the ferry/pontoon and take it where you need to go.  Both tickets were about 60 Euro...to be honest the boat bus checked our ticket once and never again...a frugal risk taker might find a lesser priced boat pass a better choice. We weren't there for the sights...we were there for the city and to be together for a time - sans kids. Our plan was to locate a few internet recommended places to eat and our hotel. While we cruised the city looking for said spots we saw much of the backstreets and what I believe to be a very interesting tour of the city. Finding addresses in Venice is a treasure hunt...along the way we stopped and grabbed a little Venetian fast food (yummy salami on fresh baked bread) and walked while we ate.

We ran across many open markets & tons of shopping. There were shops loaded with things ranging from crazy Carnival masks & costumes, Murano glass, clothing & shoes and of course an "As seen on T.V." booth. Wine bars popped up every 2 steps in buildings that looked like art itself. Twisting streets and winding narrow alleys led us to one crazy beautiful thing after another along with tons of dead ends and a sense of being fantastically lost most of the day...but it was fun and very exciting when we did find what we were looking for.

Locanda Cavanella hotel was cheap (59 Euro) but we didn't get to stay there because when we arrived Esther (front desk gal or owner for all I know) told us the toilet wasn't working. Before I could get upset she very kindly walked us around the corner to Hotel Fontana. Same price, spacious, clean and they were very helpful. So...both hotels good!

We headed back out for more cruising and really enjoyed the city. It is just unreal...like a movie set or something. You could have taken pictures all day of just about everything! I was taking pictures of people's underware hanging on the line because even that looked like it was straight out of a movie. We got snacky again and grabbed a small Gelato...it was ridiculous...why I have never eaten that yummy cup-o-goodness before is beyond me. Good thing I can't get it more often or I'd be a frickin' cow. Strolling the streets of Venice is like watching the history channel unfold in front of you in real time. It's so dramatic to see the things you've either read about or seen on T.V....to walk on ancient stones that have been trampled on by horses carrying kings. To see squares where famous artists created masterpieces...it's just unbelievable! We had to stop and soak it all in...over wine of course.

So we chose a small place called La Cantina. Its backdrop was a patina'd building. The building and the man sitting at the small table out front were probably a few hundred years old. I went in and asked for a couple glasses of red and a small snack...at least that's what I thought I said.. She came out a few minutes later with the wine and a seemingly huge platter of assorted seafood. I say that because the presentation was such that the shells on the plate made it look alot bigger than it was. Though with the basket of bread and wine it was plenty for our mid-day snack and it did look amazing. I would say that the scallops & shrimp were nice...not fantastic but nice and the fish though well cooked, lacked any flavor at all. It needed a big dose of sea salt! All in all we had 3 glasses of wine for 6 Euro and paid 30 Euro for the appetizer. If you're going for wine and a chance to people watch...it would be ok, but I would not recommend this place for much more than that.

After walking for a couple hours, the late night, early flight and romance of the city were hitting us...we headed back to the hotel for a nap. ;) After a bit of a lie-in we both felt refreshed and agreed that it was beer-thirty so we headed out again for the night. We headed to St. Mark's square and found that our true calling was the backstreets of Venice...so back into the deep alleyways we went searching for our next meal and drink. After passing a few not so special places we finally landed in Un Mondo Divino...and it was truly "Something Special". Elisa was the bar keep and she was queen to a group of thirsty locals. Her distinctive laugh shot through the room over her favorite tunes she jammed from her iPod. A group of old men yammered on in the corner and Dan and I both agreed that Italians could recite the phonebook and it would sound like music. We ordered a Moretti and some random tidbits that were displayed between us and Elisa...cheese wrapped in prosciutto, bruschetta, and some potato dumplings that I could have eaten a thousand of. Hanging from the exposed beams above were rows of ceramic cups with names on them.

While enquiring about them the bar erupted in what I would call a "you're it" game of who knows enough English to explain to the nosey Americans what the cups are for. After much laughing and scrambling an energetic and equally buzzed local girl named Serena got tasked for the job. She was so great and told us the cups belonged to locals who earned them on their 60th birthday but once earned were never used. We bought her and her friends a beer to say thanks and they in turn bought us a beer just because. She and her friends worked at another bar around the corner and came here often. Serena is an awesome soul and made us feel like we were just another one of her friends meeting up for a drink! Good cold beer, cheap yummy food, great vibe and highly recommended!

We said our goodbye's and disappeared back into the sideways of Venice as they greeted a new friend with the standard euro hello of kisses from all. Though Serena recommended a place to eat we decided to stick to the poo poo platter tour that we seemed to be on and head to another bar that we had mapped out earlier in the day. Taverna del Campiello Remer was a place that I had seen on the internet and it mentioned happy hour.  Of course, I was sold on giving it a shot. If you are on a budget...this is a great little place. It's a local spot for a good reason...its awesome! Off the beaten path, warm, charming decor and according to the waiter...they have the most beautiful toilet in Venice! We walked in just before 7 and it was full! We had come by earlier just before they opened and their being closed was a good thing because that's how we discovered Serena and her great little hangout. But by the time we got back the place was definitely in full swing. So my recommendation would be to hit it when it opens to ensure you get a seat. You buy a drink that runs you 4 euro and then you can hit the buffet as many times as you want. It wasn't mouth watering delicacies but it was hot, good bar food. Pasta, bruchetta, risotto and tons of assorted crustini's with different types of spreads. For 8 euro you can stuff yourselves and save money for your over priced gondola ride!

We had planned on a Gondola ride and read that the best time to have one was in the evening. Though the weather was great earlier, it began to rain so the Gondoliers packed it in and there went our ride. It didn't much matter because by that time we were a bit chilly and not too keen on sitting in the small boat.

The rain picked up as we headed out in search of Tiramisu and more wine. The evening and rain quieted the streets and left us alone with the locals finishing their day. We noticed a temporary raised walkway being put up along the streets and found out that it was for the rising tide that would float in and up around 11 pm. The Venetians do have their work cut out for them. In a city that is now completely geared toward tourism there is much to do to each day to ensure the goods, food and drink are available. Remember that all works must be done by boat. Building maintenance, trash pick up, deliveries etc. are all done by boat! We watched in amazement as construction workers in small dinghy’s carried on banging on tired buildings in need of repair despite being rocked by the wakes of passing boats. Heavy deliveries were being off loaded and pushed through narrow crowded streets...an insanely tough job that would make most men a grumpy mess. These burly guys however, were calling out to familiar faces along their route in sing song Italian that made what they were doing look like a musical matching the movie-like scene around us. And have I mentioned the water? This water that is and has been the highway of the town forever and should be a polluted pool of gas and goo is clear, fresh and aqua marine in color. We did find our Tiramisu, but it was a sad imposter to the real thing. But after a nearly perfect day...we just can't end on a complaint! Venice... perfect in its imperfections and truly a place not to be missed!