This morning we got our act together and had breakfast downstairs in Bar Ico, it's directly beneath us. Thanks to my lessons I was able to order completely in Italian which is good because no one speaks English anyway. I've taken my italian lesson books but because we've been blessed to be with family I've been slack with my practice on paper. However we try to say everything in Italian to them and get them to correct us. Franco takes it one step further by springing pop quizzes at random moments and questions me on the origins of the words as well! To get back on topic, our breakfast for two cost €4.30. It's a far cry from my European experience at this time last year with Mali. Both financially and qualitywise!
Eric had nipped upstairs, when Franco arrived in his fluorescent yellow raincoat, but we were soon underway -9.05, our personalized tour had begun. We were old hands at the station now and this time we were in a very full train in the entrance area with a group of students from Bordeaux in France, they were on a wine tour but were only allowed to eat the grapes because of their age. Their teacher spoke at length to us, we'll to Franco in French. These students were impeccably behaved whether it was because they were with their teacher is a mystery I will never solve, I was just glad we were off to a happy start.
Today was the day we had booked an hour walking tour and gondola ride, I explained that to Franco and he said that he would read his paper while we did it. He was under strict instructions from Patrizia to look after her baby cugino. Eric popped his newspaper in his backpack so he wouldn't lose it. As soon as we arrived in Venice, Franco ordered vaparetto tickets to Murano, we had 25 minutes to wait so we sat down for a coffee taking in the view! What an absolute pleasure to watch the world go by! I would like to make a note of this, next time I will get here earlier so I arrive in Venice by 9am, buy the combined vaparetto and museum ticket which gets you into the Doges Palace and other museums come at a much reduced rate - it wasn't one of the things that I found advertised when researching from Australia .
Although we were some of the first people at the jetty, once the vaparetto came a huge throng barged ahead of us and we ended up standing nearly the whole way. I didn't care as there was so much to see as we cruised along. We had a much better stroll in Murano this time and were able to watch a glass blowing demo, we were lucky that Franco knew the owner so we didn't have to pay the cover charge. It was fascinating to watch the whole process although we do have Steve the glass blower in Cairns. It is really such a skilled line of work, I don't even know how Steve learnt it. I bought some trinkets for my friends and off we went to the ferry again this time bound for Burano.
My friend Gin had been to Murano and Burano and had shown me a photo of a beautiful glass sculpture which looked like a stretched physio ball with mint green and white spikes. I wanted to see this and thought she had mentioned it was in Burano which was apparently famous for its lace work. A very prominent landmark which towered in the skyline was a campenile which was on an angle, for want of a better name we called it The Leaning Tower of Burano. We made our way towards it and the lanes which were lined with exquisitely coloured pastel houses opened up into a large piazza flanked with little boutiques and restaurants suitable for all budgets. We chose one which had a 3 course meal for €16. It was absolutely value for money.
I chose vongole pasta, a fresca insalata and calamari fritti plus a dessert which was an extra €4. All in all it was so delicious that I had wolfed it down without even taking a photo. ( my lack of good photography is weird, I know) So I borrowed Franco's as a photo prop to show my friend Sharon who loves this dessert.
A young lad came to play classic Italian tunes on the accordian, I was insistent that we put money in his hat as he was not begging he was genuinely enriching our Burano experience. We needed to cut this ambience short as we had to be back in Venice in two hours, ahhh plenty of time.
On our amble back to the jetty I was insistant that we get a present for Nina as Eric is such a procrastinator as wed had a persinalised tour for thr entire twomwhich means that often nothing is purchased at all and I didn't want to come back empty handed, especially because she is always so thoughtful. I also got Gin something as she had insisted upon Burano and I knew she'd left her heart behind here. We upped the pace briskly strolling to the jetty I felt confident that we would be in time, just another little stop to buy my arty sister Annaa colourful tiny original painting which looked like one of her works. Soon after that we order the ferry, changing our freezing top deck position to an indoor spot instead. Old age made us wiser.
Tick tock tick tock, dammit, who could've known that the trip via boat was an hour and a half.??? Franco rang the tour company for us when we arrived because I was too stressed to explain the situation. I felt that we didn't need the guided walking tour because we'd already had an intensive private two day holiday tour with an author of the guide books!! How's that? Franco explained we just wanted to know where to meet for the gondola ride. By the time we got to the meeting spot there were only 15 minutes left before we clambered aboard our bucket list experience. Why not fill in time with gelati was our general consensus. My favorite flavor ended up being Eric's pistachio one, oh my God it was amazingly delicate.
The gondola ride was so peaceful, due to budgetry constraints I'd opted to combine the ride with a walking tour - not knowing that we'd have the wonderful Franco guiding us - so in actual fact had I known I could have booked a private gondola with singing. However Eric and I were lucky enough to be in the prime love seat, side by side and I was able to film our bikie looking gondolier whilst looking forward or while laying back looking at the sky peering down the chasm between the skyward bound buildings. I loved listening to the stillness and the sound of his paddle going through the water. Due to aquatic traffic jams our ride was 15mins longer, but hey a 50 minute gondola ride was getting no complaints from me!
Franco had been patiently waiting for us in a café. He led us back to San Marco's cathedral the light was perfetto for taking photos. My dear friend Jenny who did our wedding photos as well as my 50th photos was always there in the back of my mind, reminding me to frame my photos. And she has commented with her approval! The afternoon light was fabulous and I was able to get some gorgeous shots of each mural in the entry arches, I am in love with all the arches in the architecture! Franco had a directive re dinner instructions so we started our journey back to the railway station. My presumption that we were 15 minutes away was wrong and it was well over an hour before we got there. We took a mini break to have a nature stop as all the WCs along the way were closed, and having a drink is is the only way you can use the facilities. We sat in a campo and looked at life passing by, we were just beside a fruit vendor so it was very interesting.
Enroute I encouraged Eric to purchase a bag with a Venetian scene for his mother, then I took the last photos of the canals of Venice before stepping on board the train. Venice made a great impression on me, and contrary to things I'd heard about exhorbitant prices I saw a lot of things here much cheaper than in our Cairns home town. Once back in Treviso we had ten minutes to freshen up at our airbnb then we went to pick up Joey, Patrizia and Alicia in Franco's people mover.
Dinner was at a trattoria near Patrizia's work, and it was clear to see that she was considered a friend rather than a customer. There were no menus and our choices were rattled off quickly in Italian, Patti wisely chose a mixed antipasti plate for us, which by the enormity we assumed was a share plate, but no, we had one each. For my secondi I had a layered spinach lasagna which was exquisite, but sorry to say not as good as our meal in Burano. In honour of my other friend Sharon I was obligated to have yet another Tiramisu, but this one was with a runny condensed milk tasting custard so Burano ' was still the champion. It was another late night but such a memorable 17 hour day for me and for Eric who was experiencing precious family time, I think the nights were even more precious, he chatted with his niece for hours which was so bonding!
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