When we woke up today, we were in Italy. And for some, it was the very first time ever!
First things first, so Ricardo was up and out the door early, in search of breakfast provisions. We used our phone to map out the location of some stores, and then walked along canals and over bridges to find them.
He found a bakery open, but the little grocery store near it was closed. He bought a few bags of rolls and pastries to give us energy for our first day.
I scheduled a tour of the Doge's Palace for 11:30, thinking it would be good to start our first day a little later, allowing for the late arrival and jet lag of all concerned. Ricardo and I went ahead to pick up the tickets for the group. The others left our apartment in smaller groups, and though the distance to the palace wasn't very far, as the crow flies, there were a few different ways to get there through the winding lanes. Some of our fellow travelers arrived a bit out of breath, not having found the most direct route.
I read about the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace, and the reviews made me think it might be more fun than the normal tour. I booked the tickets ahead of time, and when we arrived, the line for the Secret Itineraries Tour was far shorter than the line to take the regular tour. That was one of the advantages, according to reviewers. This was busy Easter Monday, after all, and there were hoards of people everywhere.
The Palace was the seat of government for the Venetian empire for several centuries. The doge, or duke, lived in the palace, and worked there as well. Some of the rooms were very opulent, and works by many prominent artists still decorate those areas of the palace. Also contained in the palace were many offices, showy meeting rooms and courtrooms.
Next door was the prison, where the families of the prisoners were allowed to provide some of the comforts of home, such as furniture, bedding, clothing, and also food. So, some prisoners lived in relative comfort, and some barely survived their incarceration. One of the most poignant parts of the palace was the Bridge of Sighs, which afforded one last view of the beautiful lagoon as prisoners were escorted from the courtroom to their dark and dank prison cells, or worse, to await execution.
After our tour we went to a nearby restaurant, Trattoria Leoncini, that Caterina and Marco had visited the day before. We had a good lunch there - lots of pizzas - and some of us had our first Aperol Spritz of the trip. Its bright orange color might have put us off, but having tried this drink on our previous visit to Italy, we were already fans of it. This would be the first of several over the next weeks!
First things first, so Ricardo was up and out the door early, in search of breakfast provisions. We used our phone to map out the location of some stores, and then walked along canals and over bridges to find them.
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| Ricardo's first sojourn in the Dorsoduro neighborhood of Venice. |
I scheduled a tour of the Doge's Palace for 11:30, thinking it would be good to start our first day a little later, allowing for the late arrival and jet lag of all concerned. Ricardo and I went ahead to pick up the tickets for the group. The others left our apartment in smaller groups, and though the distance to the palace wasn't very far, as the crow flies, there were a few different ways to get there through the winding lanes. Some of our fellow travelers arrived a bit out of breath, not having found the most direct route.
I read about the Secret Itineraries Tour of the Doge's Palace, and the reviews made me think it might be more fun than the normal tour. I booked the tickets ahead of time, and when we arrived, the line for the Secret Itineraries Tour was far shorter than the line to take the regular tour. That was one of the advantages, according to reviewers. This was busy Easter Monday, after all, and there were hoards of people everywhere.
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| Piazza San Marco on Easter Monday |
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| Doge's Palace, Higher Council Hall from Italy Guides.it |
Next door was the prison, where the families of the prisoners were allowed to provide some of the comforts of home, such as furniture, bedding, clothing, and also food. So, some prisoners lived in relative comfort, and some barely survived their incarceration. One of the most poignant parts of the palace was the Bridge of Sighs, which afforded one last view of the beautiful lagoon as prisoners were escorted from the courtroom to their dark and dank prison cells, or worse, to await execution.
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| Peek-a-boo view through the side of the Bridge of Sighs |
After our tour we went to a nearby restaurant, Trattoria Leoncini, that Caterina and Marco had visited the day before. We had a good lunch there - lots of pizzas - and some of us had our first Aperol Spritz of the trip. Its bright orange color might have put us off, but having tried this drink on our previous visit to Italy, we were already fans of it. This would be the first of several over the next weeks!
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| Il Padrino enjoying an Aperol Spritz |
Giuliana, Laura, Marco, Principessa and Giovanni walked back to the apartment together and stopped for a drink along the way.
Meanwhile, Ricardo and Il Padrino picked up groceries for dinner on their way home. The grocery stores seemed to be open by this time of the day. Carrying the groceries is a Herculean effort here, considering the number of wine and beer bottles for a party of 10 included in any trip to the store, and the narrow sidewalks and little bridges to cross. The men made it back to the apartment in good order, no beverage being sacrificed to the canals.
Ricardo fixed ravioli for dinner at the house. We had cheese and bread, and some pastries for dessert. After dinner we went out for a walk along the shore of Dorsoduro opposite the Grand Canal, surprised at how narrow the little finger of land was.
The lights of Guidecca twinkled across the lagoon.
The lights of Guidecca twinkled across the lagoon.
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