Saturday, September 24, 2011
Verona, Italy to Venice, Italy
Out of Verona early, today is the first day so far that we have had a deadline as we have to be checked in at the hotel in the Venice suburb of Mezina and then get our car to the Europcar office at the Piazelli Roma in Venice itself by 11:30am. And Saturday morning traffic is always an issue, not so much for us this morning but huge traffic jams on the freeway headed toward Verona. Same for us nearing Venice??? Nope, nothing to worry about this time. And the GPS performed perfectly, getting us on and off the freeway and down the alleys to the Novotel on schedule.
They did not have our rooms ready yet, so Dick and I took off for Venice and left Jan and Shiela to get the bags into the rooms as soon as possible while we returned the car. Across the causeway into Venice, and just at the end, over a little bridge and past the train station was Piazzelli Roma and Europcar. We were directed by the GPS to go round the back of the building and park in the lot, but that was wrong. After a truly Italian-esqe fracas with Europecar staff and the parking attendants, and getting gas in the local totally overpriced pumps, we were given a very quick inspection by the crew and were signed off as having returned everything as we found it. Huge sigh of relief to be free of that obligation, though the journey and the car had been superb.
A quick call to Jan, and a coke and a latte for Dick and I as we awaited their arrival 'downtown' by taxi. The four of us together and on the loose in Venice, we bought Vaporetti tickets and boarded route number 1 for a trip down the Grand Canal to San Marco Square, no problem for Shiela on the little boat. We took a million pictures and a lot of video along the canal, the weather was PERFECT and we were standing by the rail with a great view. Lots of doors and windows for Marion.
Off the Vaporetto at San Marco, a short walk down an alleyway, a right turn, and the square was laid out before us. Some issue with steps for the scooter but nothing we couldn't handle, and we were in the square itself. Lunch was the first order of business, which we took care of at an open-air table in a restaurant with live chamber music playing. Charming, but with a catch being that there was a 'music charge' of six Euro each, and after our two beer, two glasses of wine, and toasted ham and cheese sandwiches, the bill totalled 152 Euro. A bit pricey, but what the hell, its Venice and if you can't pay then you better not want to play.
Then walkabouts for all of us, each having a different agenda of seeing sights either new or remembered. Jan and I toured the square, which was packed with tourists like us, and eventually spent some quiet time in a lovely little park behind some kiosks.
Together again for dinner, but nowhere to go that the scooter could navigate until we spotted a Hard Rock Cafe as we were browsing/shopping our way toward the Vaporetti dock. What followed was simply the very best salad dinner that any of us had ever tasted, with wine and beer of course. Absolutely brilliant, nothing finer, though not a classically 'Italian' dinner. Though our waiter, Mario by name, sure played his role well. Finally done for the evening, except for a final shopping burst for Venitian/Murano glass treasures, then the Vaporetto ride to Piazzelli Roma and a taxi ride back to the hotel.
Tomorrow, Venice again and this time onto the cruise ship.
