30 Hours in Venice

Our hotel was in a quiet area, opening onto a courtyard where I snapped the one with the laundry and the one of the cats. The others were taken from a Vaporetto (boat) on the Grand Canal. I thought the chimneys were intriguing.

On Friday, May 23, some of us enjoyed a special dinner featuring the locally produced, organic, Traditional (a sort of extra-special certification method) Balsamico. To be called Balsamico the vinegar must be processed in very time-intensive ways. It's tangy and sweet and syrupy and dark. Before each course of the dinner we were given a brief description of what distinguishes the conventional processing of vinegar from the Traditional method. Every course contained some Balsamico, even dessert. All were exceptional. I felt like I was sitting with the panel of judges on the TV show Iron Chef America. A little of this, a little of that, and so on. We had our first taste at about 9:00 or so, and midway through (about 10:00) we were given tiny plastic spoons for tasting a few drops of two types of Balsamico: a 12 year old sample, followed by a sample that was 20+ years old. I actually liked the 12 year old sample better, and bought a bottle of it. Dinner finally finished about 11:30 and it was about 1:00 a.m. before I hit the sack. We had to be at the Carpi train station no later than 7:15 Saturday morning for our trip to Venice.

We made it in time and caught the train to Modena and Bologna before changing to one heading to Venice. We got to Venice and our hotel "noonish," and enjoyed a memorable pranzo in the courtyard of the hotel. I ordered two appetizers, no main course: sardines grilled with onions, sultanas (tiny grapes) and pine nuts and the best bruschetta I've ever had! I liked the sardine dish so much that I ordered it in another cafe' for Sunday lunch. Never had fresh sardines before. Naturally, all was accompanied by Lambrusco wine.

I went with 2 other women to the island of Murano for the afternoon. I had expected it to be fairly rustic, with one large glass factory. How wrong I was. The place was packed with glass shops, most of which displayed identical pieces intended for tourists. So I walked and walked and walked, surveying every shop along the main sidewalk, and finally bought one pair of earrings that I could afford, and a little gift for my father. I'm glad I didn't take a tour of any of the glass factories. I hear there's a lot of pressure to buy the "good stuff." Back to the main island for roaming and poking around, followed by an early shower and bed.

Sunday involved more walking and poking and a long, quiet lunch with Sarah Bovi in her favorite cafe'. We both relished our meals under cover of a large sort of tent and watched a brief rainstorm move through. No hurry. We didn't have to catch the train back to Carpi until after 5:00. When the rain stopped we took a vaporetto to San Marco's Square. I'd first seen it at age 16, and I honestly don't remember it being so crowded, but it has become almost Disney-esque in its kitschiness (sp?). At my age I much prefer the quiet lanes and courtyards, so we walked back to the hotel through such areas.

Everyone caught the train that was going through Vicenza and Verona on its way to Carpi, and all was well. Unfortunately, due to several unknown problems and some known ones, the trainride took about 6 hours (2-3 hours longer than normal). When we arrived in Carpi, thirsty, hungry, sweaty and tired, Franco met Sarah and me and Britta welcomed us to the house with dinner! Food never tasted so good as at midnight Sunday night. Up bright and early (well, early) for school on Monday..... yawn.

So, the trip to Venice was fun and we all survived in tact. I'd like to go there in the winter sometime. But I'd never turn down a chance to spend time in that magical place, even in July if it came to that!