4/7 dinner and a walk

 Since we really liked AE Cravate, we returned for a 6:30 dinner.  We were greeted with great enthusiasm by all the staff. We shared a scallop with a basil sauce that was fantastic.  Then I had spaghetti with clams and B had the carbonara.  For dessert the flaming brûlée and tiramisu.  We never felt rushed but were happy that we were never waiting long.  

We took a slightly different walk home over a different bridge.  We discovered a very pretty park with the Spring tulips and pansies in bloom.  No walking on the grass allowed, but there was a small playground.

Now we are showering and packing, so adieu until my next trip.  (Or if something truly exciting happens on our trip home.)

4/7 b afternoon pics

 Dinner blog and pics will follow.

4/7 last day in Venice

 We had done all of the really important things yesterday, so today we are taking it easy.  Slept late.  Went to a cafe around the corner and sat in the sun for lunch.  Ham and cheese toasted sandwich for B and another in my taste testing of pizza for me.  She had an iced latte (it doesn’t have any ice) and I had hot.  Just as we were finishing, a pigeon swooped over my head.  I felt it’s feathers on my forehead.  Perhaps it was the one I made B chase yesterday getting revenge.

Then we wandered and shopped.  Lots of little stores with souvenirs and also some with Moreno glass and carnival masks.  We bought from the man in the picture and discovered that he actually makes the items in his shop.  Win-win we liked them. There was a vegetable market boat. A couple that were celebrating their wedding anniversary. (I didn’t have the nerve to ask if that had been her dress AND WHY ON EARTH WOULD SHE WEAR IT ANYWAY!) There was a nice exhibition of da Vinci's machines.  Some of them we could actually touch and work.

Back to the room to rest, do all the pre-check in stuff (which is a little more complicated since it now has to be done from B's phone, and start packing.

We are going back to the first restaurant tonight.  We really liked it and B wants to try their tiramisu.

4/6 c pics

 

4/6 b pics

 

4/6 Venice

 We started out very well. Found a gondolier and had both of our first rides.  It is pretty pricy for 30 minutes but for a once in a lifetime experience well worth it.  We went for a pizza lunch (margarita with bufalo cheese and mine with onions)

Then we were walking toward St. Mark's when somewhere along the way, my phone was stolen.  HORRIBLE AND TERRIBLE AND DISTRESSING! We retraced our steps, but no luck.  We went back to the hotel and deactivated and erased it.  Luckily B has her phone with all the important stuff on it too.

Nothing more we could do, we took the vaporetto? Water bus to St. Mark's square.  It was on the other side of the island, so we saw some of the more industrial areas as well as places where there were regular looking apartments.

There are almost no pigeons in the square.  46 years ago there were hundreds and we have a picture of Alec feeding them.  I made B chase the lone pigeon there so I could get a picture, but it was not the same.

We walked back to the hotel climbing the many many steps of the many many bridges doing a little shopping along the way.  A half an hour rest and then we went to dinner.  Povoledo was another recommendation from the hotel.  We liked the other one better, but still had an interesting dinner.  We started with fried nibbles (olives, carrots, zucchini, cheese, and potatoes).  B had  ravioli stuffed with ricotta and spinach in a Gorgonzola and walnut sauce and I had a Venetian pasta with a sauce which was onions and anchovies melted together.  For dessert a lava cake that didn’t lava.

Back to the hotel.  We are both getting tired and looking forward to coming home. 

4/5 b pics

 

4/5 Florence, shopping, The David then Venice

A really busy day that went wonderfully.  We started with breakfast in our palatial hotel.  Then we walked along the Arno to the Ponte Vecchio window shopping as we went.  B found a very pretty delicate necklace which we bought.  As we walked by the much more expensive shops on the bridge, we agreed that we didn’t see anything we liked better.  Then I bought a card wallet that I liked better than the one I have.  At another leather shop B found a purse she really liked.  (We also passed a gelato shop with the best display)

We headed for a major market that was near where our tour was to meet.  We stopped at a toilet which was being cleaned by a woman who was not going to let anyone in until it was spotless- a good thing and a bad thing when there was a line of people who needed to go.  Walked through the market and on to our tour.  

The only reason anyone was as taking the tour was to see the David, but to make it seem like you were getting your money’s worth the guide had to show you more stuff in the museum.  Since we seemed to be behind schedule, I told the guide that we had to leave by 2 to catch a train.  David is the last thing on the tour, but we saw it and left by way of the shop where we bought a tiny David.  We scurried back to the hotel, stopped at the concierge to have them get us a taxi and bellhop for the luggage, and were on to the train station by 2:30.  Had time for a gelato before our train was called.  

I was more relaxed this time because I knew the system and that we would have enough time to get on and settled.  We were lucky and had seats facing each other and empty seats next to us.

At Venice, the info desk told us that the best way of getting to our hotel was by walking.  He neglected to say that the bridge we had to cross had many steps going up and down.  We ended up hiring a porter with a cart who loaded up our 4 pieces and walked us to the hotel.  This is nice and modern, but the smallest of our accommodations.  A big come down after last night.  

They made a reservation at Osteria Ae Cravate and we were very pleased.  We shared the frittata mista and then I had carbonara and B had lasagna.  For dessert we shared a lava cake and the house version of creme brûlée.  It was touted by a man two tables away who gave a taste to the women at the table next to him. They weren’t planning on having dessert but changed their minds.  It was delicious and we all decided that the secret ingredient was the alcohol that they flamed it with. 

Now, back in our room digesting.

4/2 b pics

 A few words before the pics.  I have very little control on this blog so sometimes things are a little weird. The restaurant gave me an apron with their name on it as a gift.  We are now back in the hotel and B is luxuriating in the bath.

4/2 Vatican and on to Florence

 I had been really stressed about today, but it all worked wonderfully.  B and I were almost totally packed when went went to join our tour.  The meeting place was right around the corner from our apartment.  This was a guided tour, which I’m usually not found of because the guides sometimes feel the need to tell you more than you eve wanted to know.  Elena  was great.  Gave us good background for what we were going to see and made sure to point out the “biggies”.  Otherwise she moved us through pretty efficiently.  

6 million people visit the Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel, and Basilica each year.  I think 3 million of them were here today.  B is very good about keeping my arm tucked into hers so I don’t stumble or fall on the many, many, many stairs.  Elena told us that if we sent postcards from Vatican City we would get the official Vatican stamp, so we made it a point to do that.  Since not many others were doing it, I think it was a great tip.  

We scurried back to the apartment to finish packing because I had reserved an Uber to take us to the train. Everything worked.  We had enough time to get some lunch and decompress before the train came.  We got on ok and found places for our luggage.  B had to do the heavy lifting because my back is still problematic.  

Lovely smooth fast train - it only took 1 1/2 hours.  I had planned on knitting, but we went through so many tunnels, I gave it up and read.  Once at Florence, a nice man carried the smaller carry ones off the train for me.  We found a cab and were soon at the Westin Excelsior.  We have really moved up in the world.  Our room is large and luxurious.  The concierge recommended a restaurant that would give us a taste of Florence and made our reservation.  When we were walking to the restaurant B suddenly saw a friend from her junior high across the street.  She yelled hi and the other girl yelled back.  They were just getting on a bus so we didn’t do more.  So strange to just randomly see someone like that.  B did know the girl was in Italy because she had posted about going to the coliseum the day before we went. 

At Buco Mario, we gave our name to the doorman, he said, “From the Excelsior “.  Then the maitre de did the same thing as he passed us to the waiter. Everyone kept saying “the Excelsior.” It was a bit weird.

We chose 2 appetizers to share.  Pecorino cheese with apples and honey and burrata with tomatoes.  B had lasagna (again from grandma's recipe and I had a pillow type pasta filled with cheese and spinach with meat sauce.  We shared two desserts - tiramisu and chocolate cake.  

4/3 b pics

 Mussolini's monument is one really ugly building.