Midi s Meanderings Part Seven

Transcription

1 Midi s Meanderings Part Seven 5 August 2012 Buon giorno everyone I know, I know it s only been five minutes since we sent the last newsletter and haven t we got anything better to do than annoy you with missives from our computer. But hey Midi has been to Venice! After leaving Rovinj in Croatia, we had to motor (and sail) most of the way across to Venice, with a lovely meal cooked by Robyn after complaints from the Captain about liquid dinners (cup of tea and ginger nuts at 12.30am does not constitute a dinner) and not getting his meat and three veg. We had been in contact with a marina in Venice, (Marina Fiorita) and we were booked in there for the duration of our stay. Unfortunately with their lack of good English and our non-italian, something got a bit lost in translation, as on the way over, we received an saying that it was better that we checked into Italy further north at Trieste, not Venice as it was very complicated to do so in Venice.. We were committed to going to Venice at that stage as Bruce s brother Ross and his wife Karen were arriving Sunday afternoon, so we just had to carry on. We arrived off Venice lagoon in darkness and didn t fancy negotiating our way in at that stage, so we anchored outside for the night, which proved to be very rocky and rolly. There was a swell that rolled in all night, wind from the west and a current that ran southwards down the coast, all to the accompaniment of a beach party or some such ashore. Also the water was very shallow as it is right across this part of the Adriatic. The depth never exceeded 35mtrs coming across. Still we all managed to sleep okay. Up early the next morning, we set off into Venice lagoon. The sights were amazing on the way in but in the back of our minds was where do we go to check in. The pilot book was not all that clear but we had been told about some piles that we could tie to, just off St Mark s Square, in the heart of Venice, so off we went. Now folks, this is a very busy place. Think of the Southern Motorway in Auckland, in peak traffic and we are trying to go across it! We had water taxis, ferries (large and small)and cruise ships all trying to use the same small bit of waterway as Midi and they all knew

2 where they were going. At one stage I just went below so I could avoid all the mayhem around us. Our first impression of Venice was the smell. A musty smell a bit like Great Aunt Myrtle s infrequently used front room damp and old. The sea was like being in a washing machine with wakes coming from all directions and various boats travelling at various speeds. We really needed rear vision mirrors to see what was coming from behind as they would roar past within metres (sometimes less) of us. Of course it was also Sunday so every man and his dog were out on the water and in places it was wall to wall boats, mostly small runabouts and people picnicing on beaches in the lagoon where they can. We eventually found the piles to tie to and that was a mission in itself. They are meant for bigger boats than Midi so it was tricky driving by Bruce and tricky work by Nick in the dinghy and Midi was once again trussed up, just as yet another cruise ship went by. Bruce was off then ashore, ferried by Nick, to find the Harbour Master, to check in. No luck after trying to get directions it all became too hard and we just left and went to find our marina. On finding our marina (about 45 minutes ferry ride from St Mark s Square on Treporti Island), we were told by the helpful young Italian lady in the office, that checking in at Venice was very difficult, especially as we had arrived on a Sunday, but she would contact an agent for us, the next day so they could do this for us. So off Robyn and Nick went on their fact finding mission to Venice by ferry, while we waited for Ross and Karen to arrive from Melbourne (they eventually arrived by taxi after finding that the water taxi they had booked before leaving Melbourne apparently didn t exist and they had been charged 230 euros! The joys of travel.

3 So the next morning, it was on the ferry for everyone. WOW people everywhere disgorged undoubtedly from the three ships we saw on the way in and the many that we hadn t seen. We trundled around like the gobsmacked Antipodeans. The people, the canals, the gondolas just like we have seen in the movies and the magazines. Many times we got lost as we wandered down alleyways and went over cute bridges, thinking we were going in the right direction. We toured the Grand Canal by ferry, then back ashore to wander the Rialto Markets and walk across the Rialto Bridge before losing ourselve s in the back streets. Robyn, Karen and I went our own way at one stage and found the best bookstore in Venice (according to the chap behind the counter) but we did get to climb his stairs in the back courtyard, made out of books. Cute. We also visited some beautiful churches. Actually the church in the next photo turned out to be the local hospital! Footsore we returned to the marina to find out that the agent would charge us 800 Euros to enter two people in at Venice (The story was that we only had to worry about entering the passengers, not ourselves as we were crew but that still left the question of what happens when we leave with 4 passengers). Not us stingey Kiwis they won t. At this stage I must mention that we have been on and off many ferries, ultimately we ended up in the right place but we were off and on so many of them. They are mostly cramped and you do not have much personal space but I couldn t get over the fact on one of the ferries, being very close to this gorgeous young Italian man in his pin striped suit and crisp white shirt looking the epitome of Italian cool elegance from the top of his stylish haircut to the tip of his Italian brogues and here was us sweaty (sorry perspiring) and looking wilted. How do they do it! The next morning it was off to the passenger port where all the cruise ships enter, to find out how we could enter. After lots of arm waving we were directed to walk another kilometre away to the Border Police, where finally, we were successfully

4 checked in for free/zilch/nada! Stamps in our passports meant that Nick & Robyn could fly out without any complications but of course I would have to return on Thursday to repeat the process. Then off for a wonderful lunch in a small hole in the wall place which was served by one chef and one waiter (the chef all the time singing to the music that was playing along with an older gent who also lent his voice to the general mayhem) then joined by Nick and Bruce as well. Very entertaining it was and not to mention the toilet, the door of which was controlled by a button that the waiter accessed or the fact that there was no toilet paper left and we had to offer the various patrons as they waited their turn to get in their toilet some napkins from the neighbouring tables. It was hilarious. After that we split up, Nick, Ross & Karen off to see the Peggy Gugenheim collection (a famous art gallery) and Bruce, Lesley and Robyn to Murano Glass which is located on a small island separate to the main island. Reuniting again around 7.30pm we discovered that the Peggy Gugenheim gallery was closed on Tuesday s and by the time we made it to Murano Island most of the shops were shut! Not a great success but we topped it off by taking a gondola trip complete with our 6 mini bottles of champers and plastic glasses that we were able to buy just off St Marks Square. It was a really neat experience gliding effortlessly (well it was for us anyway) along the canals off the Grand Canal but unfortunately our gondolier did not sing. That was okay we sang Pokarekare ana instead! We followed that up with a great meal in a restaurant back off the main drag that for a very reasonable price produced a set menu with a great meal. It was so good we almost missed the last ferry out of the city. Then it was off to meet the Camerons in St Mark s Square back from their son Mark s wedding in Germany (great to see the photos) and then it was another farewell to them and the Macphersons but hello to Clare and Katrina who would spend a week with us.

5 So now we are back in Croatia after our little Venetian adventure and I will leave you with photos of the Basilica which we did not visit as there were a trillion people waiting in the queue and of us in the Doges Palace square (which we did visit) and the Rialto Bridge, which we seemed to walk over many times, unintentionally. So it is Ciao from Lesley and Bruce, Clare and Katrina and Ross and Karen