Easter in Venice – Gondoliers, Masks and Glass

Venice has to be one of the most amazing cities in the world. I fell completely in love with it; its beautiful buildings with their dirty and dilapidated but fascinating frontages. The sneaky, sly alleyways that lead you on magical, mystical walking adventures past cheap, tawdry souvenir shops and chic, sumptuous fashonista boutiques, tatty chapels and hole in the wall hostelries.

Caitlin and I travelled to Venice by train arriving in the early afternoon. Crossing the first of many bridges – Ponte degli Scalzi (Bridge of the Barefoot) we picked up the keys to our accommodation. After purchasing our ‘Venice cards’ (seven days unlimited travel on the vaporetto or water buses) we made our way along the full length of the Grand Canal to our mini-apartment across from St Mark’s Square. Dumping our bags we headed straight back out to ‘get lost’. We began this ‘get lost’ journey with a trip back along the Grand Canal to the famous Rialto Bridge. Refusing to consult a map we wandered... meandered... and mooched along little lanes, ducking into tiny shops, admiring amazing masks, for hours. Finally as hunger took hold we selected a restaurant close to the canal and had our first Venetian meal.

With stomachs satisfied but curiosity still unsated we weren’t yet ready to quit for the day. So not to be beaten by the coming chill of evening we bought scarves at a nearby stall and continued our adventure. Accidently discovering St Mark’s Square we made a quick left turn and buried ourselves in further exploration until wearily we made our way home.

The next day we followed a similar pattern with our only plan involving meeting Barry at the train station at 2pm. This gave us time to visit many mesmerizing mask makers in the search for a suitable addition to Caitlin’s stilt costume. What artistry we were distracted by! With minutes to spare we made to the station and greeted the celebrating sportsman. Barry had remained in Varese for a night to attend his Karate grading. He surprised himself by being achieving 2nd kyu rather than the 3rd kyu he had expected – only two steps to black belt now.

A vaporetto ride along the canal was the first tick in the visitor’s box for Barry and then, after ditching his bags, together we went to explore St Mark’s Square. Galileo tried out his telescope here in this very campanile (all right – not this bell tower exactly – an earlier one – but you know what I mean). The history of the place is overwhelming. What can one say that hasn’t been said before?

Barry and Caitlin in St Mark's Square (bright teal scarf)

A brief stop for a cocktail at the brand newly opened Hard Rock Cafe then off for the quintessential Venice experience – a gondola ride. From our gondola we saw a wedding party, and a fashion shoot. But those canals are REALLY narrow and when one gondola meets another gondola and a water taxi gets in the way – well – the language gets a little expressive!

Above: Barry and Fiona with gondalier

Below: Caitlin in the gondola with Rialto Bridge in sight

It was food time again so we sauntered back to the Grand Canal for dinner before strolling home and falling fast asleep. Next day we spent several hours viewing the Peggy Guggenheim collection. WOW for me but somewhat trying on the patience for Barry and Caitlin. The afternoon was dedicated to all things artistically glass with a ride out to the beautifully kept island of Murano. Lunch in a little courtyard down a very dark alley turned out to be a surprisingly good choice. The glass factories and shops varied in quality from outright tacky to exquisitely superb. We were enthralled with one particular piece but at a (heavily discounted) price of 4,000 euro we left it for someone else to enjoy.

Huge public glass works of art on Murano

Our final full day in Venice was devoted to the Doge’s Palace. We hired audio-guides and spent hours traipsing through room after extraordinary room. The workmanship, the fine detail in the carvings and paintings, the scale of the spaces, the sense of history was just too much and with several rooms still to go we abandoned the campaign in search of somewhere to sit quietly and observe the world in passing. A little more shopping as we strolled added to both Caitlin’s extensive tartan wardrobe and her hat collection. Dinner was taken at a waterside restaurant on the southern side of the Dorsoduro area looking towards La Guidecca.

The last morning was a rush. Barry wakened and crept carefully to the bathroom, checking his watch he discovered it was 9.55am – we had to be packed, kitchen cleaned and out the door by 10.30! Organised panic ensued and right on the button we were ready to go – passing the maid on the stairs. A gentle boat ride the long way round the island took us back to the transit end of Venice to return the apartment key. After a leisurely lunch we were back to the train station and home to Varese, with many happy memories of an amazing holiday.

I went to Venice and all I got was...

... this crumby illness requiring intramuscular injections of antibiotics everyday for the next 6 days - bronchial pneumonia.

Okay that wasn't ALL I got; but the rest of the story will have to wait for another posting when I am feeling less yuck

Alan's away! - AND Qantass are plonkers

Thought I'd let you know that Alan finally got away this evening although it was touch and go there for a while. It turns out that Qantass are complete plonkers.

We were all set to go to the airport as a family to wave the boy off. Barry was flying to Sweden about two hours before Alan's flight so it fitted that we all head out together - but! Then one of Barry's work boys couldn't fly so that creaed an issue with work cars. In the end Wayne picked up Barry and Doc and took them to the airport early. Caitlin was too sick to come to the airport so Mother and Son headed off alone...

We made it to the airport safely and then tried to head through to check-in for the first leg of the flight with British Airways to Heathrow. Gran and Anna will remember that this is in a separate part of the airport - usually guarded by young guys with sub-machine guns. The rules at Malpensa have changed again - and now only passengers can go through to check-in at BA... Poor Alan had to go through alone... and then the clever mother remembered that we had forgotten to 'security wrap' his suitcase. This is where they run the suitace through a miniature bailing machine and strangle it with giant, florescent yellow gladwrap. I rang the lad and back he came - past the guns... We get the bag safely gladwrapped and back he goes past the hired guns again... only to reappear 15 minutes later, still with the suitcase. You've guessed by now that this is not going well...

Although Alan's ticket was booked (using Gran's airpoints) and the taxes etc paid for (by Mum and Dad) Qantas 'forgot' to charge the credit card... this mean't that they didn't 'issue' a ticket. They DID email confirmation of the booking, they DID telephone to advise of a change in departure times for the return flight, we DID find and check the booking online and NOWHERE and at NO TIME was there any mention of an issue - Until he tried to check-in...

We raced through Malpensa airport to the BA ticket counter where they had "Lee" from Qantass on the phone for us. He was sorry that the booking had 'slipped through the cracks'. However, he needed the taxes to be paid so that he could issue the tickets... No, cash was no good. A credit card was the only way. Problem. Our NZ credit card was compromised a few weeks ago - and the bank suspended it. New cards are on their way but have yet to arrive. Our Italian credit card was in Barry's wallet and you'll remember that he was somewhere in the air already - on his way to Sweden... Thankfully I had a copy of the card details at home so a quick phone call home to Caitlin and she was able to supply the number... Lee put us on hold whilst he went off to get this all sorted from his end... the time was ticking... there was now less than an hour until takeoff and check in closes 60 minutes before the departure time... (picking up on my stress levels rising here?)... Finally Lee came back on the line and assured us it was all go...

No, of course that is not the end of the story...

Alan goes back through to check-in at BA... for the third time - the hired guns don't even ask to see his passpor this time. Out he comes - boarding pass in hand. Yahoo! All is well - Or is it???

No!

Alan only has a boarding pass to Heathrow... NOT for his onward flight on Qantass to Sydney and Wellington... Back we go to the BA counter... Assurances all round. It will be fine. They are still working on the Qantass flight but the bags are definitely checked al the way through... He just has to go to the Qantass departure Gate and there will be his boarding pass waiting for him...

I get home to find an email from Qantass - the Plonkers - with the e-ticket details for Alan. I forward these to his email address and - for good measure - text the e-ticket number to his mobile. This turned out to be a very good plan as when he arrived at the Qantass departure gate in Heathrow - you'll never guess - they didn't have any boarding pass for him - or any idea about one. After running through the whole sorry tale... and giving them the e-ticket number they finally issued the boarding passes for the rest of the trip....

Will Alan get to board the flight to Sydney?
Will his luggage make it to Wellignton with him??
Will Qantass reply to the complaints email sent to them by Alan's very annoyed mother???

Stay tuned for more exciting updates!