Given that I started this blog with the theme "Going Solo with Rick Steves'!" it has occurred to me that it has been a while since I have made a comment on it regarding that aspect of my Italian adventure.
I must say 'going solo' was a great success, but not, I believe, was this down to "luck", or at least not solely. In this case, I am going to (and unusually) give myself a light pat on the back for having made some good decisions.
(Question to ponder: Is it unusual for me to acknowledge my good decisions, or is it unusual for me to make good decisions? Ah, well, never mind, still going to do it....)
Good job Carolynn! Pat. Pat.
One of those decisions, of course, was in choosing the Rick Steves' tour that I did, but more on that later when I concentrate a few posts on features of that tour. (I'm always making people wait, aren't I?)
However, other decisions I did make and of which I am proud was that I had reflected upon and researched my trip fairly thoroughly before I left, knowing myself and my own comfort level. Consequently, I was constantly reminding myself that I would be on my own and every choice was put to the ultimate test question: "Would I be okay doing this by myself?"
For some decisions the answer was so clear. Chrystal clear in fact. One such decision was in booking - for one of those days before I met the tour group - the "Cicchetti tour", or in other words, a pub crawl with appetizers.
Now don't curse me but you will have to wait (AGAIN) for me to expand on that experience. The reason I touch on it now is because it introduced me to a feature of Venetian life that while I had always known about it, had never had the courage to try on my own. To whit, the Traghetti crossings over the Grand Canal.
The Grand Canal is long and there are only 4 bridges that span it. Therefore, in order to cross to the other side a person has only two options - walk to a bridge, possibly a good distance given the labyrinth of calles you may have to negotiate to get there, or fork over a hefty sum of 6 - 7 Euro to get on a vaporetto (water bus) that zig zags to stops on each side of it.
But wait! No! There is a third option - you can use a Traghetto crossing! Traghetti (plural) are essentially ferry crossings that take you from one side of the Grand Canal to the other. For the sum of only 2 Euro (only 70 cents if you are a Venetian resident) you can be taken across in a - yes - gondola! There are 7 such crossings.
It is a marvelous feature and great fun. But don't expect a fancy gondola - the cushioned seats and other wonderful decorations aren't there, nor is the possibility of Italian singing (unless of course your gondolier is in an exceptionally good mood and prone to that) - but the ride is pretty cool none the less.
As a part of the Cicchetti tour I was exposed to how this 'system' worked and - should I ever be in Venice again (oops - I mean the next time I am in Venice) I shall avail myself of this service.
Venetians tend to stand for the crossing but tourists sit. In our case we were directed to do so - with so many we didn't want to end up in the brink.
This was my third trip to Venice but up until this trip I had never, ever been on a gondola ride.
Re: picture below... I took it with Marco. He said that this was one of the "post card pictures" of Venice. "Not my favourite,
" he said with a small incline of his head, "but we must take it."
33 years ago I was doing "that backpacking thing" with a friend from high school. We went in the off season so a) just way, way too cold for a magical gondola ride and b) just way, way too expensive (even then) for our very frugal budget. Also, no group to go with.
In 2012 I went with a friend from university. We did have glorious, incredible weather for mid March when we went, but still very, very expensive. Really, a gondola ride for a pair of people is only appropriate if you are a romantic couple, which of course we were not. So, even though one gondolier came up to me on that trip and said, "Signora, go on my gondola and I will SING to you!" I declined and no gondola ride for me.
So now it is 2014 and I am with a tour group. Note the last word of that sentence - group! There was an option to have Alfio arrange for those in the tour who wished, to go on a gondola ride together and since the price was split up among a number of people it made the experience feasible. Consequently, now that when people ask me "Did you go on a gondola ride?" which they always, always, always do (!), I can finally answer, "Why yes I did." :)
Our gondolier was "Alessandro". A few hours before our ride I had the chance to catch this photo (one of my favourites) of gondoliers at rest. (Hmmm? I wonder if they are unionized and this was a scheduled break? I must do some research on that. )
In any case, note the man rubbing his eyes, third over from the left on the back row. That is Alessandro who later was our gondolier. (Remember to click on the pictures to enlarge.)
I giggle. When Alfio made arrangements for the gondola ride I requested of him that he ensure that my gondolier group got a good looking one. When Alessandro was assigned, Alfio turned to me and said, "He is quite good looking, isn't he? "
Yes, Alfio, he was cute. Job well done. :D
Alessandro did share some information about himself. We laughed when he explained how he is not a good driver of the car, but has no worries on the water.
When asked about how one becomes a gondolier, he said you usually learn when you are young. He said he learned from his father. He said it takes a lot of practice.
He said he was often nowadays quite shocked about some people he takes on the gondola - how they sit and immediately begin to text on their phones rather than look out and enjoy the actual city, the bridges, the unique experience! He said it was "A different world nowadays. "
Later he said how he really appreciated we had taken an interest in his life by asking him questions etc.
I must say I did
enjoy it. Seeing the city from the level of the water was a very
different experience from tramping along its calles and lanes and over
its bridges.The water seemed so very dark and inky and mysterious.
Lovely, lovely, lovely.
As we were skimming along we went under a bridge where Alfio was standing. We called out to him and he waved and smiled. If I told you I deliberately blurred this picture of him to highlight the sense of movement and "be creative", would you believe me?
This is a travel memory I cherish of the Rome subway and the Roman people.
Side note: Travel story #2
on the Rome subway will be much more dramatic, but you'll just have to
wait for that one until I have the time and inclination to do it
justice. So stay tuned.
In the meantime (woman!)
get on with your story!!!
(Oh, alright, okay then.)
This occurred on the final day I spent in Rome. Although Rick Steves' had provided us each with a 3 day pass for the subway while on its tour (very, very handy), on the final day I was on my own having decided to stay one extra day to see the Borghese Gallery. As such, my subway pass was no longer valid.
No worries. I was familiar with the system having been riding it for a few days and during that time I had taken note of the subway ticket booths in each of its stations. No problem-oh.
As usual, life doesn't always work as you had planned. The final day of my tour was a Sunday and to my wee dismay all the subway ticket booths were closed. So now what? Walk? Well, from where I was to where I was going, doable but not really a great option. Or attempt to get a ticket from the subway ticket dispenser machine. Yes, of course, that was the only sensible thing to do. Deep breath Carolynn! You can do it!
Now don't think that the Roman people aren't fully aware of the reality of the tens of thousands (probably 100s of thousands) of English speaking people who flock to their city each year and may wish to ride their subway. I state upfront that directions in English was available.
I even had my two Euro coins (the ride only 1.5 Euro). I stood in front of the machine and pressed a button. It showed one ride, total 1.5 Euro. GREAT!
However, that's where any 'greatness' ended. I had no idea what to do after that point. I pressed another button and it bumped it up to two tickets.
I cancelled it.
I pressed that same button again and it bumped it up to two tickets.
I cancelled it.
I stood before the machine doing nothing. I pressed that same button again and it bumped it up to two tickets.
I cancelled it once again.
That is when the very nice, very good looking Italian man (how is it that there is such a high percentage of good looking Italian men?) standing behind me tapped me on the shoulder. He didn't speak any English, but he was smiling and very, very patient as he gestured me, quite elegantly I might add, through the process.
He must have been related to my Regina "car wash man" given how in no way, shape or form did he make me feel stupid, or show any annoyance. Si, si, yes, yes, it is true it was in his own self interest to help me, but you know he didn't need to do it so beautifully, patiently and graciously. There are lovely people out there.
This is a tale of lost and found, calamity and triumph, dismay and elation. It is a story, moreover, that I have been given permission by Jon, one of its chief characters to write about (just in case anybody had concerns along that line).
It is story that highlights admirable character traits in both of the two main players in the story - Jon, fellow group traveler, and Alfio, our valiant Rick Steves' tour guide and leader (Sicilian-Italian born and bred).
Now that hopefully I have your attention, on with the story....
As I am sure you can imagine, it would be a worry - nay, a nightmare - for many travelers - especially if traveling in another country, on another continent, far, far from home - to lose an important piece of one's luggage. Alas, such was the case here. While making our way from our hotel in Venice to the outskirts of the city to a bus parking lot, Jon discovered he had set down, and then forgotten to pick up again, one of his pieces of luggage - a light backpack. It was left behind - Ciò che rovina! - on one of Venice's public 'vaperetto' boats (Venice's equivalent of a public transit bus). While it did not contain money, credit cards or passports (thank heavens), it did contain some expensive electronics - to whit, Jon's laptop.
I was standing nearby when Jon brought this more than a little unfortunate situation to the attention of Alfio, our aforementioned leader of our little flock.
It took Alfio only a split second to comprehend what had happened. After his initial reaction (spoken without any sort of expression at all, completely deadpan- "You are kidding me") Alfio went into immediate action. He had some sort of communication apparatus with his tablet and he was in instant communication with a fellow Rick Steves' staff member, Monica, resident in Venice.
I was still nearby when Keli, Jon's wife, learned what happened. After breaking the news, the first thing out of Jon's mouth was absolutely wonderful. To swiftly allay any worries or anxieties his wife may feel, he said, "It is still going to be a fantastic holiday!"
I was stuck by how admirable and positive this statement was and what a great attitude to take in the situation. I am not sure I could have handled it so well. So very well done Jon! Your comment does you credit. Nevertheless, I did feel for them both, wishing it hadn't happened and hoping that the laptop could - against all odds - be recovered.
As you may have already guessed the missing laptop - si,si, against all odds - was found! And I was lucky enough again to be standing nearby, only a couple of hours later when we were in line at an Italian "Autogrill" at a at our first bus/rest stop.
Alfio had just told Jon that his backpack was found and his laptop was still there as well. Alfio passed his headphones over to Jon so Jon could speak to the invisible, but obviously powerful and competent Monica, to learn more about it. In spontaneous gratitude Jon exclaimed, "Monica, you are my favourite Italian!"
What happened next made me laugh, albeit only inside. Alfio's response to Jon's statement, made again with no expression in his voice at all and to no one in particular, said softly to the universe, "Already I am second."
I still giggle when I think of it. However, I do want to stress that Jon did give full and unmitigated thanks to Alfio only a minute or two later, as well as on the Rick Steves' website. It was just that it was amusing to me at the time and a memory I wanted to keep: A memory of how calmly, professionally and successfully Alfio was in handling this distressing situation, as well as a memory of how positive and mature Jon was in the face of this distressing situation. Well done both of you!
I think this story calls for another picture (or two) of Venice... but this time no canals. (Once again - for best results click on the picture to expand to full screen, and then click at the bottom to advance pictures.)
When I was with Marco on my photo walk we covered quite a few topics. To set up this story I must delve deeply into my memory of events from my very distant past (over 30 years ago!)...
Flashing back to 1981 when I was in Venice with my good friend from high school Donna (a different Donna from the one on this recent Rick Steves' tour), there were cats all over Venice lounging and draped over many of its bridges. Quite the sight as you may imagine. However, it wasn't surprising since, given Venice's unique character and position as a sea port, it has quite a rodent problem, in particular rats. (YUCK!) Venetian cats had been famous to keep this problem in check.
I had never forgotten, so pleasenow flash forward (back?) to 2012 when I was in Venice with my good friend from university, Peni. I had told her about all these 'Venetian cats". However, when we arrived, although an odd one was spotted here and there, in essence, there were almost none about. I recall that Peni (a strong animal lover and advocate) said to me (in a slightly accusatory tone), "Where are all these Venetian cats you told me about?"
So now let's flash to May 2014 (flash back? flash forward? - ah, who cares....) and my walk with Marco...
He shared that his wife is a vet and that she is currently involved in an interesting Venetian city project...
He said all the feral cats in Venice in the past were becoming a huge problem and that something had to be done about them. He said he agreed with this decision but "like always Venice did it wrong".
Venice got rid of all its stray cats and passed a law that all cats have to be kept indoors and/or contained within its private courtyards. However, this resulted in a huge increase in the city's rat population. So now what to do?
Marco's wife is involved in a project that is introducing feral cats back into the city - in a very controlled manner, including ensuring they are fixed. As we walked Marco pointed out some stray cat shelters that have been set up for them.
Cool.
In the meantime, here are a few other pictures, including one of Marco (I know you were interested).
The shop - Alta Acqua Libreria -we are in (look it up in tripadvisor!) is absolutely bizarre - everywhere there are books strewn about and other "stuff" piled up. There was even a staircase of books against a wall. I climbed up it to look over to see a canal. If you are worried whether you are a hoarder, then compare yourself and your place against this one! (Note: the man with the cat is not Marco. He is the owner of the shop. Marco appears a little further on.)
Given that I am involved in Occupational Health and Safety, love this Venetian signage for the Emergency Fire Exit!
Just pictures this posting - i.e. no story as per the last posting... hopefully they will have captured the essence of Florence for you. As before with each picture, best to click on them to view them full screen for your viewing pleasure. Then just click to move to the next.
Some notes - not in order of pictures, but you'll figure it out.....
Of the "Rape of the Sabine Women" by Giambologna. This has been in the public's Piazza della Signoria's Loggia dei Lanzi since 1574 or so. (Side note: in the 16th century this title meant 'abduction' and represented a time in legendary Roman history when the first Roman men needed brides and abducted them from a nearby settlement of the Sabine people.)
Of the Michelangelo - he had intended this for his own tomb and shows a self portrait in the figure of Nicodemus. He carved some of it, but some was carved by his assistants.
Of the "Gates of Paradise" by Ghirberti. This is a picture of the original, now in doors. Replica's are on the Baptistry where they were intended. When Michelangelo saw them he called them the "Gates of Paradise". My eyes are viewing what he did! - and we came to the same conclusion! Incredible work of art.
Of the Bernini portrait bust of his mistress Contanza Piccolomini. I was so excited to see it (almost missed it but fellow traveller Donna pointed it out - THANK YOU DONNA!) The museum guide came up and whispered, "You can take a picture of it." I was surprised. Pictures weren't allowed in this museum. She kept nodding. "Yes. Take it." So I did.
Story: Bernini did this bust of her before she had an affair with his brother. He almost beat his brother to death and in a rage scarred her forever by slashing her face. Then she was arrested and served 4 months as an adulteress before being released back into her husband's care. Bernini didn't suffer any punishments because???.... Because he was Bernini.
Of the Fountain of Neptune: It was done by Bartholomeo Ammannati in 1563. (I don't think this is the original.) In any case, Michelangelo hated it and thought it was a waste of good marble. (And he told Ammannati so, too.)
Floor of the Baptistry: Incredible. Couldn't capture its outside, though because all in scaffolding.
Of the wild boar: Shiny nose from everybody petting it. The legend (mirroring the one re: Trevi's Fountain in Rome) is if you place a coin in its mouth and it falls into the grate below, you will return to Florence. I did and it did. :)
Nicodemus
Hope you enjoy. I did.
