Plucky Survivors See Europe Day 15: Venice

Hard to believe it’s been two weeks since I’ve left and not hard at all.  The time has flown by but I feel every step I’ve taken and every one of my nearly 60 years. 

Despite it, today I got out and explored Venice, determined to find the less tourist-intensive areas I didn’t have time to visit yesterday.

It started with a walk across the Rialto Bridge to the San Polo district across the Grand Canal.  There, I explored the streets and walkways and found the Rialto Market, which on a weekend is bustling with stalls and vendors of all stripes.  This being a Monday morning there wasn’t much there but if I had been in the market for some fresh produce or seafood, I would have been in luck.

I wanted to go to the Cannaregio District, the old Jewish Quarter, which is reputed to be more residential and less crowded.  In order to get there, though, I had to cross the Grand Canal.  This involved either trekking back in the opposite direction to the Rialto Bridge or taking a “ferry” across.

Now, I’m not a fan of water in general and boats are not my favorite thing either, but I’m okay if they’re big enough.  This was basically a Venetian gondola that, despite the sign saying could only carry six passengers, was loaded up with double that.  I gripped the edge of that f-er the entire way and the four-minute trip felt like ten times that.  I won’t be doing that again.

Cannaregio is quieter than the more touristy areas, but there were still a lot of people out exploring.  Seems like I wasn’t the only one with the idea.  There are lots of stores, cafes, and restaurants but they are of a more home-grown nature.  I didn’t see a brand name anywhere, which made me happy.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise as it is a truism anywhere you go, but the further you get from the main tourist sites in Venice – St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, etc. – the more authentically Venice it starts to feel.  I spent an hour just exploring little alleys and walkways, finding little store selling hats (I tried some on – I have a huge head), guitars, chocolates, pastries, and so much more.  It was a wonderful way to spend the morning.

For lunch, I was interested in a restaurant that served cicchetti, or Italian tapas.  Lured by the smells of one place, I stopped in and ordered what I thought would be a small plate of Italian meats and cheeses.  Instead, I got a buffet.

The cheeses were mostly of the innocuous variety, but the blue was phenomenal and sinus-clearing strong.  I will be tasting that for days.  The meats included prosciutto, salami, capicola, and Italian ham and every bite was better than the last.  This ain’t Boar’s Head we’re talking here – this is the real stuff, and I could taste the unprocessed difference.  They threw in some crusty rolls and I was in heaven.

It was obviously way too much to eat, but I brought it back to the hotel for either a snack later or something to eat in the car on the way to Milan tomorrow.

From there I walked to Libraria Acqua Alta, a ramshackle bookstore that keeps a lot of their stock in bathtubs and in boats because it floods frequently enough for it to be necessary.  It’s probably mostly a tourist gimmick – there were a lot of them there – but there’s nothing like a good bookstore that is clearly designed to celebrate the written word.

After a break that, not gonna lie, involved a brief power nap, I headed back out to explore some more.  I happened upon Teatro La Fenice, the Venice opera house, which was on my list anyway so I went inside to take the tour.

The original opera house opened in 1792 and immediately became one of the leading performance venues in Europe.  It was named Fenice – Italian for the mythical bird Phoenix, rising from the ashes – because of a reverse in the fortunes of the family who built it.  But its name would be providential in that it burned down and was rebuilt twice – first in 1836 then again in 1996.

The 1996 version of the house is a mostly faithful reproduction of the 1836 version, with only technical upgrades and a few design differences – they painted the boxes blue instead of beige in the original because everyone hated them anyway.  They did a remarkable job.  If I hadn’t been told via the audio guide, I never would’ve known this place wasn’t centuries old.

A couple of cool touches.  The air conditioning and heating circulators are under the seats, allowing not only more efficient distribution but also for them leave the beautiful ceiling unmarred with vents.

The other is an exhibit in honor of legendary opera singer Maria Callas, who performed regularly at La Fenice between 1947 and 1953.  Many credit a 1949 performance at La Fenice for making her a global opera superstar.

Inside one of the smaller halls, a singer was having a rehearsal for a show that night.  It was lovely to hear music in that place, even if only briefly.

Afterward, I needed a drink, so I sat down a little trattoria in the shadow of Chisea de San Fantin, a church built in the 16th century.

Dinner was next on the agenda and I was determined not to screw up my last meal in Venice, so I did a crap ton of research while having that drink and found La Piazza, a highly acclaimed restaurant a few streets from St. Mark’s Square.

A lovely glass of wine, perfect bread (with butter, a rarity), a Caesar salad that I was assured would be small (they lie a lot here), and the best lasagna I’ve ever had.  It was so good I ate beyond the point of reason and decorum, smearing my face in the plate and growling “More.  Bring me more.”

I’m telling you, if you have the time and fortitude, don’t go into food blindly.  Take twenty minutes, do some Googling, read some reviews, check out a travel blog or two, and then decide where you’re going.  You’ll end up happier.  I know I am.

Tomorrow I’m back in the car for a relatively brief jaunt to Milan for the night, then on to Florence for one night, and Rome for the weekend.  Ciao!