Departure from Venice

Note:  It is beyond frustrating when you are trying to write a blog and, in spite of promises of WiFi access, there is such a poor connection that it takes 10 minutes just to open the page!  So, I have had no success for the last few days.  Thankfully, I did draft some for use as soon as I got online.  It seems today the WiFi is a bit better so I will do what I can to post a couple of blogs.

We boarded the ship on September 19^th but were free to go back into Venice that evening as the ship didn’t actually depart until the following evening.  So, after the lifeboat drill, Pat and Martyn, a couple I had met on the last VTA cruise, and I took the People Mover and a vaporetto back into Venice to the Rialto Bridge.  There, we were meeting my London friends, John and Pedro, for dinner.  It was Martyn’s first visit to Venice and it was a perfect evening.  It is hard to beat the views from the bridge of the Grand Canal at night.  We had a good dinner at Riva del Vin, a restaurant right on the edge of the canal.  My mushroom ravioli with a cheese sauce (probably Asiago) was delicious. 

After dinner we returned to the ship.  While using the People Mover from Piazzale Roma to the port is quick and cheap, I sure wouldn’t recommend it if you have luggage.  It is a long walk from the station to the docks.  However, without luggage it is easy.  I had used the Alilaguna (Blue line) to get to the port from Piazza San Marco and it was a much better solution.

Before detailing what I got up to on the day’s excursion, a little background on Venice would be helpful – although probably most people know about this.  The following is from the cruise handout.

From the 9^th to the 12^th century, Venice developed into a city state (an Italian thalassocracy or Repubblica Marinara:  the other three of these were Genoa, Pisa, and Amalfi).  Its strategic position at the head of the Adriatic made Venetian naval and commercial power almost invulnerable.  With the elimination of pirates along the Dalmation coast, the city became a flourishing trade centre between Western Europe and the rest of the world, especially the Byzantine Empire and Asia.  Venice became an imperial power following the Fourth Crusade which, having veered off course, culminated in 1204 by capturing and sacking Constantinople and establishing the Latin Empire.  Thanks to its position on the Adriatic Sea, Venice always traded extensively with the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim world.  By the late 13^th century, Venice was the most prosperious city in all of Europe.

Now, let’s get back to the present.  The following morning, the first of the excursions included with this cruise took place.  Actually, there were two options:  a walking tour of Venice or a trip to Murano and Burano.  Because I had been in Venice for the previous three days (and there for 12 days in February), I opted for the trip to the islands.  I had never visited Burano and was delighted at the opportunity to do so.

The first stop was Murano where we were deposited at a private pier, owned by a glass factory.  We were given a glass blowing demonstration followed by an opportunity to shop in the factory’s store.  It was too bad that that was about all we saw of Murano; however, as I have been here several times before, it was okay.

Then, it was just a matter to have the 25 minute or so boat ride to Burano.  Not having to use public transport was a treat as the schedules are sometimes quite challenging and the ride to Burano from Venice has several stops so it takes a while.  Of course, we went directly from the port to Murano then from there to Burano.  We were given about 1 ½ hours to wander around the village.  While Murano is famous for its glass making traditions, Burano is famous for lace, biscuits and its colourful buildings.  The brightly painted houses here give the small fishing village a cheerful character.  What surprised me is that I found much nicer Murano glass products on Burano so the local economy was somewhat stimulated by my purchases.  I did inquire about a tablecloth (not lace) that I spotted in a window that would have looked nice in my sunroom.  However, I should have clued in when the gal took my upstairs and started talking about how the tablecloth was hand-stitched and embroidered that it was out of my price range – and it was!  I thought €600 for a tablecloth was more than a bit much!

We were back at the ship by mid-afternoon which provided the chance for a rest before starting the evening festivities.  On this cruise are two couples whom I met on my last VTA cruise.  We all met for drinks at the Lido Bar as the ship set sail out of Venice.  We were so lucky as there was an amazing sunset so the views of Venice were simply stunning.  It was one of those magical moments that you know you are never going to forget as long as you live!

Overnight, we sailed to Ascona which is down the coast from Venice.  Our excursion there will be to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Urbino, the birthplace of Raphael.