Aww Italy, Part IV

 Venice

A City of 118 Islands 

We arrived at the Venice train station and the first thing we had to do was cross a canal to get to our third rented home away from home. We would soon get accustomed to crossing canals, as the big island of Venice is really a group of small bits of land. If you are interested, there is a fascinating history about the marshes that became this famous seaport. 

After lugging the suitcase over the big steps, we found we were not far from our small apartment. We were happy to have a small secluded outdoor space to regroup before heading out into the great unknown!

 

Here is the small alley that led to . . .

our little patio. With the thousands of tourists, we were fortunate to land in a very quiet part of Venice. Again we were surprised that it is a very walkable town as well as easy to hop on a vaporetto or water bus. 

 

Being money conscious we never did ride a gondola while there, but really enjoyed sitting on a small canal and watching the gondoliers skull around corners, managing to avoid the motorized water taxis.

Narrow canals and narrow streets describe much of Venice. They often offer a way to escape the crowds.

Here is one of my favorite photos. I just happened to be at the right place at the right moment.

Two gondoliers on their way to work!

However, most visitors here are more interested in seeing the fabulous architecture. As we hopped on our first vaporetto going down the Grand Canal, we had no idea of where we were going or where we might hop off until we saw this marvelous church.

Santa Maria della Salute

This magnificent structure was built in 1630 as a "votive offering" in hopes that the Virgin Mary would bring health to Venice where the plague was wiping out 1/3 of the population. 

The dome of Della Salute became one of the highlights of the Venetian skyline and was later painted by many artists including . Turner, Monet, Sargent and others.

But more famous (and much more crowded) is St Mark's Square, home of St. Mark's Basilica and the Doge Palace. 

St. Mark's Piazza and Basilica

The building of this Basilica began in the 9th Century and was completed in the 1300's. With a combination of Byzantine, Gothic, and Romanesque styles there is an amazing amount of eye-candy.  Historically Venice was the commercial and naval power of Europe, so marbles and stones were imported from far away places to create some of the most remarkable pillars and carvings anywhere. 

Venice is more than monuments, canals, bridges and tourists. It is home for people who shop at the market and go home to cook. We enjoyed seeing both the beautiful history and the reality of Venice.

With one more stop ahead of us before heading home, we took the train back to Milan where we would say Goodbye Italy.

Aww Italy, Part III

 Verona, We Love You

Piazza Erba

We travelled by train from Bergamo to Verona. We had located a nice airbnb on line, which even the taxi driver had a hard time finding. The managers of the room were so hi-tech that it took quite a bit of time to figure out how to use our phones to download info to eventually get into the building then up to our room. No keys were involved! Once again, we faced the traveller's woe of trying to wander through tiny streets of old Italy and get back to our room. Thankfully, again there was a landmark Torre dei Lamberti which we could locate from afar.

Aside from seeing the famous historic art and ancient buildings of Verona, we had wonderful meals, (Mike ordered donkey meat in a pasta dinner), visited leather shops, and were just a block away from a piazza with a big marketplace. We also learned to look down as the city streets have stone sidewalks with remains of nautilus fossils.

As you might guess, this is a very attractive town for tourists. This is partially because it is the setting of Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet. One of the big things tourists do is pay for a tour to see Juliet's balcony. We avoided this for three reasons: we hate standing in line, Juliet was a fictional character, and there is no evidence that Shakespeare was ever in Italy. However there is so much more to see and enjoy in Verona.

Giardino Giusti and Palace

This garden was designed in the 1500's and was one of the most spectacular private gardens in Italy. It is full of statues, mazes, pots and citrus trees. Between storms and wars, the garden has been restored several times, but continues to reflect the style of the Renaissance period.

After enjoying the beauty of the gardens, we visited the "Giusti Apartment" which is a small part of the Palace and was lived in until 1984. This property is still owned by the Giusti family.

A glimpse of the elegance.

            

View of the garden entrance from The Apartment.


Castelvecchio Museum

Built in 1355, this is a structural masterpiece. Inside it's doors are pieces of Gothic and Romanesque art, as well as a few more modern pieces. As you can see from the picture there is a walkway around the castle itself which provides great views of Adige River and Verona itself.

I found this statue of a friend holding Mary up after the crucifixion especially moving.

 

Having gotten our steps in each day in this very walkable town, we sadly said goodbye to Verona. 

Our next stop Venice. 

Aww Italy, Part II

 

Bergamo

In my two previous trips to Italy, I became enchanted with the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria. Because our plans to go south from Milan changed, we looked for a hill town near Milan which landed us in Bergamo Città Alta (the hill town surrounded by 16th-century Venetian Walls.) The train station is in the lower modern city, so getting up to the Bergamo Alta meant finding the funicular or getting a taxi. 

We rented a very nice room just down the street from the pictured mustard colored building. With these small unmarked streets, it's very helpful to have a memory of where and when to turn! 

As you can see, it is a popular tourist spot, but we found it interesting to sit at a piazza and watch the families, dogs and couples wandering by.

The most famous piece of architecture here is the Santa Maria Maggiore. Because of the way the town is built, you never get a complete view of the Basilica and the walk around it includes other buildings which are attached to one another. 

Built in the 1500s, it has some astounding art/sculptures.

One of the great things about this town is that you can walk around the entire hill town, following the Venetian Wall.  It is also a way to get free of other tourists! (Being country folks, Mike and I always look for ways to away from the crowds.) 

I hope you enjoy the views

St. James Gate, made of polished marble!

Next Stop, Verona!

Aww Italy, Part I

I recently returned from a great trip to Italy. Mike and I have both been to Italy before, but this trip took us to new places, all in Northern Italy. We are fortunate to have a nephew and his wife living in Milan, so our visit started and ended there. 

Milano

The Duomo di Milano is the most famous structure in Milan and is the largest cathedral in Italy. This stunning Gothic architecture cathedral took almost 600 years to build! The stonework is unbelievable. 

Italian Alps

We spent a short time in Milan at the beginning of our trip, as we knew we would be back. We were excited to go into the Alps. Our relatives have a small but wonderfully located cabin in the mountains.

Cabin in the Alps

 

Wayne and Yoshiko, owners of the cabin.
(Wayne, if you didn't want this to go public, Sorry!)

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I'm not in Oregon!

We visited many small villages, where the history goes back beyond the Dark Ages. The astounding rock work to create the buildings is unforgettable. Having done a bit of rock work around our house myself, it is hard to imagine the labor done without any power tools, cranes, or forklifts!

My sister Janice admiring a stone roof top.

San Gaudenzio Church dates back to the 12th and 13th century.
The Romanesque facade is completely stone. 

And then there are the historic stories such as Hannibal's crossing of the Alps in 218 BC. When you see the Alps, it is really hard to imagine!

One more recent story comes from the small village of Goglio. At the end of World War II, members of the Italian Resistance Movement were trying to escape the pursuit of the German Army. As they rode in a funicular toward the boarder of Italy and Switzerland, the funicular failed and many of the Italians were killed. This little spot in the world captured my heart with the story and the one room museum full of art and the remains of the funicular.

Goglio, Italy

Paintings done by a local artist Angelo Bersani

Here are a few more photos of "Aww Italy, Part I." Next we will move on to Bergamo Alta.

Santuario di Re Madonna del Sangue

Mike down in a crevice. 

Towns we visited: Domodossela, Premia, Crodo, Baceno, Goglio, Oria, Croveo