July 24, 2012 - Venice, Italy
Although I said I was up until 1am it was actually 2am. Then I was awoken several times during the night by the loudest snorer / sleep talker I've ever experienced. I finally got out of bed around 8:30am and did some research as to what sort of tours/shows Venice had to offer. I heard opera was a must see and I noticed that there was a music festival going on called 'lo spirito della musica di venezia'. After researching for about an hour I had booked a tour to the three islands of Murano, Burano and Torcello for Wednesday (20 euro), emailed a company about a free walking tour for this afternoon, and also booked a stage play called 'Venezia' at the Teatro San Gallo. After booking the stage play I noticed that I had been redirected to a Vienna website and ended up booking tickets for a show in a totally different country. Refund policy = none. Damnit. Ok, so there goes 41 euro. Next, I found a Quattro performance that would be performing at Teatro La Fenice - Sale Apollinee (the small room) this opera house is one of the most famous in the world. The performance was called 'Quattro secoli di musica veneziana' and was part of the music festival. I thought it looked good and didn't want to make the same booking mistake online so I decided to go directly to the theater to book. First things first, breakfast and train tickets.
Breakfast consisted of a croissant and a glass of juice (free). I ate and showered and then was on my way. I knew how to get to the train station easily by following the main road. The only problem are the tourists. This has been the most packed city yet....alright, I made it to the train station and tried to book my tickets through the ticket booth. No luck so I had to go up to the ticket agent. I had previously typed out all of my dates, destinations and times on my iPad which made it easier for the agent. 45 euro later and I had my tickets to Interlaken, Lucerne, Zurich and Paris. Great! On my way out of the train station I stopped by the info booth and bought a map. Next stop; the theater. I didn't have much problem navigating myself to the theater and lucky for me they were offering a Teatro La Fenice tour and 6pm show for 15 euro. I purchased the double whammy and completed the tour. It was really interesting to see the inside of an opera house. The tour allowed you to see the royal box and offered free audio guides. That was a plus. The opera house was layered in golds, pastels, creams, chandeliers, and red velvet. Beautifully preserved.
After the audio tour I was in search for an Internet cafe to print off my ticket for tomorrows island cruise which I found quite easily. 2:50 euro for 15 minutes of Internet and all I had to do was print 1 sheet. Geez. Next, I walked around for a bit. By this time it was 3:30pm so I headed back to the hostel to change which would leave me enough time to go to the grocery store and find my way back to the theater. On my way back I stopped at L'Angolo della Pizza for a slice of four cheese pizza and a water to go. I walked back along Strada Nuova and stopped and ate my pizza on some steps by the water. Once returning to the hostel I put on a nice dress and headed for the coop that I had saw the day before when I was lost in the labyrinth of Venice. I bought a basket of peaches, 2 bananas (using the scale correctly for the first time), 2 ice tea, a big bottle of water and almonds (6.50 euro). Back at the hostel I put everything in the fridge and headed for the theater. I arrived about 45 minutes early so I browsed the gift shop and sat on the front steps until they opened the doors. Around 5:35pm doors opened and we all entered the theater like a heard of cattle. We headed up the stairwell to Sale Apollinee.
20 minutes later the show started. The band played a mix of classical pieces ranging from the 1600's - 1900's. The band consisted of 'per flauto, oboe, clarinetto, fagotto e pianoforte'. Very good music. I closed my eyes and imagined myself relaxing somewhere listening to the radio. They played for about an hour before the performance was over.
After the show I decided to browse as the evenings tend to be the most beautiful parts of the cities I've realized. While walking I decided to buy some handmade pasta and wine to take to Switzerland so that I could cook at the hostel and save a bit of money. I had to turn on my phone to google 'the best place in Venice to buy fresh pasta'. When I turned it on a few emails came through and one of them was from the show I had accidentally booked in Vienna. To my surprise I had actually booked the right show in Venice and the company had written to confirm my reservation. The show started at 8pm and I looked at my watch and it said 8pm....so I was on the move...out of fluke I was able to find Teatro San Gallo in about 15 minutes. That's a record. Time check 8:15pm. I had missed a bit of the show but the rest was pretty good. It was an English speaking performance about the history of Venice. I found it informative but very cheesy. I think that's what they were going for???
The theater was right next to Piazza San Marco which I had been at earlier in the day but thought it might be nice to see at night so I walked the one block over. The square was filled with tourists but not too many. All of the buildings in the square were lit up. Cafe's and restaurants lined the sides of the square and tucked away were stages with four piece bands playing classical music. I'm chalking Venice up as the most romantic city I've visited. At one point I was walking past a outside terrace where guests were enjoying a meal, a couple danced and the band started to play Ave Maria. It couldn't have been more perfect for a romantic couple. It was like there was magic in the air. A different sort of beauty. I stopped and watched until the band finished, snapped a few photos and headed north to the hostel. I found my way quite easily and arrived around 11pm. Wow, where does the time go. I was still full from lunch so I threw my wine in the fridge, grabbed my water and ear plugs and hit the sheets.
Tomorrow: 2:30pm: boat cruise. I need to buy a few more groceries for Switzerland: tomato, lettuce, extra virgin olive oil, zucchini and onion.
L.