Wednesday 11/11 Remembrance Day, lest we forget
The cows obviously did sleep and they didn’t wake us at dawn as Scot had predicted. We leave our secure park and head out on the highway to Venice. It is nearly 500kms to Venice so we decide it isn’t worth taking the next road down from a highway as they are dreadful here in Italy and if the tolls cost us a bit at least we will get there quickly and forgo another night stopping on the way. The fog is setting in today, but we rather think it is smog and not fog and you can smell it and really it smells incredibly bad. We have no idea why Italy would have so much smog and why you could smell it so much. As we travel to the south of Milan the smog worsens. The countryside looks very poor here. It doesn’t look like they get a lot of rain and the countryside looks very lacking in life. A lot of the buildings are quite derelict and run down. I had never thought of Italy as a poor country but from the small part we have travelled past in two days it appears as if it might well be. It would explain the amount of crime we have heard about here. I always imagined we would see the big houses with large columns in front like we have in Brisbane where there are fairly wealthy Italian families but this is not what we see here so far.
As we travel east towards Venice the smog/fog thickens. There are a massive amount of trucks on the road and we have forgotten that we have seen trucks like this in many other European countries, but not since we left Hungary. I can’t comment too much on the scenery as it was quite non-existent on a lot of the drive and as we reached Venice the smog turned into pure fog and it was thick. The road we were to take was closed without any indication of where you had to drive to go around. Why do they do that? Lucky our maps show us another way but we have to drive 30km out of our way. We are staying on a long peninsula which is slightly to the south east of Venice where we can stay. In a secure complex and get a ferry across the water into Venice. The fog is so thick we can’t see the lovely coastline that is supposed to exist just off the road we have travelled in on with its 15km stretch of beach. After what feels like a hundred roundabouts and a few tired & loud words between each other (it has been a long drive and the fog doesn’t help) we finally arrive at the campground and as usual leave any short lived emotion behind and start to settle in for the night. It is a working farm with greenhouses full of seedlings and one with geese and the last crops still in the ground ready for the winter rest. An old lady welcomes us and is very friendly and makes us welcome even though her English is limited and our Italian non- existent we get by with a smile and gestures. She apologises for the fog but says it makes for a very romantic setting wink, wink ha ha, what a hard case women who I would say has seen a lot in life as she is 80 as we find out later. The camp has a small shop selling their produce and very new and clean facilities. After a welcome hot shower I cook tea and we cuddle in to bed.
12 November Thursday
We wake around 8am as Vicki’s internal alarm clock is still working whereas mine is hidden under my pillow and if Vicki doesn’t wake then I sleep. Unfortunatly I am hard wired to sleep and if I don’t have to get up I usually don’t much to Vicki’s chagrin. It is totally misty outside and visibility is very limited as it is here in November. We get ready and go and say hello to the old ladies daughter who runs the show and very nice she is and speaks very good English. She offers to take us to the ferry which is a lovely gesture as it is dangerous to walk on the roads where you can’t see 50m in front.
We buy a 48hour ticket each as it is best value and give a bit of flexibility and we have found if you are not sure what you are going to do or go (which is most of the time in a new city) then this allows travel on bus, boat or train where applicable. Plus it is cheaper anyway then each day tickets and as we bought at 9.30am then we can at least use it on the third day morning. The ferry is not large and we leave in fog that is quite freaky but sure the pilot knows where to go. It will be a shame going in to Venice from the sea as we won’t see it clearly which we have been told is spectacular. Oh well we have learned to take the good with the bad and hey we are in Venice!! As it is a Thursday it is not too busy, we are not struggling with crowds and it all feels quite laid back and the buildings actually look cool surrounded by the flowing mist and gives the whole scene a gentle, smooth feel. We decide to head straight to San Marco square which is the tourist hotspot and we revel in the space as during the season apparently you can’t move. Vicki and I take turns going into the Basilica as you are not allowed back packs in so take turns. The floor is the best part amzing tiles and marble mosaics with intricate designs and patterns. Most churches the best is when you look up so this is a pleasant surprise. We leave the square tuck the map away as it is pointless as there are too many alleys and walkways and is best to just wander and get lost as if you keep a general direction in your head you will always find the grand canal. Again Vicki’s sense of direction is amazing as I am hopelessly confused (but happily) and we meander our way without seeing the same thing twice! Obviously there are a lot of canals hence bridges and the all differ as some are quite big and others are very small. On most of them are the Gondoliers touting business and the dark Africans selling ‘Prada’ bags for a song as they are obvious copies but considering we are seeing the real thing in the windows for up to 3000Euros maybe 30e is pretty good going and who looks that close at a label anyway. I am seriously considering buying a nice leather jacket but so far after 21 countries I haven’t found one so I am pleased to see one a couple I like and though not ‘label’ ones at 600 – 1000e at under 200E very good value these are lamb leather not cow so very soft and supple but I feel a bit thin for my rough handling so will keep looking maybe Greece or Spain will have something. At least this frees up some $$ for other souvenirs.
We cross the main tourist bridge between the islands and there are lots of tourist stalls but the prices here are really good compared to other cities we have been to for essentially the same crap with a different city name on them. We are surprised as we have been told that Venice is really exy but we are finding the good stuff such as leather shoes and quality clothes are an excellent buy and we will consider returning to boost our wardrobes at a later stage. We will return tomorrow to get a few T shirts for the little ones back home as so far they are the cheapest for the same thing (8E instead of 15E so pays to look around.
We sit in a square nearby and have our sandwiches but I am already planning a pizza lunch tomorrow as they are only 6E for the two of us. We amuse ourselves with the pigeons which really are the dumbest birds behind chooks as they scramble for any titbit. One poor one has a twig wrapped around his foot entangled with nylon or something and we try and trap the stick to get the hindrance off but they are too quick. The poor thing obviously hates it but we can’t help. There are many with stumps and deformed feet and claws so either they have been attacked by rats, string amputation, stepped on by humans or just mimicking the beggars who try every deformity & disabled trick in the book to make you feel sorry for them. I end up feeding the pigeons and not the beggars. We walk on and on and other than the same souvy shops there really are some quality goods and if not for a van that will start bulging at the seams soon we reluctantly window shop. We did however spot a post card which feature cats dressed up in clothes and one is the spitting image of our dear Freddie so had to get it. Over here is the famous Murano glass which is beautiful and very original and inventive and even though a trip to the island is considered a must we will have to leave it for another day as the mist is starting to roll in more and more and it is getting dark by 4pm. You have to be careful buying as there are the typical Chinese copies. All the shops advertise Only Italy Made, No Chinese but difficult to tell other than the price and authenticity stickers. Venice is also famous for their paper mache hand made and painted masks and the variety has to be seen to be believed. It stems from the opera (think Phantom Of The Opera and also Heath Ledger) but again there are Chinese plastic rip offs but luckily they are easy to spot (the PRC sticker helps!) We want a mask but we will wait till we see one we like. We have drink at a bar and we have wine as it is Italy. Unfortunatly the toilet is broken so timing a drink with a toilet stop has backfired. My bladder has been fantastic the last month I have definitely turned a corner. So Vicki pays a 1.50E to go but my need is not as great so hold on. However an hour later I am hurting so we find a small bar on the way back to the ferry. Ohh what heaven and with our beer and wine there is free peanuts in the shell and a large dish of crisps. A cosy bar with nice Pinot Gris and a dark stouty beer. We catch the ferry home in the dark and call our camp lady who picks us up and takes us home. Another hot shower to ease the shoulder and back muscles from carrying a pack, dinner and a drink then let’s all do it again tomorrow.
Friday 13th Friday
We sleep in a bit but still get to the ferry at 10am, an amazing effort considering our usual mucking around but we don’t want to upset our free ride. The fog is still heavy and visibility zero but the 45 minute ride is fun as there are still things to see. We head in the opposite direction first up and see some of the local markets with their fish stalls and strange veges. By heading away from main square we avoid the tourists and instead mingle with the locals some who are already into the wine and Campari, wine & soda which seems to be a local favourite here. We opt for a coffee instead given the early morning but boy a beer would be nice….. In the café if you stand at the bar and drink it is cheaper than sitting down. So every one stands at the bar so no one can get in. But most of the time it is a quick espresso for 1E then off. Given that cafes will charge 1E to use the toilet you might as well get a free drink. I feel ripped off paying to pee but can understand in these places so at least I want to subsidise a drink so what goes in is a little bit cheaper due to what has to come out. Where all this by product goes in a watery place like Venice has me beat but the waterways are not polluted as far as we can tell and there are lots of fish(mind you I can’t get close enough to see if they have 3 eyes) and little smell. We follow a different route today but still intend to follow up yesterday’s tracks and buy a few things. Today being Friday there are more tourists and a few more Asian tour groups. I swear world tourism is funded by the Chinese and good on them for broadening their horizons. Funnily enough they don’t seem to be as pushy and invasive here maybe for the need to be patient in the very narrow alleys and hundreds of turns. They also seem to be happier and more awestruck so maybe it is not just another stop off to them.
We stop at a small local pizza place where some local guys were having a slice and a beer. For 2.50E you get a large slice which is traditional thin crispy crust. Yum. We found our way back to the souvy vendors and found the best prices and got some shirts. We wanted to cross the canal and the camp lady said we cross at the Tregassari for 2E but as has happened to us a bit it had closed the day before. So backtrack again and over the bridge and through now familiar streets as we start to feel like locals. It is about now that I am grateful that my Ecco walking shoes I bought in Norway have now been well & truly been broken in and support my feet really well especially my problem arches that by now would be really hurting in runners. Plus they are warm. I have worn my warm jacket today and in total have 8 layers on plus a scarf and long johns so quite warm. The mist seems to dampen the atmosphere and can get to you. But then I have no fat layer as I have leaned up a bit on holiday.
After another hour or so of window shopping and especially admiring the many art galleries where I am getting heaps of ideas (I got my coloured pencils down yesterday and bought a sketch pad today so will start when we settle down in Greece) it is back to the ferry. We stopped at a small shop selling tobacco, alcohol and associated gifts and produce and chatted to the owner. He had been to Aussie with Round Table (Apex in Oz) He wants to go to NZ next so as usual we expound its virtues. He also explained the ways of the tides in Venice. Every year or so when the tides run high the whole city can be under water. Everywhere you go there are stacks of galvanised benches with non- slip timber as these are what the tourists have to walk on to get around when it floods. Not great for the shop owners but just a way of life as the tourist season never ends here.
I buy a bottle of the local beer for later in the van and as we walk towards the ferry our way is stopped by a huge wave of people in coming towards us. We are talking literally thousands of young men and ladies chanting and singing. When we spotted the laurel wreaths and black robes we realized it was graduation day for all the universities and they were hitting the town with their families and friends celebrating the end of their studies and hopefully subsequent successes. We stopped off at our now local bar for a drink and free nibblies and Vicki chatted to a young lady and congratulated her. Having graduated herself Vicki understood the feeling of hard work and reward so lovely to connect in a small way. The mist seems to be lifting a bit and even today the sun was trying really hard to break through and we glimpsed a blue sky for a little while. So the ferry ride on the way home offered more of a layout of Venice and gives hope that tomorrow will be clearer and give us our elusive glimpse of the city from the ferry in the morning. By now we had pretty much decided to stay an extra day and give Venice another day for who knows if we will be back again, all good intentions aside. We skype our friendly camp lady who collects us and delivers us back to our awaiting home on four wheels.
Saturday 14th November
We wake to the news from our camp lady as she takes us to the ferry that it is a sad day as there has been a devastating and cowardly attack on Paris by bastard low lifes. We are stunned and upset as we loved Paris and have got to know the French people better through meeting them through our travels and our week in Aux Les Bains where we found them so friendly and giving. Her daughter lives in Paris so she is very subdued, grateful her daughter is ok but sad all the same and there is talk that Rome & London are next. Black Friday the 13th has lived up to its name. However we are even more determined to not let these scum win so will never stop travelling and will openly visit where we like when we like. It could easily have been any number of cities we have visited and will not be held ransom by their terror and intimidation anywhere in the world. We are determined not to let this sour our day so put on a brave face and carry on.
The day is a lot clearer so we finally get a look at where we are headed and achieve a better perspective of this unique area. Even on the island we are camping on, in the high season one of the larger campgrounds can have 15,000 campers staying. Mindboggling and shows how popular it is, especially the 15km beachfront but not sure if I could enjoy that many people and relax. Let alone the numbers visiting the city in summer. I still think Autumn is the best time of the year to travel as you get the best of everything and what you obviously miss out on you gain in other areas. Today as we alight from the ferry it is noticeable that the tourist level has jumped (remember we are not tourists we are adventure travellers!) Today we purposely head over to the opposite side of the island where the tourists don’t get to see and we mingle with the locals. We stop for the obligatory coffee and stand at the bar so it is cheaper. It is difficult to remember which cafe it was even though it was only yesterday and we have to work our way back but then we remember once we go through all the places we have been. The old story where you remember something ten years ago but yesterday….. Anyway we saw where a couple will come in have one expresso both use the toilet then bugger off. After our pick me up we walk through unassuming alleys and buildings which we have to remind ourselves people are living out their normal lives, hopes and dreams whilst people like us invade, ogle and intrude in the name of tourism. I suppose that the money the tourists bring in create the whole dynamic but not sure if I could do it. But then again in a way it is probably no different than living in Maleny or on the Gold Coast. We end up at more than a few dead ends which cumulates in the inevitable canal so back track to another left or right and funnily enough see something worthwhile. For example we were on a wide path which seemed to be a popular dog walking track due to their residue when a man and his beagle came towards us. As they do the dog had a sniff and a wind up then proceeded to have a crap which funny enough he did ON the brick wall not on the footpath! It just stuck there hanging free until the owner rightly placed it into a bag. We don’t think we will see that again for as long as we live and so wish we had photographed it. Then we were on the side facing the huge cemetery island and there were water ambulances. Remember in Venice there are no vehicles of any description not even pushys and everything is delivered by boat then handcarts take everything around. Taxis are all boats and these are beautifully wooden built and quite elegant. As we walked along there was a boat unloading a casket. It was off a hearse boat with all the features of a land driven hearse with rotating trolley for ease of despatch. Thoroughly relevant but at the same time totally weird for us.
We cut through past the hospital past a school with the kids all coming out, finished for the day. Hard to imagine in this city normal activities like a school but it is easy to forget that this is like any normal living place and not just a tourist attraction. We find the best smelling pizza place with an Italian serving not an Asian, Indian or Eastern European as they are more authentic and somehow their pizzas look nicer. We ordered a pizza for 6E and very nice with a Heineken chaser. The telly was on and as in Oz when there is an attack such as Paris it is 24/7 news so we watched the footage loop as we ate. The chap working there seemed to tell us it was the work of Turkey terrorists but we could have misunderstood his limited English.
More meandering around gazing at shop windows and wishing we were millionaires with a mansion to fill but really we feel privileged to be in what some people rate the most visited city in the world with 12 million a year coming. Funny enough we find areas we haven’t seen even though we are in the same vicinity as the last two days. We find a square where we choose a quaint but busy café and have a red and a white wine and pass a quiet hour petting the inevitable dog belonging to an elderly couple next to us. This one is young and boisterous and nearly knocks over our wine. The lady working here must be 80 odd but like the camp ladies mum they don’t stop and she is busy washing, clearing and keeping an eye on who I think are her sons working the place, it has probably been in the family for generations. A brave pigeon sneaks in the room and for its daring darts under the tables but out of the range of the young dog and the old ladies feet it gets a few crumbs as a reward. They are everywhere but at least they don’t have to vacuum up with them around. We finish our wines and it is starting to darken as the mist starts creeping back in again. Funny enough we find ourselves back for a last drink at our now local bar and the lady behind the counter knows what we want without asking! We sit and have our drinks Vicki tries the popular locals, Campari drink, but a bit strong and bitter for her but finishes it easily enough. We sit and look out the window at the narrow pathway with locals, tourists and workers bustling past and I can’t help but think of Paris and how fate could have you in the wrong place at the wrong time where one moment you can be laughing and having a drink with the person you love and the next moment a madman starts shooting. And other than the last bit this is us here in Venice and at once I experience a range of emotions, from anger to gratefulness but a little bit of happiness is missing today.
As we approach the jetty a large cruise ship floats past on the way out, maybe this is where this morning’s tourists were on hence their happy demeanour cos they weren’t on a tour bus. We catch the ferry which tonight being Saturday and a bit busier is going direct to our island so 15 minutes quicker. The night is really clear out on the water and we follow the cruise ship out. We stare out the open window smell the salty night air mingled with smells of Venice and we are happy we stayed the extra day. The lights are fully out now on both islands each side of us so we are serenaded with the throb of the boat as we follow a corridor of electric stars home. Again we are collected and saved a 2km walk after a tiring 3 days which is inevitable when exploring a city and look forward to a new country in Slovenia tomorrow but no doubt we will see more of Italy a little later on.
