Venice, Italy With Side Trips To Murano And Burano

The sixth port on our Mediterranean dream vacation was Venice, Italy.  Being in Venice was definitely a dream come true for us.  The thought of sitting in a gondola as it makes it's way through the narrow canals, a gondolier serenading us with popular Italian songs... no, we didn't do it.  I know it's something you do if you are lucky enough to be able to visit Venice and we did think briefly about doing it but we are not that romantic I guess.  We did think it was amazing to just watch them, though, sailing through the canals with couples who looked like they were having a great time.

Before we went to explore the city of Venice, we had a Murano Glass and Burano Lace Excursion scheduled.  But, before anyone left the cruise ship to go anywhere, we were warned by the Captain that we were not supposed to make it obvious, by wearing our ship passes around our necks, that we were cruise ship passengers.  There was supposedly a huge protest happening at the moment, he told us, against cruise ships using the busy Guidecca Canal.  We don't wear our passes like some other passengers do, but we tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.  So after nervously looking around  to see if it was safe to get off the ship (that was me, Soko was fine), we boarded a private motorboat that took us through the Venice Lagoon to the floating islands.  

Our first stop was Murano.  Our guide took us directly to a glass shop where we watched a glassblower turn a piece of glass in to a beautiful vase.

The demonstration was really fun to watch but took a long time, so when our group was being led by the tour guide into the shop upstairs, I pulled Soko off the line and out into the little town.  I needed to find the Comet Glass Star that I had read about in Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports guidebook.  Thank goodness we bought the sim card for my phone so that we had the internet and could use the GPS to get us quickly to Campo Santo Stefano, where the star would be.

 From there, we only had a few minutes to poke our heads into some of the shops and buy some glass necklaces.  We definitely needed a little more time to enjoy Murano.

After shopping, we ran back to meet our group and settled into the motorboat for our ride to Burano.

We were left to wander around Burano on our own and we had more than enough time to explore this tiny island.  The first thing we wanted to do was find the lace that Burano is famous for.  We found it everywhere!  But we didn't buy any of it.  It cost tons of euro for the tiniest piece of lace.  We decided that window shopping was all that we would do here.  We did take some pictures of the lace though.

Burano is absolutely the most colorful place we have ever been in.  I would guess that it would be very hard to be unhappy on island that is so alive with color!

The Tre Ponti (Three Bridges) is a wooden bridge that connects three canals and three of the most colorful streets of Burano.

And just when we thought things couldn't get more colorful, we came upon the House of Bepi!  The most colorful house on the island.

We loved Burano and were glad we had enough time to really enjoy it.  But now it was time to get back to the motorboat and Venice.  We were excited to have extra time in Venice as our ship was anchored for an overnight stay which meant we could enjoy a dinner and evening out.

The first thing we did, after the motorboat dropped us off, was find a place to eat.  It was easy.  The dock where we were left off was lined with outdoor cafes.  We had fun people watching as we ate our caprese salad and lasagna.

After dinner we walked to St. Mark's Square.  It was a lively area and very beautiful all lit up for the evening.

From there we went to see one of the world's most famous bridges.  The Rialto Bridge crosses over the Grand Canal and what a view we had of the canal as we walked across the bridge. 

It was one of the most amazing bridges I have ever seen, and I am very happy to have pictures of us next to it!

We had a great first day in this port.  It was so nice to know that we would be back in the morning to explore more of this gorgeous city.  But now it was time to get back to our cruise ship.  I was a little nervous about this.  Although we had not seen the protesters the Captain had warned us about, I had been staying aware of our surroundings.  

In order to be taken back to our ship, we had to wait in a designated area on the dock for a tender boat to pick us up.  These areas were clearly and obviously marked with the name of the cruise line to help us and other passengers get back to the right ship.  How inconspicuous are we going to look standing on this line.  Not at all, I thought as I (not Soko) nervously waited for our ride.

Day 2 was a Sunday so we started our day with mass at the beautiful St. Mark's Basilica.   One mistake we made was to book and buy tickets to take the tour here.  We didn't realize that there was nothing more to see, unless you wanted to pay extra to walk around the altar, that we didn't see when we went to mass. 

We always enjoy going to mass when we are on vacation because each church is unique and has it's own personality.   We were very happy that we had the opportunity to attend mass in Venice's most famous church.  Of course, we couldn't understand a thing, but the order of the mass is the same at every catholic church the world over so we knew what was going on.   We were just not sure why the priest lit so much incense, though.   By the time he was done walking up and down the aisles with it, we were sitting in a thick cloud of smoke.

After mass and the tour of St. Marks, with our must see list in hand, we headed for our first sight, Doge's Palace.  

Unfortunately, the line was so long and we just didn't have enough time to wait on it.  We walked around the building to see the Bridge of Sighs.  When I was a kid, I remember hearing of this bridge and thinking it was the Bridge of Size.  Now I know it was named by Lord Byron who said that prisoners would sigh at their last view of Venice before their imprisonment.  

By this time, we were getting hungry.  We didn't have a place to eat picked out for lunch so we decided to walk around the city and see what caught our eye.  The walk itself was fun with all the bridges you had to go over to get around town.

We ended up at a cute restaurant and once we sat down we found out, from a plaque close to the table, that we were sitting in the same spot where Peggy Guggenheim, in 1949, sat "carefully planning her famous collection of cubist surrealist and expressionist paintings and sculptures."

The menu the waiter handed us did not cater to English speaking tourists at all like every other menu we were given so far on our vacation.  I did recognize the words "street food" though on the description of this dish and I did figure out that it was a serving for two people.   So that's what we ordered and we had fun figuring out what was what.   All we really knew was that everything was delicious!

I decided I wanted to see Liberia Acqua Alta, after I read about it in a blogger's travel blog, so we headed over after lunch.  It's a quirky bookshop that displays their books in not the usual manner, stacked on bookshelves.   Actually there are quite a few on bookshelves but some of the books are in toilet bowls among other things!  We like to visit quirky sights when we are on vacation because it is just fun.  The giant troll under a bridge that we went to see in Seattle is still my favorite crazy sight.

After the bookstore, it was time to start heading back.  We stopped for gelato and window shopped as we made our way to the dock to board our tender.  We passed so many nice shops selling everything from pottery to shoes and lots of souvenirs, but the cutest window we peeked in that day was at the pizza shop that created these adorable faces out of pizza dough.

We made it back to the dock and boarded the tender and were thankful we didn't have any issues from protesters while we were in Venice.  We wondered why the Captain warned us about them.  We took a picture of the Campanile, the bell tower for St. Mark's Basilica, as we sailed toward the ship.

Our cruise ship pulled out of the Venice port just as we sat down to have dinner at our usual table by the window, which we loved.  Soko took a picture of me as we passed Venice.  

About 2 minutes after this picture was taken, the calm waters were invaded with protesters.  I don't know how many boats there were following our ship.  Then the law enforcement appeared and they started shooting smoke bombs and everything just turned from calm to chaotic in a very short time.  I was fine until my imagination started running away with me and I imagined that the protesters had more than smoke bombs and whatever they had would be used to damage the ship and we would be sinking in just a few minutes!

Well, I am here writing this post so we did get out of Venice safely and we were off to our next stop, Split, Croatia!  

Go here to read about our fifth port, the Amalfi Coast, if you missed that post.

Souvenirs To Buy In Europe

We are counting down the days until we leave for the cruise we booked over a year ago.  Half of the fun of going on vacation is the planning and anticipation.  We had a year to plan and spent hours researching every port and every city we will be in during our 12 day Mediterranean cruise.  We want to make sure we don't miss seeing something while we are in Europe because we might not ever get back there and to these countries again.  Besides for what we have to see and eat (like gelato!) I started thinking about what souvenirs we should look for in each of the countries we will be visiting.  We don't want to come back with a suitcase full of magnets and tee shirts!

One thing for sure that we will be bringing back is beautiful Murano glass.  My sister brought me back a beautiful Murano glass necklace when she visited Italy and I would love to bring her, and the other girls on my list, something as beautiful.  We have an excursion booked to take a boat ride to the island of Murano in Venice just so I can go shopping there!

Besides for the Murano glass we will want to bring back other memories of our vacation.  This is our list of things to look for in the 5 amazing countries we will visit.

In Spain (Barcelona) we will look for:

Turron - is a nutty confection or nougat that can be soft or brittle.  I'm sure I will sample each of them then bring both types home because they sound sweet and delicious.

Espadrilles -  These are traditional cloth shoes made of tough Mediterranean grass.  I read that Tyra Banks buys hers in Barcelona.

Vermouth - I will be looking for the bodegas that sell their own blended Vermouth (vermut casero) mixed with a variety of spices.

Spanish cava - is a wine with no added sugars.  I heard that Brut Extra was a popular choice.

Caganer figurines - This is a small figurine of a man pooping (sorry!).  It represents the equality of all men.  You will find these figures in nativity scenes at Christmas.  I'm not sure if I will bring one home, but I definitely want to see one!

Barca Football Club items - We call it soccer in the US.  I think a couple of the guys on our list might like a jersey so we will keep a look out for them.

In France (Nice) we will look for:

Santons - They are small earthenware figurines that, like the Caganer figurines are used to decorate nativity scenes.

Herbes de Provence - When we are back home, miles away from the French Riveria we can still enjoy the flavors of Provencal cuisine.  I have a few people in mind that would love a package of this mixture of dried herbs.

Terre e Provence -  Beautiful, colorful handmade ceramic pottery.  I know I'm going to want to bring back at least one piece!

Soap - I have been seeing so many posts raving about the soap.  I definitely will not be happy with myself if I didn't bring back at least one bar.

Lavendar bags - This is a typical souvenir of this region.  My luggage will smell heavenly if I buy a few of these!

Local household linen - This is another item that seems to be a typical souvenir.  I will have to at least find a shop that sells them to have a look.  I think they may be a bit too expensive for our budget though.

Olive dish -  This sounds really unique.  It is a special serving dish that is separated into 3 parts.  One for the olive, one for the toothpicks and one for the pits.

Le Petit Prince - I would like to find a copy of one of France's most loved fairy tales.  It would make a great addition to the library we have in our home for our grandson.

In Italy (Florence, Rome, Almalfi Coast, Venice) we will look for:

Pottery - Italian pottery is handmade, hand-painted ceramic works of art.  They are beautiful and colorful kitchenware.   I think they would make a very appreciated gift to bring back.  I know that I will not be able to come home without a plate or cup for myself.

Murano glass - We are going to the direct source of this beautiful glass when we visit Murano, but I know we can find this all over Italy.  Besides for the glass jewelry, which I know we will be buying, we also will be looking at the other unique, hand-made items made with this glass.  We will be keeping an eye out for the letters PRC on any of the glass items as this will tell us it is not authentic.  All of the glass should actually come with certificates of authenticity if they are Murano.

Chocolate - Perugina, Caffarel and Venchi chocolates are a must for me to bring back...for myself!  I heard you can get these chocolates wrapped in beautiful packages so it will definitely be a nice souvenir for that person who cannot fit one more knick-knack into their homes!

Salt - I heard there are salts in Italy that you can't find in the US like truffle-speckled.  This would make a unique gift.

Pinocchio - dolls and other toys with his image.  I have a couple of kids on my list.  Our bags will probably be filled with Pinocchios!

Carnival masks - are beautiful, I heard, and we can find them all over Venice.  I will probably look for pins or something a little smaller than an actual mask to bring home though.

Torrone - is a nougat made with honey and nuts.  I will be looking for cream colored candies and not white ones that are sweetened with sugar instead of honey.

In Montenegro (Kotor) we will look for:

Wine - Native home-made wine to buy here, and the most famous, are Vranac which is a red wine and for white wine lovers Krstac would be the choice.  The best brand sounds like it would be Plantaze.

Brandy - A very popular drink is rakija.  People of Montenegro often have a shot of this drink in the morning, but more often they have it when they are eating a snack of prosciutto and cheese.

Brojanica - This is a bracelet that doubles as a prayer rope, similar to rosary beads.  It is woven from sheep's wool to remind people that "they are only the lambs of the Lord."

Kapa - This is an authentic Montenegrin cap.  The black on it hints of a beautiful past and the red represents the bloodshed in removing the Ottoman hold on the country.

In Croatia (Split) we will look for:

Ties - I just found out from doing this research that Croatia is where the tie was invented.  There is a well known tie shop in Split, called Croata, where we can buy ties.  I saw a picture of one that had the Glagolitic alphabet* in the design.  This would make a very unique and very nice gift.
*The Glagolitic alphabet is an ancient slavic alphabet that was created in 9th century and used for over 1,000 years.  These letters can be seen on many different souvenirs you can buy in Croatia.

Licitar heart - These are heart shaped honey cookies you give to show your love to someone.  They are beautifully decorated and people use them to decorate their Christmas trees.

(Couldn't find the cookie but I am sure this ceramic replica will bring back wonderful memories!)

Croatian wattle - It is a special design found on many churches.  We can buy crosses with this design on them in Christian souvenir shops.

Sibeviks button - This is rarely used as a button but can be found on jewelry.  The button is hollow on the inside and beautifully ornamented on the outside.

Kras candy - Their specialty is Bajadera which is a nougat candy.  They also make delicious pralines (Griotte) and milk chocolate (Dorina).

Morcic - This is a Croatian good luck charm.  It is a black head wearing a turban or plume.  It is usually found on earrings, rings, pins and brooches.

Linolada - I took note of this snack because I know my daughter will love it as it supposedly is "even better than Nutella"!

I like to buy ornaments when we are on vacation to display on our Christmas tree.  I love seeing them once a year and reminiscing about the trip.  I will try to find one in each of the five countries.   I know the ornament I will buy in Croatia will be the Licitar heart.  Another memory jolter for me is music.  I will try my best to buy some kind of CD that will bring back memories of our vacation.

I am thinking that I might also be looking for a bigger suitcase.  Either that or we'll just plan another trip so I can finish my shopping.

Note:  We are back so I am updating this post with pictures.  We actually found, and bought, lots of these souvenirs!

Must See In Split, Croatia - Preparing For Our Mediterranean Cruise

Bad news!  We were just informed by our cruise line that we will not be going to Ravenna, Italy.  No mosaics, no Basilica of San Vitale, no Mausoleum of Galla Placida and no chance of possibly seeing Bologna.  The regulations have changed and now our ship is over the size limit of what is allowed to come into this port.  But the good news is that we get to visit another country we have never been to before, Croatia.  We have heard that this is a beautiful country and we are very excited to explore the city of Split after researching the area.

There's no need for us to book an excursion here.  It is only a short but uphill walk to the Old Town and the other sites on our list.  

Diocletian's Palace is more a citadel than a palace.  It was Roman Emperor Diocletian's retirement home.  Today it is the central hub of Split where 2,000 people live or work.  We will be walking on original Roman streets that cut through the palace as we follow Rick Steve's walking tour through this massive place.  

1.  Palace Facade View - We can stand in front of the palace and face the water to enjoy the view Diocletian had when he walked past the row of 42 arched windows we will notice on this side of the palace.

2. Cellar Entrance -  Long ago this cellar was filled with water then later used as a dump.  Now it houses art exhibits and souvenir stands.  In a well-preserved area down here we can see ancient Roman engineering.  There is a charge to enter the cellar but if we decide to pay to have a look around, we will be able to see where scenes from The Game of Thrones have been filmed.  We have never seen this show but we will probably be wanting to after our visit here.  We can also see a headless and pawless sphinx and the bust of Diocletian.  I would love to get a glimpse of what this extravagant  Emperor looked like.

3.  Peristyle Square - We are excited that we will get to see two 3,500 year old, mostly intact, Egyptian sphinxes here that were brought to the city by Diocletian.  

4.  Entry Vestibule - This grand entrance into Diocletian's living quarters was meant to impress visitors.  It's here that we will hear an all-male a cappella group singing traditional songs.

5.  Cathedral of St. Domnius is the oldest cathedral in the world.  It was Diocletian's mausoleum but then converted into the town's cathedral. We will see the original ring of 24 supporting columns and the cathedral's wooden doors which have survived since the year 1200.

6.  Jupiter's Temple/St. John's Baptistery - We will look for a statue of St. John the Baptist, done by the great Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic, and for a vaulted ceiling that is considered to be the best preserved of it's kind anywhere.  Every face and each patterned box is different,

7.  Cardo is the most important street in the palace.  It connects the main entry with the heart of the complex.  We will see many impressive buildings and we will pass the City Museum but I will be focused on finding Nadalina selling dark chocolate using Dalamatian flavors like dried fig and prosecco, an Italian white wine.

8.  Golden Gate was once the main entrance to the palace.  If we go outside this gate and turn to look at the palace, we can imagine what it looked like before the many other buildings were added on.

Just outside the Golden Gates on the northern wall of the palace we can see another Ivan Mestrovic statue, Bishop Gregory of Nin.   This Croatian icon helped spread Christianity into the region.  People rub the big toe of this statue for good luck.  

Historic Split is where we can find Pjaca Square.  This is where Split's old town hall is.  I can't wait to see the marble floors of this plaza and eat at one of the cafes with outdoor seating.   I will be looking for St. Anthony's statue.  The donor of this statue is seen clinging to the leg of St. Anthony as a reminder that he was the one who made this donation.  Above this statue, we can't wait to see the one of a man and a woman arguing!  These sound like two very unique statues for sure.  Radic Brothers Square or Fruit Square is a must see to enjoy beautiful renaissance architecture.  We will also find yet another Mestrovic statue.  This one is of a 16th century poet named Marko Marulic.  Will this and the other statues all have the usual Mestrovic characteristics typical of his statues?  Long, angular fingers, arms and legs and expressive, elongated faces with prominent noses.  It will be fun to be on the lookout for Ivan Mestrovic statues while we are here in Split.  And for people watching, we will visit Marmont Street where we will find Split's residents in the shops, cafes and restaurants.  We would love to take a break here and sit among the people of Croatia and eat some of their traditional foods.  We are hoping to find and try Fuzi which is a homemade pasta that is rolled around a pencil.  This pasta is usually served in different types of stews.  We also must have, because it really looks and sounds delicious, Soparnik, which is a savory pie filled with Swiss chard.  And for desert, Krostule, which is a pastry made from thin strips of dough that is tied in knots and deep fried.  After it is dusted with powdered sugar, it is ready to eat.  I really can't wait to try it.

Marjan Hill is a steep hill where we can enjoy views of the city below.  On our way up the short hill, we will see a Jewish cemetary.  Some of the tombstones here date back to the year 1700.  On top of the hill we will check out the two churches, St. Nicholas and St. Jerome.  There is an altarpiece not to be missed at St. Jerome.  We will stop at the only cafe bar on the hilltop, Vidilica, for a snack before we make our way down the hill.

We won't want to miss Split's pride and joy, their waterfront, the Riva.  This seafront promenade is lined with cafes, bars, eateries and souvenir shops.   On the west side we can find Republic square, church of St. Francis and a fountain.  And on the east side, we will see a green market. called Pazar.  We would love to try the local produce here.

Split is located by the sea so we will definitely want to relax on one of their beaches.  (I will make sure to bring an empty water bottle to collect sand here for the keepsake I will make as a reminder of our 40th anniversary dream vacation.)  There are many to choose from so we may check out a few if we have time.  Bacvice beach is a lively, crowded beach with people enjoying water sports and stylish cafes and is the only sandy beach in town.  At the foot of Marjan Hill we can find less crowded beaches.  The most popular beaches are Jezinac, Bene and Kasjuni.  

Although we are a little disappointed that we are not going to Ravenna to see the beautiful mosaics we heard so much about, we are sure that Croatia is going to be a country we will hope to get back to one day!

Stone Mountain Park Atlanta, Georgia

It was Memorial Day Weekend and the Mets were playing against the Braves in Atlanta, Georgia.  We have passed through Georgia many times on our way to visit my parents in Florida, but we never stopped, besides for when we needed gas or to use their restrooms.  We like rooting on the Mets when they are away because we get to check out a new stadium and a new city.  (Now that we live in North Carolina it is easier to see them away (Atlanta or DC) rather than going all the way to NY.) Since the Mets were playing on Memorial Day we figured we would get to Atlanta on Sunday and leave on Tuesday and make a mini vacation out of our road trip.  We wanted to finally stay awhile in Georgia  and since it was Memorial Day Weekend, we hoped to find a Memorial Day celebration

I did some research before we left and found Stone Mountain on many of the Top Things To Do In Atlanta lists.  I also found out that Stone Mountain was a monadnock which is an "isolated rock hill, knob, ridge or small mountain that rises abruptly from a gently sloping or virtually level plain."  On this mountain is an enormous carving which is really impressive, but unfortunately, controversial at the same time.  It depicts Confederate figures Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson on their horses.  We chose not to think too much about the people on the wall and more about the people who carved it, the largest sculpture of it's kind in the world.  It was interesting to find out that the first person to work on the carving was Gutzon Borglum.   He abandoned the project and later went on to begin Mount Rushmore.   It took the talents of two other men and many years to finally finish this project.  It really is an amazing sculpture.

Since we were going to get to Atlanta late in the afternoon on Sunday that didn't leave much time for sightseeing.  We decided that we would spend our first day in Georgia just at Stone Mountain.  There is an amusement park here and they were having a Memorial Day light festival in the evening so there was plenty to do to keep us entertained for the rest of the day.  We got the full park ticket that got us admittance to all the rides (except Ride the Ducks) and entertainment ($31.95)  We also paid an extra $3.00 per ticket which got us dinner and endless fountain drinks.  Of course dinner was the usual amusement park fare but we thought it was a great deal and we wouldn't have to leave the park to go find dinner and then come back.  You can only get this deal if you order tickets online.  Right now there is a great sale going on that ends July 18th.  They are offering their All Attraction Pass for only $22.95!

The first thing we did was check the schedule of the two shows.  One was a 4D movie and the other was a one man show.  We had a few minutes to get to the one man show after we got our reusable cup and our first drink of the day.   The One Man was a juggler but added different elements and  used different props to juggle that we had never seen before.  We loved the rectangular blocks he juggled with.   When he tossed them they almost looked like they were floating in air.  

Next up, we boarded the Stone Mountain Scenic Railroad that took us on a leisurely ride around the perimeter of the mountain.   We rode past the carving and got a very good view of it.   We were able to take a great picture of it as the train went slowly by.

After the train ride around the mountain, it was time to go up the mountain.  Our all inclusive ticket included the Skyride aerial tram ride up to the top of the mountain.  If we didn't have the ticket we could have climbed up.  We have never been on top of a quartz monzonite monadock before.  It really is a gigantic rock and it felt like I was walking on the moon with all of it's small craters (rock pools).  There were a couple of trees up there that found a small patch of dirt, in the crevices of the rock, to grow in.  They looked out of place to me growing out of the rock but I was very impressed with their determination to grow when the odds were against them.   We had a terrific view of downtown Atlanta from the top of this mountain.  We walked around the mountaintop to see all the different views and take lots of pictures.

Near the Skyride was Memorial Hall.  This building contained a museum and two movie theaters.  The first thing we came to as we entered was rows and rows of pictures of heroes that lost their lives so that we could live our lives freely.  There were notes and things taped to some of these photos from family of friends of these brave people.  It was a sad but wonderful memorial display.  After we spent some time here we went to find the museum.  We learned all about the artifacts that the museum had from civilizations that have lived on this mountain.  Some items dated back 12,000 years.  We learned about how the granite from this mountain helped build the local economy.  And we learned all about how the carving came to be when we watched the 11 minute film in one of the theaters.

In the early evening, we got our folding chairs and set them up on the lawn with hundreds of other people.  We ate our chicken strips and grilled chicken sandwich  dinners and enjoyed the music of the Air National Guard Band of the South while we waited for the laser show.

 

Because it was Memorial Day, there were plenty of patriotic symbols in lights and we had a chance to honor vets and current heroes with a standing ovation and moment of silence.  

After the light show which lasted almost an hour, there was a fireworks display.  We don't know how long they went on for because it started to rain for a second time, and it was coming down harder than before.   We decided to leave along with two thirds of the spectators.  There were diehards there that were sticking it out to the end.

We had a nice, relaxing time at Stone Mountain Park.  There was so much to do here and didn't even get a chance to do it all.  We missed the Antebellum Plantation with the historic manorhouses  and the petting farm.   There is also an area called Camp Highland Outpost with many outdoor challenges, like rock walls, for lots of family fun.  And if we were 50 years younger, we would have enjoyed the splash area and dinosaur play room also.  I am putting this park on our "Must See With Grandkids" list!  

On Memorial Day we went to the baseball game that we came to here for.  We also found a few other wonderful sights in Atlanta.   To be continued...

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