After hearing countless horror stories of crowds, rude waiters and rip-off places, I honestly wasn’t expecting to like Venice … but we did … very much. The weather forecast didn’t look particularly good for the afternoon, so we took an early morning train, armed with umbrellas and rain jackets. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that busy emerging from the train station. Officials in white jackets were ensuring day visitors had paid their entry fee of €5 … but you turn … and there’s The Grand Canal … a dozen steps in front of you. Water taxis, Vaporettas (ferries), gondolas, work boats, barges, small motorboats all roaring up and down in what looks like utter confusion — I guess they know what they’re doing.

Leaving the crowded bridge behind, we dived into a network of quiet backways, tiny humped bridges, unexpected tunnels ending in green, seaweedy steps leading into a canal. About turn and try another way. This early in the morning there was hardly a soul about and we almost had the place to ourselves. In Venice!!! Of course it couldn’t last. We got swept along to the Rialto Bridge and St. Marks’ Square … the Basilica is outstandingly impressive. Waited patiently for a split-second lull to take a photo or two while there were still a few patches of blue sky remaining and the sun caught the gold and white marble.

A well-spoken older fellow wearing an official city badge stopped us and inquired whether we’d be interesting in viewing one of Venice’s famous glass-blowing factories … 20 minutes to the nearby island of Murano, where all of the glass factories are located. Not known for being impulsive, we did wonder (as we were escorted onto one of Venice’s gleaming water taxis – think James Bond Movie chase scene) whether we’d be spirited away, never to be seen again! Obviously there’d be expectations for purchases … but it was something we’d hoped to do … and with a free water taxi ride thrown in … it was well worth the chance.

Weather conditions were changing … heavy grey skies and a bit of a chop, but not much different from out on the sailboat. The heat from the furnaces hit as you walked in. We had front row seats as Simon described the process from silica to finished product … how colour was added .. the different blowing techniques. The glass factories were originally located in the city of Venice, but after a devastating fire due to the kilns, they were all relegated to the Island of Murano. Vernier Glassworks has over 25 Master artisans and we watched several fashioning dimpled drinking glasses, large, delicate clear bowls and right in front of us – a perfect Ferrari horse. Took him all of 2 minutes!!

The showrooms were stunning (as you can imagine … and see in the link) https://www.vetreriavenier.com/en/opere/vases … they did offer a 40% discount over store prices, with shipping to Canada!! So many glorious vases, lamps, ornaments … you should see the glass aquariums with jellyfish! Amazing. I think you have to have the right house … which we don’t. Although I was sorely tempted by one picture … a replica of Banksy’s Singer Sewing machine. One of a kind in greys and black with a coloured union flag, metal links embedded in the glass and a black glass frame made to look like wood. Only €8,000.00.

While eating lunch the rain returned .. we sat over coffee and cicchetti (like brusquettas), hoping it would ease. No such luck, so out came the umbrellas and we hopped aboard a Vaporetta back to Venice. There were no ticket machines, and no-one aboard seemed in the least interested in taking our money … they were more intent on getting passengers loaded and staying as dry as possible. As we entered the canals again, the sun came out and we had an unobstructed vista all the way up The Grand Canal, as river craft of all sizes converged at a bend. Very exciting.

The train trip home was uncrowded and uneventful. Italy’s unions have been striking on and off for the last couple of months but we’ve always managed to squeak through. Not so for the journey back to Rome — this is to be a two-day event. Some trains will keep running, but it’ll be a case of wait and see.

Car returned to Prato with ourselves and it in one piece. It’ll be missed. Decided to walk to the train station, but given the day had turned quite warm, it probably wasn’t the best choice <grin> … but the train trip was uneventful. We arrived in Bologna … crammed ourselves onto a number 25 bus … and got off precisely 3 stops later. Across the road, down a laneway and there was number 11 … but no-one was there to let us in. Conveniently there was a Tabacchi/coffee shop underneath so we perched ourselves on high bar stools outside, enjoyed a macchiato and waited 15 minutes for (we still don’t know his name) … a friend of the owner to arrive and show us around. He only spoke French and Italian … but a three language discussion worked brilliantly, and we were in. And what a place! Massive 10 foot doors onto the street needed two hands to push just one of them open … the apartment (third floor) surrounded three sides of the central courtyard (like a horseshoe) with it’s own garden patio off one of the bedrooms. This is obviously the owner’s place (I think she travels a lot) … there’s a little loft above the sitting/office area … a long kitchen/dining area … two bedrooms and a bathroom/laundry. It’s wonderfully light … comfortable … lived in … tons of pictures, books and ‘stuff’ to make you feel totally at home. And that patio for morning coffee or to dry washing … surrounded by geraniums, greenery and pots of oregano, mint, sage, chives and thyme. <sigh>

Although Bologna is a big city, it’s often overlooked as a tourist destination … known more for it’s university (oldest continuous one in the world), food and music culture … although one feature makes it different from any place we’ve visited — the porticos. Every street has vaulted, wide covered sidewalks protecting pedestrians from sun or rain … the design of archway or ceiling changing in front of each building — as many as 3 or 4 different styles of porticos in a block. Both elegant and practical, for sidewalk cafes too, there are 38 km of them throughout the old city.

We’ve often found that taking one of the tour buses when first arriving in a city provides great orientation … pinpointing places of interest to revisit later. This one was particularly good … the earphones worked (!) and the information was well presented. Bologna is the birthplace of at least four Popes, multiple mathematicians, scientists and artists … Guglielmo Marconi and Luigi Galvani (of wireless and galvanization fame) .. but more importantly it’s the home of lasagna, ragu al tagliatelle (spaghetti bolognaise), and mortadella … a million miles away from what is referred to as ‘bologna’. All of which we can attest as being delicious. The ragu is much less tomatoey than the version we’re accustomed to in N. America … meaty, velvety … almost creamy, and served over wider tagliatelle noodles.

Just steps away from our location there’s a fabulous market place in one direction … in another, the Piazza Maggiore with San Petronio Basillica – the 5th or 6th largest church in the world, and still not finished despite being started in 1390. The city’s signature Two Towers, dozens of museums and hundreds of renowned eateries all within strolling distance. If only you could have sampled with us the the Bologna-style ‘tapas’ from the fish market restaurant … shrimp with crispy noodles drizzled with sweet chili sauce … perfectly seared bluefin tuna with carponata (slow cooked vegetables) … filets of sardines, lightly fried and still sizzling … Queen scallop au gratin … and tuna, aubergine, mint fish balls with tatziki.

The International Museum and Library of Music was just round the corner … set in a decommissioned church with glorious acoustics and frescoes .. it houses a staggering collection of old harpsicords, spinets, pianofortes, pianos, harps, Kaliopes, wind instruments, and more. These instruments came from all over the world, and were exquisitely ornate — some dated as far back as the 1500s and all were still in playing condition. But the most captivating aspect, was a personal tour being conducted by one of their music students. She was demonstrating the finer points of each keyboard, then allowing the guest to try for himself. They were both accomplished musicians, and it was an amazing privilege to hear these ancient instruments being played as they would have been hundreds of years ago.