I wanted to spend a week away with my younger daughter –
\nage 18 at the time (June 2001) having had to leave her
\nbehind on a previous trip with my other daughter. Instead
\nof me making all the arrangements as I always had done in
\nthe past, I ended up leaving a lot to her – a valuable
\nexercise in itself for both of us!<\/p>\n
Liz chose Venice and I intervened here to suggest we
\nexplore some other places nearby too. Liz impressed me with
\nher competence in booking a flight through the internet on
\nRyan Air at one of those ridiculously low prices – a month
\nbefore due to fly. Although I then immediately started
\nmaking enquiries re accommodation, everything appeared to
\nbe booked up – or we could not book as it was on a first
\narrival first served basis – although used to travel, I was
\nintimidated by this and going to such a touristy place as
\nVenice, and therefore glad we decided to go directly from
\nthe airport to Verona.<\/p>\n
With 24 hours to go I discovered the policy of booking
\nhostels was to ring about 7am on the morning due to arrive.
\nIn the event it worked out – but I think that area of Italy
\nwould be best visited before the tourist rush – which seems
\nto be from end May through to September.<\/p>\n
I found Ryan Air comforting – the pilot chatted to us
\nand everything was very efficient. The planes do not land
\nat the main airport Venice but at small Treviso airport –
\n20 – 30 miles away. Told we could not get a bus or train
\ndirectly to Verona we bought return tickets for the airport
\nbus. Got off at the train station at Metre – the area of
\nVenice on the mainland. Train to Verona – I didn't
\nrealise I had to validate my ticket in a little box on the
\nplatform but the inspector looked at our luggage, then at
\nus – we looked a bit jaded by then – shrugged and punched
\nour tickets without complaint. <\/p>\n
Caught a local bus that took us halfway to the hostel
\nCasa Giovanni – a catholic, women's only hostel – cool
\nand pleasant (so hot out). Then we had a bit of a problem
\nfinding food – 9pm and only expensive looking restaurants –
\neventually found a snack bar. By the time we arrived back
\nat the hostel the other beds had now been occupied and we
\nturned the lights out at 11pm. A street market nearby – not
\ncheap by English standards but we used this for our
\nbreakfast. Spent the day exploring on foot – a beautiful
\ncity. <\/p>\n
Cheapest and best value meal we found was a Chinese
\ntake-away – not the usual stuff – things like battered
\nfrogs legs. Sat by the river watching the sun set – tired
\nand content – and finally feeling relaxed. Earlier we'd
\nwalked to the YH (further out of the centre than where we
\nwere staying) hoping the warden would make the booking for
\nus for our next night's accommodation.<\/p>\n
They couldn't but did give us the correct number –
\nin the book it was the fax number! The warden of Montagagna
\nYH didn't speak a word of English – somehow I mustered
\nenough Italian and we understood each other (it is French I
\nspeak, not Italian – despite my Italian name!) Next morning
\nit was lucky we got to the station early – queues to buy
\ntickets and then another to obtain information so we could
\nfind the right train! Discovered we had to change trains at
\nNagara – and the leaving time for Montagnana was the same
\nas the arrival of our train. However, everyone very relaxed
\n– it seems the trains wait for each other. Montagnana – a
\nsleepy town – and a good place to relax. The YH (in a watch
\ntower in the ancient town walls) had only 4 of us staying
\nthere. Friendly warden, despite the language barrier.<\/p>\n
Next day to Venice – up very early to go to the unmanned
\nlittle station. At Mestre I bought a 3 day pass to use on
\nthe canal boats and local buses – well worth it, but not
\nquite the deal I thought – it did not cover the boat from
\nthe camping site at Fusima, where we were staying, to
\nVenice. So we mostly used the bus via Mestre each time –
\nonly 1 an hour. Fusima is not somewhere I would recommend –
\nit is a campsite for 18-30 type clubs – very noisy for much
\nof the night and the cabin we were in was not any more
\nsound-proofed than a tent… apart from the difficulty in
\ntransport.<\/p>\n
Venice was crowded in the tourist areas – such as St
\nMarks Square – but not so bad a bit more off the beaten
\ntrack. I did find the locals unfriendly and not many
\nappeared to speak English – they must be fed up with being
\nbesieged by foreigners, even though that is how they make
\ntheir money – and everything is expensive. We found a
\nsupermarket at long last and I stopped feeling so anxious
\nabout how we were going to afford to eat.<\/p>\n
Some highlights for me were Santa Maria della Salute and
\nthe orchestra (including piano!) outside, Peggy Guggenheim
\nexhibition, street music in the Jewish quarter, and the
\nisland of Burano (brightly painted little houses,
\n'granny' underwear on the washing line in a little
\npark, wine and fresh fish in a little restaurant), and
\ndiscovering an Italian 'fast food' restaurant in
\nMestre – Bis (does not resemble an English fast food
\nestablishment!).<\/p>\n
I wanted to spend a week away with my younger daughter – age 18 at the time (June 2001) having had to leave her behind on a previous trip with…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"css_class_manager_body_classes":"","css_class_manager_use_in_post_loop":false},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[38],"class_list":["post-389","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archive","category-main-article","tag-july-2002"],"yoast_head":"\n