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Travel to Vicenza, Italy: October 9 to 21, 2007

We flew to Venice with Malev Airlines which meant a layover in Budapest. The flight from Budapest to Venice was with a propeller airplane, the first I have flown with in more years than I can remember. Surprisingly, the flight was smooth, and only lasted a little over an hour.

We had detailed instructions from Viviane about getting to her apartment from the airport. When we got to the train station from the airport, it was late, and we couldn't figure out how to buy a ticket, so we boarded thinking it won't be a problem to get a ticket on the train. Little did we know that the fine for not having a proper ticket was outrageous, and we had to pay the ticket collector when he came around to check. Fortunately, he was somewhat flexible and did not charge us the full amount.

Ginat and Viviane

It took us awhile to learn how to pick the cheapest train for traveling. Local trains are somewhat slower than regional trains that don't stop everywhere, but the total added time is not so great. Sometimes, there isn't any choice of train without a very long wait, so we took the faster more convenient train. We also found that conductors don't always come around to check tickets, but it wasn't worth trying to travel without a ticket.

Trains

We took a taxi to Viviane's apartment. We were surprised when the cab let us off just a few minutes away on a street that did not look like a residential area. The apartment was set back from the street and the street noise was too far away to be heard. We rang the bell, and Viviane, who decided at the last minute to be at the apartment for two days before leaving for the US to visit her sick brother, let us in. It was a very warm welcome, and we were blessed to have Viviane there to get us acquainted with all the details of maintaining her apartment, using the kitchen and other facilities, and guiding us.

Viviane's Apartment

We couldn't believe Viviane's kindness. She insisted on sleeping in the living room on a pullout bed, and letting us use her bed. And, the bed was sooooo comfortable. We immediately settled in, put our clothes away, and made ourselves at home. The only difficulty the first few days was the lack of central heating; after that, with the weather turning chilly, the radiators began to get warm, especially in the evenings.

Views from the Apartment

In the morning, we set out to a large health food store about ten minutes walk from the apartment. Viviane had discovered the store by chance, and that was a great relief. The store was well stocked with all the foods and snacks we could possibly think of. We filled our backpacks with groceries, and walked back to the apartment. Across the street from the health food store was a clothing outlet with slashed prices for many useful things; I bought a lot of stuff some days later, but Ginat could not find anything for herself.

Vicenza Health Food Store

Viviane was not feeling at her best, so we walked to the old part of Vicenze inside the ancient walls. The entrance to the old city was only about a ten minute walk from the apartment. We loved the old city from the first moment we stepped into it. The cobblestoned narrow streets, crowded buildings, endless shops, bridges carrying streets over a river, open piazzas, beautiful shops--clothing in particular--cafes, restaurants and pedestrian only streets. The clothing shops carried the best fashion of Europe, elegant and expensive.

Vicenza Old City Street Scenes

We met Viviane as planned and she took us to an Italian restaurant for supper. The food was excellent.

At the Italian Restaurant with Viviane

We had the first of many pizzas garnished with vegetables and mushrooms instead of cheese and tomatoes. The taste of the crust was excellent; they seem to make it thinner than I have seen it before and maybe that makes the difference. Viviane left the following morning for the United States to spend time with her sick brother.

Church Interior Outdoor Sculpture

Hat Shop Viviane in Conditory

We learned that open market day in the old city was on Thursday, so we returned the following morning to explore. There was so much to see and buy. Every item of clothing imaginable, less food than I expected, but there was an impressive display of antique furniture that seemed to have taken quite an effort to bring to the fair and display it. I bought a belt and money holder; Ginat bought a hat. We walked our feet off for many hours till we took a break at a coffee shop drinking juice and eating munchies.

Vicenza Street Market

In the afternoon we went to visit the Church at Monte Berico outside the old city walls and high on a hill overlooking the city. The ascent to the church was considerable, passing through a portico that goes up and up.

Portico Leading to Monte Berico

Monte Berico

Inside Monte Berico

By the time we got back to the apartment we were exhausted from all the walking and experiences of the day.

The following day, our last one alone until our friend Greg arrived, we set out by train for Verona. It was our last day alone. Greg who we met in Sedona, Arizona during our motorhome travels was coming the next morning to stay with us for a few days. Greg was on a world wide tour going with the flow and enjoying every moment of his freedom. He had a girl friend not far from Rome, and was ready to spend the time with us by himself. It turned out to be an amazing experience, that later led to him coming and staying with us in Israel for an indefinite stay.

We loved Verona. It is a walking city, and we were anxious to visit the home of Juliet, the main attraction in the city.

Our first impression was the huge overwhelming stadium in the central square. There are operas and other major performances staged in this massive structure all year long. When we arrived the staging of an opera was being dismantled so we sat way up in the far side, ate our lunch and watched the proceedings.

Verona Coliseum

The square and streets were filled with people; thousands of them. We found an exclusive pedestrian and bicycle street paved with beautiful stones and marble; the shops were all high fashion stores with Europe's finest clothes all priced for royalty. The street led to Juliette's house.

Fashion Street

Our first impression of Juliette's house was the short tunnel from the street leading to the courtyard. The walls on both sides of the tunnel were filled with graffiti. In fact, there was no room to add any more signatures or messages so some ambitious people brought ladders to reach higher and higher for empty space to write. The other main attraction in the courtyard was a bronze statue of Juliette whose left breast turned white from all the feels that it has received by the many thousands of people who seem to "feel" the experience by massaging her breast, and having themselves photographed during the act.

Graffiti Statue of Juliette

Courtyard Balcony

We didn't care to take the time to explore the Juliet house, but fortunately, we revisited Verona at a later date and did so then.

When we left the house, we found our way to the river on our way back to the train, crossing one of the beautiful bridges crossing it.

Verona Bridge

When we got back to the apartment we ate our supper and went to sleep early, looking forward to meeting Greg the following day.

Greg arrived at the train station as scheduled. We walked with him back to the apartment, and hung out there till the next day as it was too late to explore the town.

The following day we walked to the old city and explored the streets, people and shops.

Greg's First Day in Vicenza

The following morning we took the train to Venice for the first of three days we explored this incredible city. It felt strange to be in a city without cars, where all transportation is by water. I am so accustomed to the noise of traffic that its absence felt strange.

There are no words to describe the charm of the boats, shops, people, squares that are everywhere in Venice. And, more startling than all were the endless number of shops exhibiting masks that are part and parcel of the City.

Venice Scenes

After we walked our feet off all day, we found a couple of college students selling tickets for an opera performance that evening. How exciting. We jumped right into the idea and bought the tickets. While we waited to enter we met a lovely Egyptian woman of Coptic faith who told us fascinating stories about the life she was living in Kuwait City. She loved Cairo, her home, and was having a hard time socially in the relatively closed society of Kuwait.

Opera Performance

At the end of the performance we found our way back to the train station double time to be sure to catch the last train to Vicenza. The train was so overcrowded that we stood, and could barely stand without encroaching on other people's space. Our ticket was not the appropriate one for the train, but the conductor did not fine us as the train was so crowded.

Our second trip to Venice started with a visit to the Jewish Ghetto. It felt like we were passing back into history; the whole experience seemed surreal. There were plaques, synagogues, an old age home; narrow streets, "tall" buildings to house as many people as possible with low ceilings since there were no elevators and everyone had to climb steps to their apartments. Our guide was a young woman who spent a year in an Israeli kibbutz. When she mentioned anything in Hebrew, her accent was Israeli.

Ghetto Bridges

Ghetto Square Buildings

Ghetto Sign Torah Adornment

We walked and walked and walked. There were many mask shops with thousands of the most beautiful masks imaginable. We reached St Marks Square with its thousands of pigeons, and what seemed to be tens of thousands of tourists from all over the world. Since we didn't feel like feeding pigeons, and didn't feel so good surrounded by so many people, we didn't stay very long.

Mask Stores

Pigeons and People

Leaving the pigeons behind we jumped on a boat to an island known for its glass blowing shops. Though it was certainly very touristy, watching the skills of the artisans blowing glass was fascinating.

Glass Blowing Demo

By the time we finished watching the glass blowing, it was late in the day, so we headed home.

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