From Blue Sky Days to Blackbird Fields: Fall Break in Italy (Part 1

The fall break for all Kosovo schools was Wednesday, October 29, through Sunday, November 2, and we flew to Milan early on Wednesday on WizzAir. We took the train from the airport to the central train station in Milan, where we caught another train to Venice. The train ride was extremely nice and relaxing.

We arrived around 3:00 pm, and the first building we saw after leaving the train station was the San Simon Piccolo building on the Grand Canal. From this viewpoint, it looked as though the buildings were along a river, but as we walked to our hotel through the maze of canals, narrow passages, raised bridges, and walkways, I could tell that Venice was truly unique.

San Simon Piccolo

After stashing our bags and regrouping, we headed out for our first look at the highlights of Venice on what ended up being our best day in Venice. Venice is truly an amazing city made up of many islands surrounded by canals and connected by bridges. The bridges are raised and all require you to go up and down stairs, although a few have ramps added. There are no cars, bikes, or motorized scooters in Venice. There are, however, water taxis, gondolas, and water buses as means of transporting those who are not up for the walk.

We stop by a canal for a glass of wine from a wine shop

Views of the Grand Canal as night fell

Hotel Ca Sagredo (15th Century Palace overlooking the Grand Canal)

Santi Apostoli

Singer sewing machine in the lobby of our hotel

Santa Maria del Redentore -- (Church built in 1632)

A view of a smaller canal not far from our hotel

Ponte degli Scalzi (one of five bridges over the Grand Canal)

After walking for several hours, we found a place to eat called Frari's. It was a Mediterranean restaurant with both vegan and traditional offerings. After a wonderful dinner, we slowly meandered back to our hotel.

The next morning, we heard the rain falling as soon as we woke up. We fortunately had rain gear, but it was still a very wet morning and early afternoon. We headed to breakfast at the Brunch Cafe on Calle della Madonna. It was a cute cafe decorated with origami cranes and butterflies. The pizza marinara was so good, and Thom's mango pancakes looked good as well.

The Brunch Cafe

Origami and little lights decorated the walls

Pancakes and mango sauce

After breakfast, we donned our rain gear and walked all over Venice. It continued to rain until around 1 pm, and we were able to go up in the tower at San Marco's Bell Tower in San Marcos Square. It was amazing to see the city spread out from the view of the tower. Even with the rain, we spent an amazing day exploring Venice. Around 3:00 pm, we grabbed a ride on a waterbus to see the city from the Grand Canal. Then we headed back to the hotel to regroup before dinner. We had dinner at a vegan restaurant (La Tecia Vegana) that was out of the tourist area. It took us a while to walk there, but it was worth as the food was really good. Thom had a mushroom ravioli, and I had a traditional handmade fat spaghetti with a Venetian sauce. We ended the meal with a vegan tiramisu.

Handmade fat spaghetti with traditional sauce

Russian potato salad first course

Ponte dell'Accademia from the Water Bus

Courtyards full of vegetation

Aperol Spritz -- Prosecco, Aperol, and Soda water (Mid-day break)

A nearby island from San Marcos

The entrance to the Grand Canal from the Adriatic Sea

View of the palace from the tower

Tower bells

Palace garderns

Gondaliers

Snack foods Italian style

More gondolas

Ponte dell'Accademia

View from Ponte dell'Accademia Bridge

Riding on the Grand Canal

View of a smaller canal near our hotel

Rinalto Bridge

Friday morning, we packed up and headed to breakfast before our 10 am tour of the Ghettos of Venice. We had breakfast at La Lista Restaurant. The rain had stopped, and it was just warm enough to sit outside. Our tour guide was excellent, and we learned a lot about the Jewish community in Venice. Click the link to learn more. The word Ghetto originates from the area of Venice. According to our tour guide, it was a mispronunciation of the smelting ovens used in the area. Originally, Venetians were very tolerant of the Jewish population, but in the 1500s, as the Jewish population expanded due to an influx from other countries, the Jewish population was confined to a small area of Venice. Prior to WWII, Jewish people were no longer confined to the area, but when the Jewish people were rounded up during the holocaust, they were once again brought to the area before being deported.

After our tour, we headed to the train station for a two-hour trip back to Milan.