Days 5 and 6 - Venice and Verona

Day 5 was our last full day in Venice, and I think we accidentally saved the best for last. After waking up early, we wandered to a nearby cafe for a cappuccino and brioche (we call the croissants) and wandered aimlessly to St. Mark's square again for a tour of the Basillica and it's treasures. I tempted fate and wore capri jeans, which was a good bet because the weather calmed down a bit (or maybe I was just getting used to it). At first glance, the ceilings are filled with paintings; further examination discovers them to not be paintings at all, but intricate mosaics, some even filled with gold leaf. The effect is awe-inspiring. It's the largest church in Venice and is attached to the Doge's Palace since the government and state became basically one (more on that later). One interesting thing about Venice, which I mentioned earlier, is that their is a lot of uneven-ness in the flooring/sreets due to the stilts. The floors of St. Mark's follow that concept and can be tricky to manuever at times - don't wear high heels! After St Mark's, Jamie and I had time to get some more photos and just wander around (with the omnipresent gelato in our hands). After a short trip to the Royal Gardens, we took a tour of the Doge's palace. I've been to Versailles and Hampton Court Palace, but this palace outshines them all in human innovation. The largest room, where the Doge held court with his Council of Ten, is the widest palatial room in the world at the time without supporting beams. The grandeur of the building is astonishing, considering when it was built. We learned a great deat about Venetian history and realized why Venetians were so proud - theirs is a country without a riot (ever), their Doge never had complete power (he ruled with a council), the Doges were elected late in life to prohibit take-overs (and were viciously killed when attempted to do so) and remained independent from their split with Constantinople all the way up to Napoleon's conquest. They ruled the sea and showered the city with symbols of lions, St. Mark, Jupiter, Mars, and Neptune to remind them of that. Last bit of random info: Venetian Renaissance painters mostly painted blonde women because they focused on painting light. Really, I am so filled with information and I cannot wait to come home and make powerpoints/presentations for my students. After a much-needed nap, we finally ventured out to see what the city looked like a night. Grabbing some fresh fruit (abundant here!), we discovered a little wine bar on on the other side of the Rialto Bridge - people ordered wine and wandered away with it in the piazza and drank it at the leisure. Very Italian. We then found a farmer's market that was closing, and vowed to return. This morning, Day 6, started at the Farmer's Market. We saw such an abundant array of fresh fruits, veggies, and fish! Octopus, squid, huge scampi, cuttlefish, and a variety of fish both familiar and strange. And the meat! Jamie didn't enjoy looking at it, but it was so fresh that heads and tails and feet were still on some of them (like the rabbit and goose). Next time I come to Italy, I'm renting and apartment so I can shop at the market and cook. We then took a short train ride to Verona. Honestly, all I knew of Verona was what Shakespeare wrote and that it has the best preserved Roman ruins north of Rome. I didn't realize the beauty of the scenery - bustling piazzas surrounded by towers and churches, with the Italian mountains in the background filled with palazzos and city walls. We went to Juliet's House, which is a big tourist attraction. We weren't expecting much, just a cheesy balcony that is touristy and fiction. But we didn't realize that it is also a museum inside of a 15th century house. It held pieces of 15th and 16th century furniture and move memorbilia (costumes and the bed from Zepherelli's version), but the layout of the house was the intriging part. Small rooms built more upward than out, small fireplaces in most rooms, wooden stairs and windows overlooking the vista. The outside, however, is a sharp contrast. Lovers for years have scribbled their names all over the walls and bricks, locks meant to secure lovers' fates adorn a chain-length fence and tree, and a statue of Juliette sits proudly in the courtyard holding court. Unfortunately, she gets molested every 10 seconds because apparently rubbing her breast for luck is tradition (hence her breasts are the shiniest parts of her statue)) and tourists from all over the world grab her boob and smile for the camera. In fact, we passed by a souvenir shop selling magnets in the shape of her right breat. Odd. For lunch, I finally got risotto - and it was very enjoyable. I haven't decided whether or not to embrace my inner Anthony Bordain and try horsemeat stew, but I'm contemplating it - I am trying to immerse myself in the culture. I don't know. But outside our table area was a nice piece of Roman ruins - the modern streets was torn away to reveal the Roman street underneath. Again, awe-inspiring, just like the church visits that followed. My proudest moment (or maybe not) was climbing the Tower. Jamie took the elevator, but I wanted to prove myself and took the stairs. I didn't realize at the time that it was more than 10 flights of stairs. And exhausting. I was a huffing, puffing mess by the time I finished and was epecting to hear the "Rocky" theme music, but alas it didn't enter. Instead, I was rewarded with a breathtaking view of the area, complete with the Roman Arena and the walls of the city. I want to come back and spend more time here. Ciao!