November 7, 2015 – Venice, Italy with directions to Valporetto

Today is our last day here.  All aboard is noon and we sail at 1 pm.  We don’t set the alarm but we are awake at 7 am and showered and dressed and ready to go at 8 am. 

Today I have only one goal, well two, but the main thing is the Frari Church (Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari).  We stop at the same coffee shop we did yesterday and we enjoy two cappuccinos and I get a chocolate croissant.  OMG I am still dreaming about that croissant. 

 We decide to just walk to the church.  It doesn’t open till 9 so we have time and our favorite thing has been the wandering around Venice enjoying the journey not necessarily the destination.

It is Saturday morning and we see many women especially, but some men heading out to pick up fresh fruits/vegetables and seafood from the markets setting up in some of the squares.

Seems like a Saturday at home, where we have to run and do our errands and prepare for maybe a meal with friends/family.

We are stunned by how many churches are here.  Some areas have two or three churches facing each other.  All are beautiful.

When we arrive at Frari Church and we are allowed to enter even though it officially hasn’t opened.  It opens at 9 and it is 3E to tour – we did go back to the window and pay when we were leaving.

This church is stunning and is often overlooked.  The art experience is well mind blowing.  The art here was designed for this church.  To see a piece by Donatello that was made specifically for this spot is special.  And really 3E! 

We follow Rick Steve’s Audio guide of the church and really enjoy it.  I highly recommend if you are planning a visit to check it out.

Once leaving the church we wander back to the Santa Margherita Square where we admire all the flower stalls, the fruits and vegetable stalls and then well the sights of the fish stalls, but not so much the smell.

 We sit at a coffee shop’s terrace and enjoy a latte.  It is fun to people watch.  Cost is minimal and certainly cheaper than the one in St. Mark’s Square.  A little more than the coffee shop we had coffee at first thing this morning but that is normal when you sit and enjoy the coffee in the square.

Once leaving the coffee shop our next goal was to get some wine.  Right there is a small wine shop called Nave De Oro that sells wine.  Sure you can get bottled wines, but the real charm here is the large jugs of wines that you can choose from and fill up your own plastic/glass jugs or for a small fee he will fill up his.  We get two 1.5 litre jugs (like they use for water at a fee of .40 each) and get one Merlot and Cab. Sauv.  These are table wines and the cost for one was 3.45 and the other was 3, total cost with the jugs was 7.25E. Oh and they were very very good.

Also we have had no problem bringing wine on board in any port.  Of course if we bring it to the dining room I anticipate a corkage fee but we have not brought any to the dining room as we have the wine card.

We walk thru the Dorsoduro area towards the Canal and pick the Valperetto at the Zattere stop.  It is a short trip back to the ship.

I have to say I am really glad we got the vaporetto 48 hour pass.  We certainly recovered our cost.  A single ride is 7.50 E and we rode it 7 times.  Although taking the Vaporetto is not necessary, you can certainly walk everywhere you want to go it will take time.  And with limited time here I did not want to waste time walking and/or getting lost. 

Also the views from the Vaporetto are beautiful and every time we rode them we enjoyed it.  It was also nice to be among so many of the locals.  The system is easy to follow, but does take at least a few rides to figure out the system.

The ship’s shuttle is a good option for those with mobility issues and who really only want to get to St. Mark’s Square.  But at a cost of $29 for 24 you are better off getting a ACTV transit pass for 20E for 24 hours or 30E for 48 hours.  But if you have issues with mobility I wouldn’t go the ACTV transit pass.

We loved Venice!  It sure is beautiful.  The people are lovely.  I enjoyed the touristy areas (St. Mark’s Square and Rialto) but now that I have seen them I don’t have to go back.  Really the heart of this city is the other districts.  

Here you feel a more connection with the people.  The touristy areas are basically touristy areas!  Sure see them, but then head out and enjoy.

Once everyone is back on board we decide to throw on our bathing suits and head up to the Jacuzzi as our bodies are so from all the walking (we have been averaging 20,000 steps a day) and a good soak is just what we need.  The sun is hot and while the Muster drill is happening we are enjoying the ship and some time together.

Sailaway is stunning.  Once again the railings are crowded with people but John recommends we head to the sports deck where the basketball court is and it is so very quiet and we can wander from side to side and not worry about railing space – great job John.

Here is how we got to the Vaporetto stop and back.  No need to take the people mover.  Takes about 10 minutes or 15 minutes if you walk slowly.