Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Room 114, Hotel Continental, Venezia
1100 EET

One incident I neglected to relate yesterday concerns Mom, that happened to her before she woke me for our 1930 departure, was she was sitting on the stone balcony piece that prevents falls from the tall windows, and a boat drove by and the man, that Mom judge to be her age called our “I am your Romeo.” While she replied “And this is fair Verona” she wishes she had mentally quicker and said “Oh Romeo, swear not by the inconstant moon.” It just really thrilled her.

Venezia's Canel Grande.

Venezia.

We met and proceeded to breakfast at 0830 and I selected bacon, which was not as good as yesterdays, pastry with nutella fill, cereal, and juice. We decided to separate for the morning and reconvene against at lunchtime, which is when checkout is. I, with it being our last bit of time in Venezia had definite shopping goals in mind. The plan was to check for spoons or knife spreaders with Murano glass handles as a birthday gift for Dad in four shops. That flew out the window in the first shop where I purchased a €13.00 [$17.3813] spreader and €8.00 [$10.6962] murrina earrings for Mac. The second shop, while I had been planning on a frog figurine for Laura as we had gone frog and snake hunting together before my departure to Italia, found a €13.00 [$17.3813] snake shaped pendant of green Murano glass that will become her Christmas gift. We then began, with significantly less cash on my part, searching for an instanteller and more Christmas gifts. With the former, we had no success and only some for the later, earrings for Aunt Debs and Hunter and finally a bracelet for Leatha Birth. Other gifts will just have to wait ’til Levanto’s coming street fair.

Fish market in Venezia.

Shops in Venezia.

Also yesterday, when visiting the Basilica di San Marco museum on what we would judge to be the forth or higher floor access by a steep stone staircase, on display were four horse statues. Replicas of which stood in their place on the basilica. The horses not only represent the four apostles that wrote gospels, Luke, John, Mark, and Matthew but the gold gild on the original statues was badly scratched—done purposely to reduce the shine of the statues.

Bertolotto Cova Apartment, Levanto
2036 EET

At noon, we progressed pretty steadily to the train station, after first picking up lunch for ourselves, €11.80 [$15.7769] and one last Venezia gelato. My flavours, two scoops for €1.90, were “heaven from hell” and passion fruit, the later, which was a delight and the former not very note worthy. We had car number eight, which involved a long walk and upon boarding found at first, our air-conditioning did not work. Another passenger got a train employee to address the problem but it was not the best, especially as our days in Venezia had been cool compared to other vacation locations.

From Venezia our intercity train past though Vernoa and we got a nice view of Lagodi Garda and other three covered mountains and valleys before arriving in Milano where we had to exchange trains. The Milano train station is quite a stunning building and I am very glad Mom and I walked outside to view it. This time our car number was seven, and while it was another intercity train, we were not grouped around a table with four seats, but in a compartment with six seats. Thankfully, the air-conditioning was working as it got warmer the closer we got to Levanto.

Italia countryside from the train.

Milano train station. Find Mom.

We arrived in Levanto shortly after 1900 and as we needed to pick up bread and juice, the four of us divided at the grocery store where I bought the needed items for € [I apparently forgot to record the amount]. After walking back to our apartment, we opened the place up, dropped all our bags onto the cot, and I began making scrambled eggs with zucchini for supper. Afterwards, Mom and I did things, writing in my case, to keep ourselves awake until nine o’clock. With the bells ringing 2115 I am happily taking myself to bed.