After a nice relaxing Friday, when we toured the Republic of San Marino and visited the sea side, we felt refreshed as we got out of bed at 6:30 a.m. The view outside of our hotel made waking up pleasurable. We then began our three-hour trek to Venice. Some people got extra rest, while others enjoyed the movie that our tour guide, Giancarlo, played for us,
The Italian Job. This movie was not only for entertainment, but also to give a preview of what we were going to see. The beginning of the movie takes place in Venice. On the boat ride to Venice, which is the only way to travel, we were blessed with a view that was simply astonishing.
The City of Venice, comprised of 118 islands, was nothing short of breathtaking. The first stop on the agenda was a glass blowing factory. We were lucky enough to witness a maestro construct a flower vase and horse. During the process of molding the 2,000°F ball of glass, he blew into it to make it round and easier to stretch. While stretching the glass, it reminded us of stretching a piece of gum. In the store, we learned that wine glasses are made with 24-carrot gold, unable to break. Since glass blowing is genuine to Venice, there is no sales tax on the items.
Maria Rita then gave us an in-depth tour of this great city. The main square, Piazza di San Marcos, used to be cultivated farm land, but now has a beautiful Church. St Marks Church was built in 30 years, but took an extra 300 years to finish all of the detailed mosaics, marble, and other designs. Unfortunately, the city will flood because of how close it is to sea level. Recently, San Marcos Square was under four feet of water. Another interesting fact is that there are no cars allowed on the island, the streets are very narrow, and there are 170 boat canals. The best way to get the full effect of Venice is to take a Gondola ride.
The famous gondolas are all family owned. Boys start learning how to operate the gondolas in their teens, and when the father retires, he passes the ore onto his son. You’ve seen gondolas in the movies, but that is nothing compared to the real experience. The drivers of these boats are very talented, able to weave around 2 or 3 other gondolas at a time. You don’t realize how skilled the operators really are until you lose your balance, and they are still standing – mind you, we are seated.
Back in the hotel, we enjoyed a nice meal and are happy to write this journal entry about our visit to Venezia. Greg Sampson has been documenting this trip, and plans to create a video. We look forward to our next two games, and excursions in Verona and Milan.
God bless.
Next: Day 9 – Verona (Game 3 vs. Dynos Verona, 4:30 p.m.)Â
