A Doge kneels before the Lion of Saint Mark at the Doge's Palace.
The pages under the lion's paw prophesy the return of Mark's body to the great city of Venice  ~  May 22, 2010

to Venice Again and Home:

The Doge's Palace before I Go.

By Ron Fritze from Athens, Alabama
Posted on July 4, 2010

Nothing in the world that you have ever heard of Venice,
is equal to the magnificent and stupendous reality.
— Charles Dickens

After leaving Corfu, we enjoyed one last day at sea on our ship, the Splendour of the Seas. Like all last days of a cruise, it was a time for packing and goodbyes. I also presented my last lecture, an overview of the history of Venice. The audience of forty was engaged and attentive.

Although the Splendour is not one of the largest of Royal Caribbean’s ships, attendance at my four lectures ranged from thirty to eighty people. That is as good as the best I’ve experienced, including cruises on much larger ships. The people asked lots of good questions and also blessed me with a goodly number of compliments. It is always nice to get positive feedback.

Games, Tips, and Exotic Bud

I managed to squeeze-in four games of trivia that day. Alas, no wins — to spite my great start of winning two trivia contests on the early days of the cruise. That evening I handed out my tip envelopes to the wait staff at the dining room. We were well taken care of and our head waiter was a real hands-on supervisor. My cabin steward Kevinsingh was also excellent.

Later I met my Swedish friends Marie, Tomas, Marita, and BoGäran in the Schooner Bar for the last trivia match. Like I said, we lost but it was fun. The Swedes were drinking Budweiser! Keep in mind, from their point of view, Bud is an exotic foreign beer. Me, I’ve never been a Bud fan.

A nice young couple, Tim and Cecilia from Ireland, took time to visit. They were regulars at my lectures and joined me on the excursion bus to ancient Ephesus earlier in the week. Lee, the English and Irish entertainment coordinator for the cruise, had organized a song night in the Schooner Bar a couple of days earlier. When an Irish song came up, they wanted an Irishman to lead the singing. Poor Tim was the only Irishman in the room. He approached the microphone and . . . , well, it was not good. As Lee commented, Tim was the only tone-deaf Irishman he’d ever met. And Tim was the first to admit it. Tim and Cecilia have my business card, so I hope they keep in touch. After that, it was back to room and bed.

Aesthetics take precedence over practicality....
Finding the Una Venzia wasn't easy: the little number
over the hotel door is the only indication the traveler has arrived.

The next morning I got a bit of breakfast and disembarked on-schedule at 7:55. My luggage was waiting for the shuttle bus ride to the Piazzale Roma. From there I walked over to the Grand Canal and bought a vaporetto (water bus) ticket for twenty-four hours and took the boat to the Ca ‘d Oro stop. From there it was a bit over a five-minute walk to my hotel, the Una Venezia on a street called Ruga de Pozzi.

Turning the corner, I entered the Ruga de Pozzi and was confronted by a street with no signs. The Venetians are not big on putting street numbers on their buildings. A guy was standing outside, a fellow American, who eyed my luggage, then asked, “Are you looking for the hotel?” Yes, the Una Venezia. “It’s right here,” he said. “I was in the same boat as you last week. No signs around here.” I entered and checked in. My room was not ready, so I left my luggage with the hotel staff and proceeded to resume my exploration of Venice.

To the Palace via the Correr

The Doge’s Palace was my goal. I took the vaporetto but made a mistake and got off at Santa Maria del Giglio, one stop too early. Not a big problem. Walking in Venice is the kind of adventure I enjoy.

Reaching San Marco square, I looked for the entrance to the Correr Museum. The entry ticket for the Doge’s Palace is part of a Museum card that includes the Correr and a couple of other small museums. It costs sixteen euros and is well worth the price. Rick Steves, the travel guru and author of several guidebooks on European travel, recommends buying the museum card at the Correr as the lines are far smaller than at the Doge’s Palace. From there you can walk right up to the Doge’s Palace and go right in. And Rick Steves is absolutely right. There were only two people ahead of me at the Correr. At Doge’s Palace, museum card in hand, I bypassed a line of two hundred people.

The Doge’s Palace has an interior courtyard and the Great Stairway. Visiting dignitaries were required to ascend the steps to see the Doge. At the top are huge statues of Mars and Neptune, known as the Gigantes. Art work is plentiful, but photography is not allowed. If you are a fan of Tintoretto, Veronese, Tiepolo, and other Venetian painters, the palace is the place to go. Most of the scenes are from Venetian history or depict religious allegories involving Venice. One room displays great maps reflecting Venice’s overseas interests.

On one wall of the chamber of the Great Council is the Paradisio by Tintoretto, said to be the largest painting in the world. A central purpose of the design of the Doge’s Palace was to awe foreign visitors. It is easy to imagine that the purpose was achieved — interior design with the intent to intimidate.

I stood in Venice on the Bridge of Sighs
A palace and a prison on each hand.
Lord Bryon, Child Harold’s Pilgrimage

Another feature of the Doge’s Palace is the Bridge of Sighs leading to a dreary prison across a canal. Based on what I saw, I am glad I’ve never been confined to a Venetian jail — any jail, for that matter! The place on the far side of the canal is definitely an archetypal dungeon. The bridge is supposedly known as the Bridge of Sighs because, as prisoners crossed it to enter their cells and lose their freedom, they would sigh loudly in their melancholy.

Turning my back to those dismal thoughts, I made my way to the Doge’s Palace for some reviving in the wonderful courtyard before returning to San Marco plaza. The Doge’s Palace is a definite must-see for visitors to Venice.

Away from the Din and Clamor

I took time to see the collections at the Correr Museum, a quiet place with a smattering of visitors, a welcome contrast to the throngs of tourists who crowd Venice in the high season. At the Correr you’ll find some relief from the congestion and see paintings by Jacobo, Gentile, and Giovanni Bellini.

After enjoying the Correr, I walked over to Rialto Bridge. I wanted to see if I could buy a Lion of St. Mark statuette. Instead, I bought a Lion of St. Mark silk tie from a shop on the bridge. I was getting hungry and wanted to see if I could get into my room at the hotel, so I caught the vaporetto back to the Una Venezia. The room was ready with my luggage in place. Nearby on Strada Nova I found a little bistro and ordered a margherita pizza and a big draft beer, a Loewenbrau, which is fine if you are in Munich. I was sort of hoping for Birra Moretti. Still, it was a warm day and the cool beer tasted good. Alas, the pizza was mediocre, not as good as the pie I enjoyed the week before on the Lista de Spagna or the wonderful margherita pizza that Twylia and I ate in Naples.

The commonwealth of Venice in their armory have this inscription:
"Happy is that city which in time of peace thinks of war."
— Robert Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy

At the Arsenal, More than History.

My next goal was a visit to the Venetian Arsenal where they built their formidable war galleys on precocious assembly lines. I had picked up some literature on tours of the Arsenal in Italian, so I got back on a vaporetto and headed for the Arsenale stop. It is an impressive building with twin towers guarding the canal that runs through it. I also discovered that the Arsenal is a functioning military facility and that the tours I had read about are for special occasions only. Unable to enter, I snapped some good pictures and tried to imagine a proud Venetian galley preparing to set sail for the Adriatic and beyond.

The Arsenal and the canal that runs through it

By this time it was 5 o’clock, the time when cruise ships begin to depart Venice on a new voyage. From my vantage point I could see a Norwegian ship sailing past. I knew that the Splendour would be coming soon. It was a beautiful day, a great contrast to the dreary and chilly drizzle of the week before. I managed to get some great pictures of the Splendour. The promenade along the ship channel is lovely with lots of nice places to eat, but since I had eaten my pizza only an hour and a half earlier, I decided to buy some salami, cheese (provolone), and bread for later. I also found my Lion of St. Mark statuette.

The Splendor of the Seas leaving Venice ~ May 22, 2010

With that I headed back to the hotel by catching the vaporetto. Back on the Strada Nova, I found a little shop where I bought a small bottle of red wine from a lovely and friendly Italian girl. I also decided to try a chocolate cannoli . It was all good, particularly the cannoli. Then it was time to do a little reading before bed. It was a great day in Venice. Next time I will visit the Accademia, the great art museum of Venice.

To the Airport by Boat I Go.

The next morning I decided to take the Alilaguna boat to the airport. It was a bit more expensive than using either the vaporetto or the bus, but it is scenic and convenient. At the airport I had plenty of time to check-in with Delta. Then I went to see about my VAT reimbursement for Twylia’s jeweled leopard. We are talking about an $800 reimbursement. I could not get cash since I bought the cat at Santorini in Greece. So they are supposed to credit it to my credit card. Remember, the Greeks are broke. Hummm? I may be in a little trouble here.

The plane flight from Venice to Atlanta took almost ten hours. It was a beautiful day and the flight began with a grand view of the Alps way up in the airplane. Very impressive! No wonder Hannibal only got one elephant over alive.

The Alps through an airplane window ~ May 23, 2010

Back in Atlanta, I sailed through passport control. The customs people did not charge me for Twylia’s cat — at least sixty bucks saved. My flight to Huntsville was brief and uneventful. At the airport I was never so happy to put that jeweled leopard pendant into Twylia’s hands. My experience with getting my pocket picked in Athens had me nervous this entire trip.

I missed not having Twylia with me. The weather had not been the best either. But despite those things, it was a great trip. I really liked Venice and cannot wait to go back. Seeing Santorini and Ephesus again was also really nice. Next time I am in Turkey, I hope we can get another Turkish rug. I saw a lot of beautiful rugs this trip but I was on a mission to buy Twylia that jeweled leopard, so my budget was set. Now I can start planning my cruise for next summer. For now, arrivederci!

Click on the black panther to read the previous installment of Ron's 2010 cruise dispatches, Santorini and Corfu: On the Islands We Find Intimations of Plato and Homer.