Spectacular weather continues as the Zuiderdam visits Mykonos today. I was able to spot the hotel I stayed at in 1993, Elysium, half-way up a hillside behind the windmills.  Back than I could walk up and back several times a day without any problems or pain, today I settle for taking pictures from below with my zoom lens--ah the vagaries of getting old.

Friday, 24 April 2015
Venice, Day 1

No matter how ugly my mood or stressful the circumstances on the Zuiderdam are, sailing into Venice is still an experience that inspires awe and reverence.  We reach the outer islands and undersea water barrier about 10am and it takes about two hours to arrive at the dock at the Maritime Terminal, on the other side of Venice, even further from things than the train station.  Cruise ships are no longer allowed to dock on the Rive near St Marks Piazza, as we did on Cunard's Queen Victoria in 2010.  And narratives cannot be broadcast on outside decks, so that residents and other tourists are not overwhelmed by the sea-going behemoths that arrive almost daily.  Fortunately we are the only ship arriving today, although others will be here tomorrow.  The captain has opened the bow, so we can get a close-up view.














The Zuiderdam gives close-up views of all the main sights located at St Marks and then along the Guidecca Canal as she sails to her berth. Once docked, however, passengers have a long, complex trip into the city itself unless they want to pay the truly exhorbitant rates for a water taxi (about 50 euros--almost $60.--to St Marks).  Fortunately the weather is fine as we all trudge the 15-minute walk to the people-mover, a driverless transport system that takes 1,50 euros (about $1.60) for the less-than-30 second ride to Piazzale Roma--and wait much longer than the trip itself to buy tickets from the sometimes-working electronic machines.  From Piazzale Roma, the choice is to take a vaporetto (7 euros--$8.25--for a 24-hour ticket), or to walk, which is much more appealing and much more attractive.



Venice is very crowded today, so I decide the first thing to do is escape the crowds and enjoy lunch at a small local restuarant hidden behind some greenery, with views of a small canal.  The tomato caprese salad and pizza with Italian ham are excellent and the restaurant service is welcoming and relaxing.  It is now time to start some serious sight-seeing as I just follow the streets that twist and turn as they make their way over bridges and around corners on the way to St Marks.  I put away the map and decide to walk seaward, and somehow find myself in familiar territory at a series of grand buildings, the Church of San Pantaleone, the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and Santa Maria Gloriousa dei Frari (the largest church in Venice).  San Rocco contains a series of immense paintings by Tintoretto retelling the stories of the New Testament. Outside San Rocco is a small restaurant where WIll and I ate lunch in 2010.

















My walk takes me through Campo San Polo to the Grand Canal and the Rialto Bridge, under reconstruction and half covered by scaffolding.  Crossing the bridge into the sestiere (district) of San Marco, the streets lead me along with all the other tourists through the main shopping district of Venice, home to all the major iconic brands, beautifully displaying their goods.  I arrive at St Marks around 5pm, when the light is still good, but the Basilica is closed for the day.  The Doge's Palace is still open, but instead of walking through the formal rooms, which I have done before, I choose to visit a temporary exhibit of almost all the works of Henri Rousseau, whose reputation as a formative painter in the post-impressionist era is continually increasing.  The exhibit is well-organizd with excellent explanations in English. This also gives me a chance to walk through parts of the Palace that are not usually open to the public.

Sometimes the best thing to do in Venice is just to stop--to stand still (or preferably sit) and let the changing light and glorious vistas invade the soul.  But it is soon time to take the vaporetto back to Piazzale Roma for the trek back to the Zuiderdam.  I return to the mess of my new stateroom on Deck 5, where all my things are spread wildly over the bed and floor, since there was no point in putting anything away and when I left the ship earlier today I still did not have any suitcases.  My replacement suitcases have arrived, and I have a busy night repacking everything for my move to Deck 7 tomorrow.  I have to vacate this room as early as possible, so it can be prepared for the folks boarding in Venice.  And then of course I have to unpack everything in room number three.

Since we don't sail until 4pm tomorrow at least I think I will have another day to enjoy the city.  But like most things on this cruise, events turn out quite differently and not very pleasantly.