Spritz withdrawal and other signs that I'm not in Venice

Evening view from Nora's roof sort of looking toward San Marco, ultimately.

Evening view from Nora's rooftop looking toward the lagoon. The bridge to the mainland is in the left corner.

Evening view from Nora's rooftop overlooking the canal. The lagoon is to the right.

After a very long and boring flight from Zurich to JFK, during which I tried to play Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (the UK version, apparently) and could never get past the first question, I found myself being met at the airport by Geof and Tim. Erin was still at work, at Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (the US version).

I was not prepared for the strange feeling of riding in a car after two weeks of virtually nothing but boats.

At some point, on the drive to Erin's apartment in Astoria, or once we were there, it was decided that we would have dinner that night at a Venetian restaurant. After a little searching, we decided on Le Zie, a Venetian restaurant on 7th Avenue. We arranged to meet Erin and Jimmy there, so Tim, Geof and I headed out after a little relaxing, dispensing of Venetian gifts (sans dessert-grade balsamic . . . ) and a shower for me who felt totally disgusting after spending the last million hours traveling in the same clothes.

We had a great meal at Le Zie, including cichetti, spritzes for those over 21, various main courses and dessert.

We did not have the "meats of death" platter, although Nora would have appreciated the speck and mortadella.

I did have to tell the waiter what a spritz was, and so I didn't have much hope that it would taste very authentic. Authentic, by the way, is the way they make spritzes at Pontini. Because Nora is quite picky about her spritz, I figured I learned from the best. However, the spritzes were quite good, although on the more citrusy side. Geof, Erin and Jimmy each enjoyed theirs, too.

After an excellent dinner, we headed home. At midnight I pointed out that since I had now been awake for 24 hours, I was going to bed. And so I crashed, finally, on the pull-out couch, to sleep very soundly for the next eight hours.

Food was apparently quite important on this trip, since I seem to have taken lots of pictures of food and beverages. I now submit several pictures from establishments that Nora and I visited during my stay.

Ristorantechinatown always made us laugh. We sat outside here the night of the Redentore fireworks, ate Chinese-Italian food and watched the decorated boats go by. This restaurant is on the Canale di Cannaregio, right by Nora's apartment.

The wine menu from the enoteca Timon, where we often had a spritz or prosecco and once, cichetti.

This is where, after spending time on the beach, we decided to have dinner and beer. Although we had sworn not to have pizza while I was visiting, pizza is pretty much all this place served. The Adriatic is just beyond the beer glasses.

We never ate at the Ristorante Gam Gam, a kosher restaurant that hosted long tables full of orthodox Jews each Saturday who sang during their meal. This, too, is on the Canale di Cannaregio.

Just how many pictures of spritz is too many?

Crossing the pontoon bridge to Chiesa dell SS. Redentore

Strangely enough, I'm sitting in a hotel on the 48th floor, overlooking the Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, posting one of the last, entries on my trip to Venice.

As I mentioned, Nora and I visited three synagogues in the Jewish ghetto in her neighborhood. That night, however, we had our final two spritzes at the gelateria in the San Stefano campo, and we joined the masses of humanity crossing the pontoon bridge to Redentore. I believe my most frequent comment was, "Woo hoo! We're on the bridge!"

Boats in position to watch the gondola races

We paused at the arch of the bridge to watch the swarm of boats that had gathered to watch the gondola race. When we finally made it across, we didn't do much more than buy two t-shirts to commemorate the occasion. Nora's is one that shows the recipe for a spritz, and mine has a funky fish with a tail notched in six for the six sestiere of Venice.

Gondola races

Hot, tired and full of spritz, we wandered back home so I could pack and relax for a bit. Relaxing ended up watching two episodes of Black Adder on DVD.

Even though I dutifully went to bed at 11:30, in preparation for my getting up at 6:00 to catch my 9:30 a.m. flight, I spent much of the night swatting bugs that attacked me from the screenless window, repacking my suitcase, losing my little emerald ring somehow and desperately searching for it throughout the apartment, and emailing my daughter who kept saying things like, "Mom! It's 3:30 in the morning! Go to sleep now!"

Not one of my better night's sleep, but I can always sleep when I'm dead. Or on an airplane.

The last spritzes of the trip . . .

. . . and a little movie of the crowds and the bells at S. Stefano, as Nora and I enjoyed our final spritz. I especially enjoy Nora noticing that I'm taking another movie, waiting for me to swoop around and capture her on film. Unfortunately, all I have of her is her voice, and her hand reaching for chips.

Sun, sand, sporchi turisti and, eventually, spritz

A cappuccino with a heart on top began my day too full of sun and activity, specifically visitng Murano, Burano and Torcello, the big lagoon islands.

Due spritz (sans olives, unfortunately), one for Nora and one for me, ended my day.
In between, we visited Murano (the glass island)
Burano, the island known for its lace, fishing and colorful houses,and Torcello, a less populated island known for its 7th century cathedral.By the end of the day I had just enough energy to take some pictures of the sun setting over the lagoon at the end of the Fondamenta Cannaregio. Tomorrow is another day to think about how to describe the lagoon islands and to wade through the hordes of pictures we both took today. With no big excursions planned, I may even be able to explain the newly-coined phrase, "to give someone the paper," and why "Lightning" and "Thunder" might be really good names for gerbils.

Beautiful places I can't take pictures of

Today, in between storms, we visited the Palazzo Ducale, an immense and beautiful structure that is in San Marco. Because Nora and I both had passes, she had the sense to ask a docent whether we needed to wait in line. We probably did anyway, but he very kindly lifted the gate and allowed us to cut the line. It was a beautiful thing, indeed. We were not allowed to take pictures inside, but I'm not sure any picture I could have taken would have done it justice. The rooms were filled with paintings by Titian and Tintoretto, among others, incredibly detailed gold and fresco ceilings, enormous fireplaces, and marble floors. In lieu of further description, I will include these pictures, mostly from the upper windows, which show at least the outside and the views from inside.

View from the Bridge of Sighs inside the prison.

Window inside the palace at the top of the Scala Dei Giganti

Detail of outside staircase (see first two pictures)

Later, we visited the Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari, and among other things, lighted candles and saw Titian's Assumption behind the altar. Another beautiful place that did not allow pictures, understandably.

Finally, tired and dry, we stopped at our favorite place for a spritz. Well, two actually. I've decided, having tried three of the four types, that I like the traditional one made with Cinzano, the best. Unfortunately for me, Schenectady has not yet made the spritz its drink of choice. I believe it's just a matter of time, though.