A Traveler's Photo Journal

Me standing in the Molo San Marco with Isola Di San Giorgio in the background

PIAZZA SAN MARCO

Visit the Piazza San Marco and the Molo San Marco early in the morning when most tourists are still sleeping and only dedicated photographers are out and about.

Corner of the Doge’s Palace at sunrise

Winged Lion detail on the Camponile’s gate

Ponte della Paglia, the bridge from which you can photograph the Bridge of Sighs

Bridge of Sighs

The Arcade at the Palazzo Ducale. The only time to see this area without throngs of tourists is very early in the morning

One of the beautiful mosaics on the Basilica San Marco’s facade.

TOUR THE PALAZZO DUCALE

Some non-flash photography was allowed.  Impressive paintings, Doge’s apartments, the Grand Council Hall, council rooms, Senate hall, rooms of armour, marble fireplaces, the Golden Staircase, and of course the Bridge of Sighs to the prisons.  It is a full agenda.

Apollo and Neptune at the top of the Giants’ Staircase.

Painted ceiling, Trial Chamber of the Council of Ten, Palazzo Ducale

Juno Bestowing her Gifts on Venice

Mercury and Minerva

Armor for horses in the armory

The Bridge of Sighs from the backside, as seen from a window in the Palazzo Ducale

Looking out through the window in the Bridge of Sighs, towards the Grand Canal and San Marco Canal

TAKE A GONDOLA RIDE

The gondolas (500 in Venice) seem to run constantly.  We took our gondola ride at dusk.

Augie and Teresa with Gondolier Nicoli.

Me with the Rialto Bridge in the background.

The Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute

After the gondola ride, we walked back to the apartment, stopping for dinner along the way.  I ordered Sea Bass.  I should not have been surprised to get the fish, head, tail and all, instead of a filet.  This is the local way to serve Sea Bass.  I must admit to being a bit wimpy about it, but did my best with the meal.

Sea Bass Venetian sytle

Early morning at the Ponte di Rialto

In and around and around and around Venice

If I was tired after hiking the one segment of the Cinque Terre, that was only a warm up for Venice.  We must have walked 10 miles our first day in the city.  I wanted to see the Rialto Bridge early in the morning, and although the crowds were sparse, the banners and scaffolding behind the bridge didn’t make for great photo opportunities.  Oh well, it was nice to see the bridge again.

Detail of a water fountain

We measured the distance on the map from our apartment to the Rialto Bridge and figured it was about ¾ mile.  We did the round trip three times today, plus much more.

The exterior of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari

One of my must see cultural sites in Venice was the Basilica di Sant Maria Gloriosa dei Frari.  We got started early and entered the church while only just a handful of other tourists were there.  It is impressive architecture, but I was there to see Titian’s Assumption of the Virgin.  I remembered it from 18 years ago and longed to see it again.  We purchased the English audio guide which was helpful with details.  There is a lot to see in the church and we took our time.  I was however, very disturbed to see many people taking photos inside the church and of the Titian masterpiece while standing right in front of the “No Photos” sign in English, Italian and the international red slash across a camera symbol.  I always ask the admissions personnel if non-flash photography is allowed, and did so here.  I was told absolutely no photos of any type were allowed.  Regardless of a dozen signs around the church, we saw many people clicking iPhones and flashing cameras at anything and everything.  I purchased a postcard of the painting instead.

Tiziano Vecellio’s ‘Assunta’, at the Basilica S. Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice.

Buildings reflected in a puddle from the storm the night before. We saw piles of hail many inches deep that lasted all day

Somewhere in the Dorsoduro area

Bridge detail

From the Campo de Frari we walked through the maze of narrow streets, trying to use our sense of direction instead of maps, crossed the Accademia Bridge into the Dorsoduro neighborhood and out to The Punte della Dogana to see St. Marks from across the Grand Canal.  It was warm and sunny, and a bit breezy.  We circled Dorsoduro, strolled along the Zattere and walked back across the Accademia Bridge.

Palazza Ducale and Campanile taken from Punta della Dogana

That would have been enough, but we headed straight to Piazza San Marco for more walking.  St. Marks was where the crowds were.  It was four people deep taking photos at the Bridge of Sighs.  Too many people for me and we headed back to the relatively quiet part of town where we are staying.

San Giorgio Maggiore taken from in front of the Palazzo Ducale

Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs)

Lion detail from a statue on the Molo riva degli Schiavoni near the Palazzo Ducale

We took a Bellini break before heading out one last time to the Rialto Bridge for sunset light.  It was unspectacular, no colors and more crowds.  We picked up two “take away” pizzas and another bottle of Bellini and called it a night.

The Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge at sunset

Gloves in a shop window. There are many glove shops in Venice

A mask in a shop window. There are many mask shops too, some really gorgeous ones

Looking east along the Grand Canal from the Accademia Bridge

We arrived in Venice to bright blue skies and perfect temperatures.  It has been over 18 years since I was last here in April of 1996.  As we stepped out of the train station  and saw the Grand Canal I remembered why I loved it so much back then.  There is no city as breathtaking as Venice when you first see it.

Our meeting with Victoria to pick up the key to the apartment went without a hitch.  We are staying in another property found on VRBO.  It’s gorgeous,  a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment located near the Accademia Bridge.

Our first order of business was to find the Super Marche and purchase provisions.  It’s hard to walk a steady pace as you pass one photo op after another.

It was blue skies with no hint of rain as we walked along the Canale della Giudecca towards the grocery store.

Looking west along the Canale della Giudecca as we walked to the Super Marche for groceries

As we exited the market with bags of food and wine, an ominous dark cloud was rolling over the top of the city.  We didn’t get far before lightning was flashing and the first drops of rain and hail stones began to fall.

The same view looking west as the storm clouds rolled over Venice

As we hurried along Fond Zattere Ponte Lungo with bags of food, the hail stones increased to the size of marbles.  It was necessary to take shelter in the portico of a bank teller machine as the deluge came and darkness fell.

Storm clouds rolling over Venice

Teresa captured the lightning strikes

Deluge

On our return from the super marche we stopped in the same spot and took another photo looking east along the Grand Canal as lightning illuminated the clouds

After the rain slowed to a light drizzle we continued back to the apartment for dinner.  The storm picked up again and was pretty steady all evening.

The port of Camogli

CAMOGLI

We were very happy with the decision to stay in Camogli.  It is a quieter and less crowded town than any of the Cinque Terre villages, smaller and more manageable than Santa Margherita, and much less expensive than Portofino.  It’s convenient to all by train.  The apartment we rented through VRBO.com was exactly as described and a beautiful location.

http://www.vrbo.com/138322

A painted building in Camogli

The little towns here in Italy are charming due to the beautiful colors on the buildings and the trompe l’oeil detailing.  Without that, they would just look like buildings, but the painting really makes it attractive.

A boat in the Camogli harbor

Camogli at night

MODES OF TRANSPORTATION

Previously, I have had good luck with trains and prefer to ride rather than fight traffic in a rental car.  We had a discussion today on whether it is better to travel by car or train, and I usually think the train is better if you are staying somewhere with a station and train service.  Unfortunately, this time we have had bad luck with the trains.

Our first train from Milan to Camogli was 40 minutes late, causing us to miss our connection in Genova and arrive late into Camogli.  Then we had to deal with the rail workers’ strike, which was only mildly inconvenient for us, but I’m sure disrupted many travelers’ plans that Sunday.  Our train from Camogli to Milan was also late, requiring us to literally run to catch the train from Milan to Venice, only barely climbing aboard before it pulled out of the station.  (We were dragging our luggage at the time too).

However, I have had numerous troubles with rental cars including double billings in Sicily, lack of signs in Spain, frustration with returning a car in an unfamiliar city (Barcelona and Florence), parking issues, and in one instance actually having to park outside the city and take a cab into Taormina to our hotel.  (We had traversed the city half a dozen times before giving up and getting a cab.  We could not find the hotel and never would have, as the cab backed down a pedestrian mall to our hotel, something that did not cross our minds).  So I think it is an even split on car versus train.

Our next stop is Venice, where we won’t have to deal with either, only boats.

Portofino

Portofino.  The name conjures up images of romance, gorgeous scenery and a boat filled harbor.  It did not disappoint (at least on the gorgeous scenery and boats) but it was crowded even in September, not the busiest season.  On this day of our vacation we celebrated Augie’s birthday with a day trip to that famous port that was on all our “must see” lists.

Because this was the day of the train worker strike, we took the bus from Camogli to Santa Margherita.  This would have been a short 4 minute train ride, but the bus trip was slightly longer at about 25 minutes.  The views however, from the ridgeline above both Camogli and Santa Margherita were wonderful. We would have missed that if we had taken the train.  At 1.80 Euros it was a good deal.

Santa Margherita

Santa Margherita is quite a bit larger than Camogli.  The waterfront area is lined with beautifully painted buildings, statues, parks and piers, with a feeling of hustle and bustle as cars, buses and pedestrians all compete for the same stretch of concrete.  Meanwhile, Christoforo Colombo towers over it all, pointing towards the west?  We walked the waterfront before boarding a ferry for the 15 minute cruise to Portofino.

Christoforo Columbo guarding the Santa Margherita waterfront

Boats in the Santa Margherita harbor

The beach at Santa Margherita

Cruising into Portofino is indeed lovely with private mansions clinging to the cliffs, sailboats bobbing on the sparkling water and the colorful harbor looking just as you expect it.  The crowds were a bit much, but after disembarking from the ferry, we followed Teresa’s rule of finding a lunch spot off the beaten path and ended up at a quiet pizzeria on a side street.  Lunch was very good and we had a chance to rest and relax.

The view from the ferry dock, Portofino

Lunch down a side street in Portofino

After our lunch we walked along the backside of the port and found the spiaggia pubblica (public beach).  Back again to the harbor and we started the climb to the Castle Brown for the best and classic view of Portofino.  It is a spectacular view, and the castle was beautiful. What a lovely spot for a private home.

Teresa beach combs at the public beach in Portofino

Having walked the entire area, and not wanting to shop at the expensive boutiques, we hopped the 4 pm ferry back to Santa Margherita.  As we waited for the bus back to Camogli, we watched a medieval show on the waterfront.  Bagpipers played, maidens danced and knights dueled in front of a delighted crowd.

A few of Portofino as taken from the best viewpoint, the Brown Castle

Me at the high viewpoint, Portofino in the background

Castillo Brown from the Portofino harbor

Back on the standing room only bus and separated from my travel companions, my nearest neighbor (a friendly elderly Italian man) tried to communicate with me.  One of the few phrases I have down pat is “non capisco”.  He laughed and smiled at my response and asked “Duetsche?”  That is the second time someone’s first guess at my country of origin was Germany.  I smiled and said “Svenska.”  (I thought “what the hell, I’m not talking with anyone so who’s going to know?”)  He nodded, smiled and said “Si, bella, bella” and laughed again.  All the people we have met have been good-natured and helpful.

A duel on the waterfront in Santa Margherita

We spent our last evening in Camogli strolling the waterfront and enjoying a birthday pasta dinner.  The waitress brought a chocolate cupcake with a single burning candle to celebrate the occasion.

Camogli just after sunset

Riomaggiore. This is the eastern most town of the Cinque Terre

As is sometimes the case when you travel, our well thought out plans for the day got shot to hell.

The Cinque Terre, a pretty string of five small towns on the Italian Riviera with a walking path linking all towns, has been on my list of “things to do” for a while.  We set out from where we are staying in Camogli (an hour train ride to the NW) in the morning, with plans to start the walk in Riomaggiore, the eastern most town, and walk the two easiest portions of the trail through Manarola and Corniglia, then take a train or ferry to the other towns, avoiding the longer and more strenuous walks.

The clouds hang low over Manarola as seen from the ferry as we sailed past

When we arrived in Riomaggiore, we discovered (along with many other tourists) that the two eastern most trails were closed due to landslides.  So we had to modify our plans.  A sign in the information office also warned of a 24 hour train strike beginning at 9 pm that evening.

Cinque Terre map from the tourist information center

The landslide blocking a portion of The Cinque Terre trail, as seen from the ferry

With the rest of the disappointed tourists, we made our way to the Riomaggiore port and purchased tickets on the ferry.  We would sail past Manarola and Corniglia, and be dropped off in Vernazza.  The day was overcast and warm, with the clouds hanging low in the mountains above the villages.  The ferry ride was pleasant and the town of Vernazza was pretty as we walked off the ferry.   It was crowded too, with tourists taking in the sights and locals gathering for a swimming competition in the harbor.

Vernazza harbor

We pressed our way through the throngs of tourists and walked up and down the small town, looking into shop windows.  Lunch in the harbor people-watching had us entertained until about 1 pm, with the sun breaking through as the clouds burned off.

Me on the main street of Vernazza

Cinque Terre olive oil for sale in a shop in Vernazza

After lunch and now fueled with pasta we started the hike, beginning in Vernazza and walking eastbound.  This portion of the trail, from Vernazza to Corniglia, is 3.450 km and mostly ups and downs.  There were very few flat stretches as we were to find out.  It was like being on a stair machine for 1 1/2 hours, and this trail wasn’t even the most demanding.  We had read that the western most trail from Monterosso to Vernazza was the most difficult.

My friend Teresa overlooking Vernazza, in the early part of the hike

We started out with enthusiasm.  The town of Vernazza fell away as we climbed the stone steps on the edge of town, which turned into a trail.   Our enthusiasm slowly waned as the sun came out, the humidity rose and the climb got steeper.  It was only just over 2 miles and we had some great views,  but it did feel like a workout.  We ended in Corniglia with a gelato, having completed only one of the four segments.   The following photos are from the stretch of the trail that we hiked, in sequence from west to east.

Augie on the trail just after leaving Vernazza

Me and Teresa on one of the few flat portions of the trail,

More stairs

A short flat segment

Augie taking a breather, with our destination of Corniglia in the background.

The trail wound through some groves of olive trees towards the end near Corniglia.

Looking west back from where we came from.

A map of the trail coming into Corniglia

Walking through vineyards as we came into Corniglia

The church in Corniglia, at the end of the portion of trail we hiked.

Corniglia church interior

When we reached Corniglia, we stopped to catch our breath in the courtyard of the church.  We also stood in line at the most popular shop in town (for gelato) and enjoyed a well earned treat.  Corniglia is perched on a cliff 500 feet above the Ligurian Sea, affording spectacular views.

Looking east from Corniglia

My friend and travel companion Augie also blogs and wrote a more entertaining review of our hike.  Here is a link to his site:

https://augieblog.wordpress.com/

The day started out with  a few clouds, and then the sun came out.   The colors of the buildings really popped when the sun came out.  We walked around the little town, beach combed for pretty rocks and “sea tiles” (just like sea glass but bits of tile smoothed by wave action)  and enjoyed a fantastic pasta dinner.  The water was clear and pleasantly refreshing, not cold.

The Milan Duomo in the light of day.

With just a few hours to spend exploring Milan before I planned to meet friends at the train station and head south, I again boarded the metro to the Duomo.  In the light of day I was able to see the many statues and carvings on the exterior of the Duomo that I had missed the previous night.  Entrance to the Duomo is free, but the wrist band for photos was 2 eruos, which I paid.  There was a service in progress, as well as tourists milling about.

Detail from the front door of the Duomo

Duomo interior

Lighting candles for Madonna con bambino

I also made my way to the rooftop, using the stairs for 7 euros instead of the lift for 12 euros.  Great views as you wander through hundreds of spires and statues.

The Piazza del Duomo from the rooftop

Detail of rooftop decoration

Retouched detail photo, using the Nikon “color outline” feature.

Street performer outside the Duomo

I walked up the Via Dante to the Sforza Castle, but didn’t have the time to visit the museums.  Fashion week included an exhibit of Italian student creations.  The next Versace???

Italian fashion academy student creations on display

Time enough for a quick lunch at the Cafe Milan and I headed back to the Milan Central train station to meet my travel companions Augie and Teresa, just arriving from the states.

Milan central train station

Me at the train station ready to board the train to Camogli

Our train to Camogli was late, but we finally arrived at our next stop around 830 pm, and in the dark.  We have an apartment rented in Camogli (found on VRBO.com) for four nights.  It is a perfect location and just as described on the website.  Perfect.

View from our apartment window. Camogli

A cafe in Camogli

The Port of Camogli

The same port photo using the Nikon “color sketch” feature. OK, the camera is new to me and I am still figuring out all the features. It’s fun.

Milan’s Duomo

After 24 hours on the road, I made it to Milan.  My travel companions and I had planned to meet in Milan, not knowing that it is Fashion Week this week.  Why does that make a difference to me, not a fashion maven myself?  My plan was to jumpseat (travel using a pilot ID and uniform but no ticket) to Milan.  To jumpseat, there must be an open seat, and all the flights to Milan were overbooked due to Fashion Week.  So instead US Airways was kind enough to give me a ride to Rome, where I took a high speed train (at times reaching speeds over 150 mph) to Milan.  The three hour ride was through some very scenic countryside, unfortunately lost on me due to lack of sleep.

Fashion Week sign Milan

My travel companions are due in tomorrow, so after a short nap, I rode the metro from the central station in Milan to the Duomo, only four stops, to take advantage of my only solo night in Milan.   The metro was quick and easy, the ATMs for the tickets having English instructions.  For 1.50 Euro I got downtown right at dusk.

Milan’s Galleria

Window shopping

I liked the windows in this shop next to La Scala Opera House. All the windows had photos of greyhounds.

Teatro La Scala exterior at night

A statue of Leonardo in the piazza across from La Scala

Lots of people were at the Duomo and on the streets.  Signs advertising Fashion Week are everywhere.  Most shops at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II were closed, but the restaurants were open and busy, and the window shopping was great.  Big names here;  Prada, Louis Vuitton, etc.  Window shopping is probably the best option, as the prices are not discount by any means.

Louis Vuitton window

3,000 Euro purses in the window

I walked around the area surrounding the Duomo and had a pizza and pinot grigio (14 euros) with a view of the lighted facade.  I felt completely safe, but to be perfectly honest, I did not carry my new Nikon camera downtown.  I like to think I learned something from my Buenos Aires experience, so thought I’d get a feel for the area first before tempting fate.

It has been quite a few years since my last visit to Italy (12 years actually), so that is where I am headed this September.  Stay tuned for posts from Milano, Portofino and Camogli, the Cinque Terre, Venice and Verona.