Venice & Burano, Italy, part 2

As I mentioned in my previous post, our next stop was an optional excursion to Burano. We took an hour boat ride to this colorful island. All the houses are painted in bright, vibrant colors. Instead of having house numbers, they are identified by the color of their house! We had a fantastic lunch and purchased some masquerade masks. The gentleman who owns the shop makes each mask by hand, and they were all so lovely that it was hard for me to pick just one! If you decide to purchase an authentic Venetian mask, look for one handmade in Italy with a seal from the maker. 

We then took the boat back to the Bridge of Sighs and walked to our hotel – yes, the hour walk we skipped from this morning! Zach and I decided for a quick 20-minute gondola ride instead. Our particular gondola had musicians and a singer. We sat back and enjoyed the music, the gentle breeze brushing our faces as we glided through the Venetian canals.

As part of our traveling experience, we try to purchase t-shirts or magnets from a Hard Rock Cafe in each city. Ciro showed us how to get to the only HRC, and cautioned us on where to eat because of extra charges or taxes that most restaurants along the waterway will include in your bill. We got our HRC purchases, walked along some alleyways, and came upon a small pizzeria. We sat outside for dinner and enjoyed a delicious margarita pizza. 

Nighttime fell upon us as we made our way back to the hotel. I enjoyed everything we did on that first day in Italy, but the gondola ride was the most memorable! 

Venice & Burano, Italy, part 1

The next morning we woke up refreshed and quite ready to start our trip. Zach and I ate a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, and English Breakfast tea at our hotel. We were up early to beat the crowds and the heat. Our group took a boat ride to the other side of Venice. We could have walked, but it would have taken us a good 45 minutes to an hour at a brisk pace, and we didn't have time for that! 

On this first day, we visited the Doge's Palace with its Bridge of Sighs and St. Mark’s Square. We also attended a glassblower demonstration which was spectacular to watch. 

The Doge's Palace housed the Doge of Venice, which was the supreme authority of the Republic of Venice. First opened in the 1920s, it is now a grand museum where we saw many paintings, weapons, and a seating area where the jury sat, and where they held court. Then, we crossed the Bridge of Sighs where the prisoners were taken to prison if convicted. 

Next, we walked through St. Mark's Square and saw the outside of the Basilica.  We made it to the Vecchia Murano Glass Factory and watched the glassblower do his work. He did it so quickly yet precisely. His first demonstration was of a vase, and his second demonstration was of a small horse. 

Our next stop was an optional excursion to Burano. We took an hour boat ride to this colorful island. Read more about this island next week on my blog! 

Arriving in Venice

In May of this year, Zach and I took a Globus trip of the United Kingdom, which you can read about here. But we had already been on another Globus tour in August 2014 where we visited Italy. It was a nine-day journey from Venice to Sorrento and it is definitely worth writing about now (even if it is a year later). The tour guides we met in each city loved what they did and were excited to share all they knew. Our main tour guide, Ciro, was fantastic, and he kept us entertained during our trip across the country. Like the UK tour, we traveled by bus with about 32 other fantastic people! 

We first flew into Venice Marco Polo Airport, and representatives from Globus picked us up, along with some other tour members, and took us to our hotel, the Hotel Carlton on the Grand Canal. Venice is a bunch of little islands completely surrounded by water, and there are no cars or roadways, only canals and boats. Because of this, we had to be dropped off a little ways from our hotel. But it was so gorgeous, and we were so delighted to be there that we didn't mind the walk at all. Globus took care of our luggage throughout the entire trip, so we didn't look ridiculous climbing the many stairs or cobblestone streets while in Italy. We rested up in our room for a few hours before we met Ciro and our traveling companions. After he went over some important information, we took a lovely stroll to a restaurant called Al Bacco Felice. Mama Mia! Here we had the most tasty spaghetti and fettuccine I have ever eaten. After lunch we treated ourselves to some biscotto and pistacchio gelato. For us, gelato wasn't just a treat...it was a meal in itself as we had some 3 or more times a day!

After our dinner, we walked back to the hotel and said goodnight to our group. We were both so excited to be there and couldn't wait for what was to come in our tour!

Visiting the Garden Tomb

On our last day, Ryan reserved a taxi via Gett (similar to Uber) for noon, so we rose bright and early to visit The Garden Tomb. It is the site where many believe Jesus was buried and where He was resurrected three days later. From our apartment, we walked about ten minutes to reach the garden. There is no fee to enter, and the organization in charge, The Garden Tomb Association, provides a guide to point out different areas in the garden. 

Even though we could hear traffic outside the walls, we sensed a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Our guide, Steve, took us to the edge of the garden and showed us what they believe to be The Skull of the Rock, or the place where Jesus may have been crucified. He then showed us the winepress and cistern, both pieces of evidence to suggest that the garden was a working garden, similar to gardens of the day when Jesus lived.

Steve then pointed out the tomb, and we proceeded down the stone steps and found ourselves at the entrance. It was rather small, compared to how I imagined it. The tomb was supposed to be large enough for an entire family, with three resting places, presumably a father, a mother, and a child. On the door inside hangs a post saying, "He is not here for He is risen." True today as it was back then!

After purchasing souvenirs from the gift shop, we exited and walked toward the Damascus gate. Since it was close to noon, we went back to our apartment, packed what we had left, and waited for our ride. Within an hour we were back at Ben Gurion Airport. Using the kiosk, we printed our tickets and headed for security, which wasn’t as bad as our Larnaca Airport experience. As we flew out of Israel, I prayed that next year Zach and I would be able to make it back!