Uniworld River Countess–Gems of Northern Italy–August 26–September 2, 2018

Sunday 8/26/18 -  Venice - Arrived after an overnight flight from Newark.  Cold and raining.  We  were told to enjoy lunch and relax in the lounge until the cabins were ready.  Since the weather wasn’t good for exploring Venice and we were quite exhausted, we took the advice of the staff.

Although I planned on using the gym, I never did.  We did more than enough walking every day.

 

After a delicious buffet lunch, we rested in the lounge until our cabin was ready.  Unpacked, napped and dressed for dinner.  Prior to dinner we all met in the lounge for a briefing by our cruise manager, Louisa.  Following the briefing, we enjoyed a fabulous Italian dinner and retired early.  The entertainment on these ships is very low key and enjoyable after a full day of tours.

Monday, August 27, 2018 –  Venice

Today, our first full day,  we took a private boat to St. Mark’s Square for a “Venice Walking Discovery” tour.   Started early at 8:30 AM arriving in St. Mark’s square about 8:45 AM.  Uniworld tries to get an early start to avoid the usual crowds, or as our guide called them “the barbaric hoards”.      Today was a comfortable and sunny 77 degrees. First we visited the Doge’s Palace with Susan, an art historian with a flair for drama!  The Doge’s Palace was the seat of the government of Venice for centuries.  As well as being the home of the Doge (the elected ruler of Venice) it was the venue for its law courts, its civil administration and bureaucracy and --- until its relocation across the Bridge of Sighs ---the city jail.

The Bridge of Sighs, a small covered bridge, connects the magnificent Doge’s Palace with the damp, dark, dingy prison across the canal.

The photo’s above show what the prisoners would see as the crossed the bridge into the prison.    Tourists flock to take its picture, lovers take selfies jostling for the best view.  But few know the real history of the bridge, how it got its name or realize that it has links to the justice courts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  And fewer still understand that it’s more closely linked to imprisonment and death than romance.  Many people think that the Bridge of Sighs gets its name from the sighs of love-struck couples when they see the pretty little Venetian bridge.  But nothing could be farther from the truth as the bridge actually takes its name from sighs of despair, depression and desolation.  While Venice has the original, many other international cities have their own version of the Bridge of Sighs.  From covered bridges in the university cities of Oxford, Cambridge and Manchester in England to Frankfurt’s city hall and the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, all boast their own little bit of Venetian inspired architecture. 

After our tour of the Doge’s and Bridge of Sighs, our guide brought us on a walking tour through the quaint narrow streets of Venice back to our ship which was docked at San Basilio.   6000 steps before lunch!  After lunch we enjoyed a scenic welcome sailing in the Northern Lagoon  with a live commentary which included a saber (sword) ceremony demonstration on how champagne was opened in the days of Napoleon.  Of course we all enjoyed sipping bubbly throughout the tour.  We learned that there are over 100 small islands surrounding Venice and would be visiting some of them this week.  Beautiful.

 

After a delicious dinner of Italian delicacies (we are eating quite a lot of pasta!), we  had an exclusive tour of St. Mark’s Basilica at night.  It was open just for Uniworld so there was no standing in lines and no crowds.  Once again, our guide, Susan, was informative and entertaining.  Just the drama of turning up the lights slowly gave me the chills as the light bounced off the beautiful gold mosaics.  We weren’t allowed to take pictures but it certainly is ingrained in my mind.  St. Mark’s Basilica is one of the most visited sights in Venice.  But with a history that stretches all the way back to the 9th century A.D., it’s also a church with a lot of interesting stories.  The first St. Mark’s Basilica was built on this spot in the 9th century to house very sacred relics----relics that had been stolen!  In 828, merchants from Venice stole the body of St. Mark the Evangelist, one of the four Apostles, from Alexandria, Egypt.  According to the legend, they snuck them past the (Muslim) guards by hiding them under layers of pork in barrels!  While at sea, a storm almost drowned the graverobbers and their precious cargo, it’s said that St. Mark himself appeared to the captain and told him to lower the sails.  The ship was saved, and the merchants said they owed their safety to the miracle.  The entire story is pictured on the 13th century mosaic!   Susan, our dramatic guide, told us this story while explaining each facet of the mosaic.  We were enthralled!   There are more than 85,000 square feet of mosaic in St. Mark’s Basilica…or enough mosaic to cover over 1.5 American  football fields. The mosaics were done over 8 centuries, mostly in gold, and the result is astonishing.  Forget the glittering gems at the Tower of London:  The Royal Family has nothing on St. Mark’s Pala d’Oro a Byzantine alter screen of gold, studded with hundreds of gems…literally.  They include 1,300 pearls, 300 emeralds, 300 sapphires, 400 garnets, 100 amethysts, plus rubies and topazes.  St. Marks Square was absolutely gorgeous at night……all lit up…..and most of the tourists were gone.

We took another private boat back to the ship and to top it off, there was a full moon and mars was shining brightly.  Such a clear night!  Back at the ship, we had yet another meal of veal and pasta in the lounge while we listed to a piano player.  4 major meals today! Very classy.  Exhausted. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018 -  Chioggia

Today we had a bicycle tour of Chioggia, also known as “Little Venice”.  Once again, we had good weather.  Sunshine and 80 degrees as we started our 8 mile ride through Chioggia along the beach to Sottomarina Island where we learned about fishing and mussel harvesting and enjoyed a typical lunch of pasta, mussels, clams and of course wine.  There’s nothing like seeing the world on a bicycle!  We made several stops to admire the architecture as we rode through the narrow cobblestone winding streets.  In Venice, there are no cars or bikes allowed on the streets, so we weren’t able to ride in Venice.  This was fantastic.  We always try to do some tours on bikes when we travel when possible. 

The fishing town of Chioggia is like a smaller version of Venice, but without the crowds.  In the early Middle Ages, it was quite a major player in Italian politics, but its almost complete destruction of the Genoese in 1379 reduce it to permanent provincial obscurity ---much to the benefit of present day visitors, who can stroll at ease along its lanes and canals.  Later this week we are scheduled to come back to Chioggia to enjoy the market and have a historic walking tour.   We returned back to the ship which had relocated while everyone was off the ship in order to cross the Adriatic Sea.  We were told that maritime rules say that riverboats cannot navigate in the ocean with passengers as they are not sea worthy.  I wonder how the crew feels about this!   Back at the ship we had the Captain’s Welcome Reception followed by the Welcome Gala Dinner.  Riverboats generally are not as formal as Ocean Cruises, but it was interesting to see that most of the guests were dressed to the nines!  I was glad I brought a couple of cocktail dresses.  Men wore jackets and ties.  It was nice too see.

Wednesday, August 29, 2018 - Bologna

Today was our third full day in Italy and we traveled to Polesella where we boarded coaches to take a full day walking tour of historic Bologna.  Bologna is the largest city and the capital of the Emilia Romagna Region in Northern Italy.  It is the seventh most populated in Italy, heart of a metropolitan area of about one million people.  Despite having suffered considerable bombing damage in 1944, Bologna’s 350 acre historic center is Europe’s second largest, containing an immense wealth of important medieval, Renaissance and Baroque artistic monuments.  Bologna is renowned for its cuisine, and for good reason.  This is the hometown of tortellini and mortadella, tagliatelle and Ragu (which is what they call Bolognese Sauce) among other delicacies.  Our walking tour brought us through the old medieval market and food shopping area.  The market has occupied the same area in the city center since Roman times.  Today it was the warmest since we arrived.  90 degrees but no humidity.  But, the town is filled with porticoes, so we were shielded from the sun and it was actually comfortable. 

Pictured above is the Fountain of Neptune.  Despite being commissioned by the Church, the statue is all but religious.  To begin with, it represents a pagan god, Neptune.  Once it was unveiled, Neptune, so muscular and manly, was considered too sexy.  And how about those four sensual sea nymphs squeezing water out of their breasts?   Legend also has it that the artist wanted to make Neptune’s genitals bigger, but the Church forbade him from doing so.  In retaliation, he designed the statue so that, from a certain angle, the outstretched thumb of his left hand seems to stick out from the lower abdomen, similar to an erect penis. I know you want to visit now, don’t you?   If you go, stand at the bottom end of the staircase leading to the Sala Borsa with your back to Via Indipendenza and check it out.    Today, this fountain is just a monument….but it was conceived with a practical purpose: to be used as a public fountain.  But residents began using it for other purposes, namely for washing their clothes and/or the vegetables bought at the market.  But a ban was put on that in 1588 and in 1604, the fountain was fenced off.  The fence stayed until 1888.

Above is the marble slab that the medical students used to dissect bodies.  Marble was used because it kept a cool temperature. 

Now it’s time for pasta making!  Quite an odd transition!  But off we went to an ancient restaurant for our pasta making demonstration. Amazing!  Of course, after the demo we were treated to a typical Bolognese lunch of wine, antipasto, tortelloni and ragu.

 

Back at the ship, we decided we couldn’t handle another huge meal, so we decided to skip the restaurant and have pizza in the Osteria Sienna on the top deck of the ship under the stars.  So, how much pasta and pizza can we consume in a week?  Lots.     Later, the ship brought in local entertainment which was unbelievable.  We even danced!  

Thursday, August 30, 2018 – Chioggia

Finally……some free time for shopping.  Today we were transported by coach back to Chioggia (where we took the bicycle tour).  We first had a guided walking tour of the regional open air market with a stop at the fish market.  As I mentioned before, Chioggia is famous for it’s fishing and fine restaurants which serve the freshest of seafood dishes.  Lots of shops and bars and little quiet alleys.  Weather good again today.  Sunny and mid 80’s.  After spending the morning exploring on foot, we returned to the ship to be treated to fresh local seafood, which the chef purchased while we were in port.  A lunch of shrimp, mussels, clams and of course pasta and wine.  The food on this ship is outstanding.  Every meal is amazing.  I don’t think the extra walking will compensate for all of the food we are eating.  This afternoon we sail back to Venice where will stay until the end of the cruise. 

Friday, August 31, 2018 – The Venice Islands of Torcello, Mazzorbo and Burano

Today we visited 3 of the many Venice Lagoon islands.  We were transported by private boat from our ship to Torcello, population 8.  Yes eight.  Torcello is a refuge for visitors in search of a quick escape from the crowds of Venice.  Susan, our drama queen tour guide, (I say that with love) brought us into the lagoon’s oldest cathedral, dating from 639, the Basilica of Santa Maria Assunta.  Since my attire was thought to be too racy for the church, I was handed a paper shawl to wear.  Whatever.  Somehow, Susan gets my attention as she explains the stories of the mosaics.  Even as I swelter in my paper shawl, I’m amazed at our guides enthusiasm, knowledge, and drama.  This Basilica was rebuilt in the 11th century, the Cathedral’s interior, with its Byzantine wood beams separating brick archways supported by columns with Corinthian capitals, seems to sum up the mood of Torcello: refined simplicity and intricate attention to detail.  The mosaics alone are worth a visit to the island.  In the square outside the church, you can see a stone throne that was supposedly used by the King of the Huns.  According to legend, anyone who ascents onto the chair will be married within a year. 

After our stop at the Church, we walked over to a beautiful cafe’ where we were treated to an Italian coffee break.  Amazing.

It was interesting to see an archeological dig going on next to the church.

After our coffee break, we boarded our boat for a short ride to Mazzorbo for a wine tasting at the Venissa Wine Estate.  Dorona di Venezia is a grape of the Venetian lagoon.  Its natural resistance to fungal diseases is a plus in this type of a climate.  So this golden grape produces a golden wine.   At 140EU a bottle, we didn’t make a purchase to bring home.  but we did enjoy the tasting.

Our next and last stop of this full day tour was a short walk over a bridge into Burano, known for it’s brightly colored homes and lacemaking. 

We enjoyed a short walking tour before being let out on our own for lunch!   Hooray! 

Families used to paint their homes in bright colors to designate where their family’s quarters ended and a neighbor’s began, as well as to make their homes more visible from the sea.  While there are touristy parts of Burano, much of it still has the working island feel that can be hard to find in Venice.  Fishing boats come in at the end oft he day, local women peer over their flower boxes at the tourists walking below.  Burano is located about a half hour boat trip from Venice and and suffers from severe flooding each winter.  I totally enjoyed wandering and did a bit of shopping too!  Beautiful lace items.  At the end of the tour, we were transported back to our ship which was docked in Venice.  The photo below was taken on our ride back to Venice.  A solar street light.  You don’t see anything like that often.

Saturday, September 1, 2018 – Venice

Today is our last day in Italy.  We certainly have been able to spend a lot of good quality time in Venice and the surrounding islands and quaint villages.  This was our second visit to Venice and I felt like we were seeing it for the first time.  Our tours were in depth with amazing guides.  Did I mention the drama queen?   LOL – This morning we left bright and early to catch a water taxi to the Rialto Market with a guide and our Executive Chef, Lucian.  This was our first time on a water taxi……quite an experience.  As Susan would say, we have to leave early to beat the hoards of Barbarians. 

Chef Lucian explained how he chose the freshest of vegetables, fruits and fish and how he planned to prepare our lunch and dinner today. (we couldn’t wait to get back to the ship) 

We later enjoyed some free time before meeting our group in a local café for “cicchetto and ombra”, a Venetian culinary ritual.  Our guide explained that the Venetians enjoy going to the market to pick up beautiful fresh produce and fish.  It’s not a chore to them, like it can be for us here in the states.  After their shopping, they enjoy going to a bar or café for a glass of bubbly or wine with a small snack.  Today we had champagne and Italian bread with tomato and prosciutto.  (I think I will start a tradition like this when I get home.) 

At the end of the tour, we had the option of taking the water taxi back to the ship, or walking.  We chose to walk which took about 45 minutes which enabled us to do a little more sightseeing and take some photos.

The photo above is the Accademia Bridge which recently reopened after some updating.  Earlier in the week we walked over the bridge but there was scaffolding and canvass so we weren’t able to see how pretty it is.  Once back at the ship, we immediately went to the dining room for lunch to see what Lucian prepared and once again…..amazing.   Wow, freshly prepared pasta with clams and a dish of mixed seafood.  I am certainly going to miss the food! 

One more tour this afternoon.  Private boat to Giudecca Island  for a Murano glass blowing demonstration with shopping! 

This was the end of our week on the beautiful Uniworld River Countess.  Tomorrow we will be transferred to the airport for our flight back to NJ.  Below are some random pics from around the ship.