After checking out of our BW Travelers hotel, we went over to the Venice Marco Polo Airport and picked up Jason and Terri who arrived from Germany to spend a few days with us in Venice. After getting everyone in the NEW CAR we drove across
The only ‘land’ bridge to Venice. Parking is limited to the area at the end of this road by the train station.
causeway to the City Of Venice! Needless to say there are very few parking areas but I had reserved a spot for our stay.
Once we navigated the parking structure
Garage entrance – not sure if I go on the right or left???
Typical vaporetto – water bus – for use getting around Venice.
and purchased our vaporetto (water bus) tickets, we boarded Line #1 and motored down the Grand Canal to our stop S. Toma, where Greg, our host in the VRBO, was waiting.
On the water bus to our apartment
After a short walk, we got to the apartment – overlooking Campo dei Frari, near Gloriosa dei Frari church.
The apartment is on the second floor, the one with the red blind.
We are on the second floor of a nice building next to a “rio”canal. This apartment has two bedrooms, a large living room, dining room, 2,5 baths a nice kitchen and LOTS of windows for light.
This is the view from our living room.Here’s the living room from the windows.Nice large dining room – party anyone?Kitchen with all the required items and space too!The larger of the two bathroomsHere’s the smaller of the two bedrooms.Large bedroom with TV and big closets.
Nice and relaxed in Venice
We got settled in a few minutes and then headed out to Antiche Carampane, a restaurant Janeen and I had visited during our first visit (15 months ago) to share lunch.
Well, the restaurant did NOT disappoint!
Having our first glass of wine of the day.Best prawns so far on this trip!Grilled octopus – fantastic!Seafood PastaSea Bream – also tasty but to be honest not as good as the Sea Bass.Sea Bass – really tastyHazel nuts with chocolate covered ice creamPumpkin TiramisuCafé Correcto – Espresso and Grappa – nice after a large meal.
Having a wonderful time!
A happy group after a wonderful lunch.Walking back to the apartment.
Jason and Terri were a little tired after a very long day so they took a nap – and then they went out for pizza while Janeen and I stayed home. Tomorrow, even if it is calling for some rain, we will venture out and do some exploring and actually take more pictures!
Our drive today was REALLY REALLY REALLY BEAUTIFUL but no pictures where taken. Lovely views of snow covered alps…..end up near the Venice Airport where we will be picking up Terri and Jason tomorrow and going into Venice for several days.
The route we took today.
Once we got settled into our hotel we went out looking for a self serve laundry and found one! After an hour and half, we were back to the hotel putting ourselves together for our next big adventure – Venice!
Even our NEW car got into the act.Sorting cloths before starting the machineJaneen – getting ready to do this thing!The instructions on the machines and the coin area were actually quite easy to understand – NOT like our experience in France a year or so ago.David says he is helping but who really knows
Stuttgart to Innsbruck – on the road most of the day but only went 325 Km (201 miles). But it was a lovely drive through the southern Alps of Germany and into the Alps of Austria. Mostly an uneventful day – but lovely views. Our hotel in Innsbruck seems to be a jumping off point for hikers as there are special packages which include various treks in the nearby mountains.
Just one of the many beautiful views along our road today.Here’s our car on the side of the road.A little church just to the side of our travels.
Could not believe all the beautiful views we saw along the way today.A beautiful couple standing on the side road if I do say so myself.Here’s or track for the day.Our hotel in Innsbruck – nice clean place.
Tomorrow is Venice – well, not really, but close. We are staying at a hotel near the airport so we can pick up Terri and Jason who will be joining us in Venice for a few days prior to their flight back to Virginia.
Not much has happened over the last couple of days – we have been waiting for TODAY. The planning for TODAY started way last November when we started thinking about a car for our time in Europe and decided it would be best to just buy one. Well, that lead us to look at the four basic car makers who have what is called Foreign Delivery programs: Volvo, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. We checked each of their programs, sat in a few different models and decided the Mercedes-Benz GLC-300 would be the car for us.
While we were in Virginia last December, for Christmas with our granddaughter and her parents (Jason our son and his wife Terri) we ventured out to a Mercedes-Benz dealer and put down a deposit for a new car for delivery in Stuttgart late September. When this is now late September.
We arrived at the delivery center only to find out there was a custom’s paperwork that hadn’t been completed. Nothing we could do about it so we were given a voucher for a beverage and tickets to a factory tour. The factory tour was about 2 hours and quite interesting. Having gone on a GM tour in about 1972, things have most certainly changed. Robots do 90% of everything – heavy lifting, welding, screwing, gluing – you name it and they can do it. The human touch only comes in for the fine detail work and finishing touches.
The entrance to the pick up center for our new car.The factor tour was really interesting – lots of robots.The cars come down the line and are shifted in all different directions to allow access.Here’s the top being put on the car.The paint line ends up putting 6 or 7 layers of paint on the car.Robots everywhere!Welding, crimping, bolting, screwing – all by robots along the line.
After the tour we were given another voucher for lunch – which was quite nice. After that, we were finally introduced to our new car. As we were going through all the particulars we soon realized it did not have European Maps in the navigation system. Well, another voucher for a dessert and beverage while the loaded the correct maps to the system and ultimately about 2 hours later we able to finish the introduction to the car and take off.
It’s hard to believe we have done this!Janeen really likes this color of the Mercedes-Benz GLC-300.
First stop was to the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Started in 1886, this organization has done an extrodinary amount of different things over the last hundred or so years. Cars, boats, motorcycles, airplanes, racing cars, buses you name it and they have had a hand in doing something one way or another.
Along with the various cars presented there was a general timeline listing important events happening around the world – interesting to see and learn about all of this from their (Mercedes-Benz) perspective.
Built in about 1890 – this “motorcycle” could be the first one ever built.Not something I would want to have driven.Another early car.Neat car with luggage rack on the roof.The original Mercedes name sake car.With this LO 1112, Hector Prieto began a career as a bus operator in Buenos Aires in 1969. As was customary in many private bus companies, his vehicle was colorfully painted and decorated inside with lucky charms, mascots and souvenirs to attract customers.The Museum had a really HUGE collection of old cars.This is the car Janeen really wanted us to pick up. Sad to say, not made any more.
After finding our way back to the hotel I turned the car over to them to put in the garage and we went out for a beer. All in all a very pleasant day.
Thursday – September 21st through Saturday the 23rd.
On Thursday, I stayed on board the boat today while Janeen headed out with the rest of the ship to Salamanca Spain. Sleeping in has its advantages and a restful day was great. After we moved the boat, to the dock of the village, I took myself for a walk. Well, the village of Barca de Alva is about 3 blocks long and maybe 2-blocks wide. I saw about 20 people in total and that included two people from the Boat also on a walking tour.
THE main street of Barca de Alva where the boat docked for the bus trip to Salamanca.Almonds seem to be the only product at this store.
Not a hot spot of entertainment that’s for sure.
While everyone was out touring Salamanca, I had a coffee in town.
I did stop for a coffee and read my book for a while and then back to the boat. It was a nice relaxing day.
While I stayed on the boat, Janeen went with the rest of the ship to Salamanca. If you ignore the winding 2-hour road ride, the rest stop WC line, and a timetable, Salamanca, Spain is a fascinating city. The University, founded in the late 12th/early 13th century, was one of the most progressive of its day; allowing students to study writings of Moor, Jewish and Christian philosophers. The only thing they consistently agreed upon was the huge temptation for the students in the form of Woman (who is represented by the frog of lust, usually poised over a skull or skeleton). However, if one can find the Salamanca frog amongst the carvings and religious figures, it guarantees a return to the city. The two cathedrals, which share a wall, are unique examples of the Romanesque (simple) and Gothic (soaring and ornate) styles form 11th century to the Renaissance.
This is the “new” church in town.
The “New” Cathedral (15th cent.) was delayed by massive death count of the bubonic plague, victims of which are buried in mass graves beneath the floor. Today, the city of Salamanca has mostly two sources of income, tourists and students. The University will celebrate its 800th year in 2018.
The Main Plaza of the city.Moving art exhibit in the Square.
See the frog on the top of the skull? Well, it’s there!This is the Shell House – the outside of the building is marked with shells it’s on the Pilgriamage Route.See the astronaut carved on the side of the ‘new’ church.
Here we are having an adult beverage in the lounge on the boat.Just enjoying the curse along the Douro River.
Friday and Saturday was a nothing day – mostly sailing along the Douro as we made our way back towards Porto. So, nothing really to report beyond the views from the boat.
Enjoying dinner with our friends.Our group for dinner in the private room on the ship.
We did enjoy our evening dinners in the private dining room with all our new found friends.
Church of São Francisco on the right bank of the Douro – Porto side.
Saturday afternoon, after arriving in Porto, we head out on our own walking tour visiting around the Ribera area of old Porto, and ultimately stopping in at the Church of Saint Francisco.
The interior of the church is a mass of carved wood decorated walls, columns, ceilings – everywhere.
After paying our admission price, we walked through the place and particularly enjoyed seeing the Jesse Tree.
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction of the ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David and grows upward from there.
This church is famous for this depiction of the Tree of Jesse.This carved Tree of Jesse is really quite amazing – thus several different pictures presented for your enjoyment.
This carved wood piece is quite tall with 12 kings of Judah connected through branches of the tree to the recumbent body of Jesse. On top of the tree is Joseph, under an image of the Virgin and the Child. This was made in the early 1700’s and still looks quite good.
After walking through the church, we headed outside and tried to connect with Janeen’s friend Cherlyne and her husband David. They were in Porto at the same time as us but on a tour with Tauck. After texting several times back and forth we found out they were on a ‘break’ on the other side of the Douro River so we rushed back over the river and found them! It was neat to connect, if only for a few minutes, with them – Cherlyne is a OLD high school friend of Janeen who she sees infrequently as they live in eastern Oregon.
Janeen and Cherlyn
After our ‘quick’ visit we got back on the boat and finished packing for our departure the next day.
On our last evening, the Capitan took the Boat for a spin on the River to see the night sky.
