The Votes Are In / Tentative Schedule

The votes are in: not much interest in the wine tours. Equal interest in the boat tour and the garden tour. My recommendation? Let's do both the boat tour and the garden tour--just not in the same day (I'm not sure I can do two tours in one day!).

So, a tentative schedule is forming in my Venetian-obsessed brain. everything is subject to change. I am NOT a schedule person for vacations, but some advance planning is necessary.

This is what I'm thinking:

Friday: Thom and Herman are on their own--but I think they can find a few things to do if they read the 200 things to do in Venice post.

Saturday: the rest of the gang arrives. Everyone is invited to my traditional first lunch at Ristoranti Riviera. (The top photo shows the view from the outside tables.) The rest of the day? Who knows... I think we might wander.

Sunday: This might be a good time for the boat tour. Venice will be in full tourist swing and it's fun to watch it from the water. It's best to do it late afternoon/early evening so we can watch the sunset. Sunday lunch at Il Sole is always interesting because all the Italian families come out. Il Sole is a "Three Funny Ladies" favorite -- a story best told over lunch. They also have a good grappa selection for those who want to try it or indulge...

Monday: This might be a good day to do the gardens tour. Maybe we can time it to end with lunch at La Cantina. The rest of day is for wandering and, maybe, dinner at

Tuesday: A trip to Torcello and Burano. Ending with lunch at another favorite of mine, Al Gato Nero. If anyone watches Samantha Brown's show on the Travel Channel, you should ask Max about her visit to the restaurant. The rest of us will be enjoying the food. Hint: don't even open the menu. Max will tell us what to eat (often the best way to eat in Venice).

Wednesday: The Rialto fish/veggie markets start the day. Early risers are invited to join the shopping trip. The goal? Pick out food for our Ca' Giulia dinner party (Thom's going to be the executive chef). We can finish with "breakfast" in the market: shrimp sandwiches & white wine! The rest of the day is for buying cheese, wine & other goodies to accompany dinner.

Thursday: Okay, we may have to go to a museum. Or not. All I know is that we will have to end our stay with dinner at Riviera. It's tradition. Those of us who aren't flying first class will want to buy some food for the plane.

Friday: don't even think about going home.

Other things: I'd like to be a real tourist and do a group gondola ride one afternoon. There's plenty of time for shopping. Burano is a good place to shop. It's further out in the lagoon and, as a result, has lower prices on things--including Murano glass.

If any one is interested in real Murano glass, we can go do a trip there. Be warned, the real glass is expensive--but worth it.

Other possibilities: the view from Giudecca--much better than the view form San Marco. (Wendy, do you recognize this photo? I took it on our March 2004 visit.)




















What you need to do: Let me know if you 're okay with the tours. If all is good, I'll start making the arrangements. Pick a museum.