Day 16 - Indian

The last night of the holiday so the family took us out for the Indian. We went to the "Mossley Tandoori", papa's favourite although it has a new name that I can't remember.


At the Indian.

No visit to the UK would be complete without a visit to the World. No expense had been spared on the decorations for Christmas.


Outside the World.

Still, this did not please the grumpy corner. "We don't do Christmas" snarled papa. So the World decorated them. Some things you can't improve.


Grumpy old men.

Day 15 - Christmas Party

This years Christmas party was based in Manchester. A meal at "La Tasca" in Deansgate and then clubbing at "The Birdcage". We were staying at the "Walkabout" Hotel at the far side of Deansgate.

On arrival at the hotel it is fair to say that it wasn't the most impressive place I have ever been. It was dreadful. Still we were only crashing there for the night. The next obstacle, particularly for Monica in the cold wintry night, was the distance of the first location. About a 10 minute walk. The only problem seemed to be avoiding the throngs of revellers whom all appeared to be drunk already, at 5:30pm. It was not a pretty sight.

Most of the bars we passed were packed to the rafters. It didn't improve any when we arrived at La Tasca. It took us 10 minutes to get in the doors. The poor people who had booked tables on the ground floor couldn't be happy. They were constantly being barged in to by people queuing 5 deep at the bar hoping to get served.


At La Tasca.

Luckily, we had a table reserved in the basement. The plates of tapa came in to visits. The first saw a mix of 6 different plates. Abondigas, patatas bravas, queso & jamon, salchichas, tortilla and a pisto style berengenas. After the initial wave of tapas it seemed an age before they re-appeared with more. Then it was only 3 more dishes. Not the best tapas I've ever had and at the price was a bit of a let-down.


At La Tasca.


Our end of the table.

Moving on time and it was a little too early to queue for the club. So we marched across to the Printworks and tried to get in a bar there. We managed to get in one and squeezed our way downstairs. However, we were dismayed to find a bar 5 deep with thirsty people and only two people serving. We didn't stand a chance. So we decided it would be best to queue up anyway.

In the club the first disaster struck. I wanted to put my coat and scarf in the cloakroom. They wanted £1 an item, including my scarf! I know, I'll stick it in my coat pocket. Not a bright idea as it ripped open and ruined my jacket.


Me and Andrea.

Inside the club at 9:30pm and I knew it was going to be a costly visit. Two bottles of Stella from the bar, £7.60 thank you. We had 2 reserved tables at the front of the stage. Not the most comfy of places and it would have been better if we had one of the booths just a little further back. At least we would all have been around the same table.


Alison thinks about a career change.

The stage was a mass of bodies dancing to early 70's pop, the girly stuff. It wasn't long before the host, a Lily Savage clone, announced that our live entertainment would be on soon. This was the bit I had been dreading. The entertainment turned out to be the fabulous (his words) David Gale. Another drag queen whose act comprises of miming to Shirley Bassey by over exaggerating the mouth movements, and throwing a few lewd innuendos in for good measure. It was funny for the first act, it had lost its appeal after 5 more though.


Shirley Bassey takes to the stage.

Between costume changes, the stage became a dance floor again. I am pretty sure after the second act, if you had a vote, most people would have sacked the entertainment and carried on dancing all night. By 1am, we had had enough. Time for the long walk back to the grovel of a hotel we were staying. Manchester at Christmas, you can stick it where the sun don't shine. Well I suppose that is what they have done.


Andrea's windmill impression goes down a storm.

Day 14 - More canals

Day 13 was spent relaxing and travelling from Venice to Liverpool to Manchester. Papa picked us up from Liverpool Airport and moaned about the car parking fees all the way home. Luckily for Monica, she couldn't hear a thing as the noise from the exhaust drowned everything out.

The next day turned out to be a lovely clear winter's day. Freezing cold but perfect for walking, so I was spared a trip to the Trafford centre. Papa and Pepsi joined us on our walk to Uppermill along the canal. The toepath was a bit muddy but didn't spoil the walk.


Papa, Pepsi and Monica walk along the Toepath


Roaches Lock.

In the evening it was time to catch up with the Carrbrook lot at the Millbook. The Millbrook being the converted "Church Inn", a new bar restaurant. The food was OK but the service was a little slow.

At the Millbrook.

Day 12 - Sea Door

Our last full day in Venice. We were meant to go and explore the island of Murano, famed for its glass making industry. However, we required an early start and Antonella didn't have the heart to wake us up. Instead, we opted for another Itinerary from the Corto Maltese guide book, "Sea Door".

We took the vaporetto to San Marco and headed up the fondameta towards the start of our tour. Here, the temporary ramps that were built for the Venice Marathon were still in place. This is the finishing straight, with the majority of the race being held on the main land before crossing the liberty bridge, then a temporary bridge of boats crossing the grand canal to San Marco, before finishing at Riva dei Sette Martiri. This is where the Museo Navale is located. The new stretch of the fondamenta was finished in 1937, and was to be named after Mussolini, but was named "Riva dell'Impero" (Riva of the Empire) instead. The name was changed to its present name after the fall of Fascism and is in memory of the seven partizan's executed by the nazi fascists.


Large anchor outside the maritime museum.

The tour started in the Napoleonic Gardens, the home of the Biennale, the famous modern art exhibition held every two years. Here are the remnants of the demolished church of San Antonio Abate, the archway is all that remains.


Arco dei Sanmicheli.

The tour was to visit the church of San Iseppo. Inside we were to see various paintings from the Tintoretto school. An altar piece that depicts the battle of Lepanto, commissioned by Admiral Giovanni Vrana. Sadly, the church is closed for renovation work.



San Iseppo.


The crocked campanile and the Basilica di San Pietro.



Monica's new ship building empire.


Sottoportico Zurlin, the lowest in Venice.


A typical canal scene from Venice.


Via Garibaldi.


A lion outside the Arsenale.

Later, we went to visit a Jazz bar in the Rialto area. The atmosphere was nice and pleasant inside, with low level Jazz music playing. There were plenty of posters on the wall of Jazz legends such as Miles Davies. Oh, and the ceiling was covered with Bra's. The reason? Someone presented them with their bra as a leaving present. It just caught on with the rest of their clientele.

Nice Bra ceiling.

Day 11 - Roberto and Martina

This was going to be a relaxing day. A chance for Monica to catch up with old friends, Roberto and Martina. They were enjoying an extended winter break from their business near Plazza Roma. So we decided to go back to the Courtyard off the Grand Canal to try out the old bar there.


Monica, Martina and Roberto enjoying a Spritz.

We got to the courtyard and it looked like the bar was being closed for the day. However, has luck would have it, Martina and Roberto knew the owner so he invited us in for a Spritz. It wasn't long before the owner started to tell us his life story. Apparently he had only recently returned to Venice after spending many years in the service of none other than the king of Spain, as his chef. Its a shame I couldn't keep up with the conversation as he went on to recount tales from the kings court. He looked a little worse for ware so I wasn't totally convinced with his tales. I would love to believe them as he made it sound wonderful.

After a brief stop it was off in search of another place. Again, I would love to be able to understand Italian. Roberto has a wicked sense of humour and never stops telling amusing tales. Far too many for the girls to translate for me. I get the impression that his tongue can land him in trouble often. It certainly did as we were stood outside a bar contemplating going in. Roberto made a comment something along the lines of "What self respecting Venetian would serve that tripe" pointing at an assortment of meatballs on the counter. No sooner had he said it than a man passed by to enter the bar giving Roberto a black look. It was only the owner. "Shall we go in" asked Roberto, oblivious to the fact that the owner would probably spit in our drinks now. We soon moved off in search of another place.

We found a tourist bar that was a favourite with all nationalities except Venetians. They didn't do Spritz! So we settled for a local sparkling white wine, the name of which I forget. The place was called "Do Mori" and the ceiling was covered in copper pots.

Then it was on to find a place near San Marco. We settled for a cafe bar behind the square which had a number of photos displayed on the walls of various events that had taken place in Venice over the years.


Pink Floyd concert in San Marco.

The first photo was that of the day after the famous free "Pink Floyd" concert in San Marco. It shows the total carnage and rubbish strewn all over the square. The event was remembered well by the three. Roberto, himself a keen Guitarist, has nothing but good memories of the concert. He was right at the front and loved every minute. In contrast, Martina was living on Giudecca at the time and was banned from going to the concert. Monica wasn't banned but didn't show any interest in going, opting to look on from Giudecca, from where you could see the giant screens erected in San Marco.

The concert is infamous not for Pink Floyd, but the total lack of organisation of the event. Apparently, the sheer weight of numbers took the authorities by surprise. It was Summer 1989, it was free, no need for a rocket scientist to work out it was going to be packed out with other 200,000 people. With no organisation, a lack of toilet facilities, a lack of medical attention, chaos ensued. The unthinkable happened as the grounds of San Marco were treated as a public urinal. The past doges must have looked down in despair at the site of grown men peeing over the sacred ground.

The next photo was the storming of the campanile in the name of the Serenissima party, in an attempt to liberate Venice from the corrupting influences from Rome, on the 9th May 1997. The People of Venice learned of this stunt via a pirate radio announcement live from the top of the Campanile. "After 200 years, a regular unit of the Most Serene Venetian Army has tonight liberated St Mark's Square," the heavily accented voice said in a low monotone. "Long live St Mark, long live the Serenissima!"

It was no joke. 8 people had commandeered a vaporetto and loaded their DIY armoured vehicle on board. They headed for San Marco to start their occupation, to mark the 200th anniversary of the fall of the most serene republic on the 12 May 1797.

The authorities took a hard line. A team of 24 masked Carabinieri paramilitary police stormed the belltower and arrested the separatists whose protest has put secession back on the political agenda in Italy. The action was deemed a terrorist attack and the 8 were jailed for there actions.

Day 10 - Treviso at night.

After the match we had to wait a couple of hours for the girls to arrive at Zero Branco on the Train. Roberto's friend, Sandro offered to take us to his home and wait there. Sandro is an old friend from their time during National Service. He is also a sponsor of Zero Branco and was helping Andrea's claim to be number 1 goalkeeper.

Sandro lives in a beautiful apartment in the centre of Zero Branco. It as stunning views of the church, decorated with Christmas lights. At his home we met his wife and daughter. Diana was the same age as Andrea. Plenty of scope to tease Andrea then.

Roberto and Sandro soon left for the station to pick the girls up. That left me with Andrea acting as official translator. It turns out that both Andrea and Diana have over 20 years experience learning English. I had a two day crash course of Italian thanks to my Michel Thomas tapes. Still, I had a go with Italian and some how managed to communicate, mainly with pointing, using Spanish and then for the kids to translate once they had stopped laughing at my Italian.

Andrea ready to drive Diana's mini.

Monica and Antonella arrived and plans were made to go to Treviso for dinner. The driving arrangements were that we would be driven by Sandro whilst Andrea, fresh with 2 day old driving licence, would drive Diana's mini (she had yet to pass the test) with Roberto acting as chaperon. I was thankful not to be in the mini.

Treviso at night.

Treviso looked a wonderful city, even in the cold damp night. I always thought of Treviso as the place that Ryan Air calls Venice. However, on first impressions it is a place that I would like to go back and visit properly. Sandro was acting as the groups tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and clearly proud of Treviso. I learned a few more things about the place. First, it is the home to Benetton. A few other regional shops of note too, although I only recognised "Diesel".

The cafe bar "Signore y Signori" was made famous by the 1960's Italian comedy of the same name. This is set in the charming square Piazza dei Signori. We went for a Spritz in an atmospheric place nearby that is set inside Palazzo dei Trecento. Then it was on the "Da Pino" for Pizza.

Spritz time.

On the English table.

Diana and Andrea, members of the English table.

The Italian table.

Travelling back to Zero Branco, Sandro took us on a driving tour around Treviso. This only confirmed what I thought originally. Treviso is a must see place and I will definitely be returning to spend a day exploring the city further.

Day 10 - Zero Branco Calcio

Roberto took me to watch Andrea's team play football. His team is named after the town Zero Branco. They are a semi-professional team that play in the lower reaches of the Italian football pyramid. On a par with Stalybridge Celtic.

However, all was not well with team Zero Branco. Andrea joined the team in the summer with the promise that he would be number 1 goalkeeper. The squad had also drafted in ex Serie A goalkeeper Christian Gobbo, age 36. His principle job was to be goalkeeper coach and backup, for which he was being paid handsomely.


Zero Branco Pitch.

This didn't last long however. In contrast to his popular saying to Andrea "You are the future and I am the past", it appears that Gobbo told the manager that he wanted to play. So with no explanation, Andrea was dropped and Gobbo was in. That was over 5 games ago. The manager wouldn't even play Andrea in the reserves because he didn't want to run the risk if injury. So it was no real surprise when we reached the ground to find out that Andrea was on the bench again.


Zero Branco v Caiserdosson.

The match was a real relegation 6 pointer. Zero Branco were 3rd bottom, the visiting team only 1 point better off with a real problem of not scoring goals. The game kicked off and I immediately joined the Cassierdosson fans. I wanted Gobbo to let in a sackful!

Caiserdosson started off the brighter team. They held the ball better, passed it better and looked head and shoulders a better side than Zero Branco. The only thing letting them down was a powder puff attack. They created plenty of promising positions but never really threatened goal. Which was a good thing considering who was in goal. Gobbo translates as "Hunchback" and the name is quite apt. He flapped at crosses. Made powder puff shots at goal look better with his late dives. I couldn't work out if it was that he was that slow or he was just trying to make it look like a great save.

The second half was much as the first. Casierdosson were not going to score if they played all night. It looked like Zero Branco may get an undeserved goal on the counter, but an excellent point blank save denied them late on. The game ended goalless. Zero Branco are in for a long winter if that is their normal standard of play. As for Gobbo watch, I could have kept a clean sheet in that game. Time to get Andrea in the goals before its too late.


Andrea consigned to the bench.

Day 9 - Orient Door

After lunch it was back to Venice to start a new Itinerary, "The Orient Door". This tour started at the famous palace "Ca d'Oro" on the Grand Canal. This 15th century palace was left to the state by Giorgio Francheti, who had spent a fortune renovating the place after years of neglect.


Ca d'Oro.

Continuing on the tour we stopped off at a unique bridge in Venice. Venice has over 400 bridges connecting the 117 tiny islands together. This bridge is the only one without a railing.


The bridge with no railing.


View of the northern part of the lagoon.

The next oriental palace was Palazo Mastelli, or also known as Palazzo del Cammello due to the carved camel on the facade. This was home to the three Mastelli brothers who came from Africa to trade in 1112. They were given the name "Mastelli" as the commonly held myth was that the brothers where so rich, they owned "mastelli" (basins) full of gold coins.


Palazzo del Mastelli.

Around the building near the main entrance you will find sculptures of the three brothers. The sculpture on the corner has a bronze nose guard. Antonella states that local legend says that you must touch the nose to bring luck.


Rioba Mastelli's statue.

Time was against us as the light fell and darkness enveloped us. We abandoned the tour and headed back home, walking through the old Jewish ghetto.

Day 9 - Adventure Door

Today would see a reversal of roles. I was leading a guided tour around Venice for three Venetians. This would be a tough one. I was using the excellent "The secret Venice of Corto Maltese" guide book. We will see just how secret Venice can be.

The first Itinerary is called "Adventure Door". It starts in the Campo San Bartolomio, near the Rialto bridge. The staring point being the statue of Carlo Goldoni, the famous Venetian comedian. It was to be a bad start as the statue was covered up for restoration works. The next stop didn't get things off to a better start either. We were to tour the old post office building. Unfortunately it was Saturday and it was shut.


Ready for the start of the tour.

The tour was almost over before it started. I needed something special to rekindle the enthusiasm that was evaporating from the Venetians. Luckily, the next stop provided it in spades. Corte Remer is off the beaten track, close to the Rialto bridge. A few twists and turns and you are there. A magical Byzantine courtyard backing on to the Grand Canal. Roberto and Antonella were impressed. They never knew it was here. Indeed, it looks like a private courtyard when you sail past on the Grand Canal. There was a traditional pub in the corner which looked rustic. We would investigate this another time. I had to continue with the tour, buoyed by the success of this stop.


Corte Remer.


View of Rialto from Corte Remer.

The next stop was another courtyard off the typical tourist routes of Venice. It was Corte Morosina, the home of the famous Morosini family of Venice that counted 4 doges, 3 dogesses and 2 queens within its ranks. This courtyard was home to a rather tragic tale of a young Knight who was returning home to Germany with a sacred relic from the holy wars in his possession. Allegedly, it was a fragment of the holy cross. He was befriended by a noble merchant who invited him to his home in this courtyard. Here the young knight felt relaxed and at home, even more so when he met his friends beautiful sister. He soon fell in love and forgot all about his prised possession and his journey home.

However, his friend was not what he appeared, nor was the sister. In fact, they were callous lovers who had tricked the young knight in order to steal his holy relic. They ran off with their prize, leaving the young knight distraught and heartbroken. Legend tells us that the knight roamed the streets endlessly in search of his lost treasure in vain. His painful wailing echoing around Venice until one day people found his empty armour and helmet resting against the well in this courtyard. He was never seen again.


Corte Morosina.

The next stop on the tour was to the birth place of the most famous Venetian of all time, Marco Polo. This is the Corte Seconda del Milion. Marco was born in 1215, the son of a trader who specialised in trade with the orient. At the age of 17, Marco set sail with his father and Uncle to the far east. Here they were greeted by the Mongol lord, Kublai Khan.

They stayed as a guest of the Khan for over 20 years. Finally, they were allowed to return home, returning to Venice nearly 25 years after they had set-off on their journey. Friends and relatives did not recognise them at first as they appeared in strange oriental attire.


Monica at home with the Polo's.


View from ponte del cristo.

The tour continued past the Malibran movie theater, along Calle del Cristo and crossing the bridge with a beautiful view of the canals of Venice. Then it was on to the impressive church of Santa Maria dei Miracoli. As all churches in Venice, it has a grand history. It is said that this marble church was built using donations collected by people visiting the painting of the Madonna, which the people adored for the miracles it worked. The painting was set upon the altar when work was completed in 1489. Time was running out so we had to cut the tour short and return home for Lunch.


Santa Maria dei Miracoli.

Day 8 - Ostreghe!

Friday was to be a relaxing day strolling around Venice doing nothing in particular. The earlier part of the day was taken up with Bureaucracy. Monica needed to renew her ID card and Vaparetto travel ID. Then it was strolling along the canals of Venice.

The entrance to "Harry's Bar".

As we were in the San Marco district we decided to look for the world famous Harry's bar. We found it on Calle Vallaresso, next to the Hotel Europa. Not very impressive from the outside, however I'm sure that in summer the views of the canal would be wonderful accompanied with a Bellini. As we didn't feel dressed for the occasion my wallet breathed a sigh of relieve as went in search of Spritz.

Spritz time!

We found a traditional bar on Calle Ostreghe. All the Venetian streets are named after someone or something that is related to the area. So I always like to know what it means when we settle in a place to watch the world go by. Apparently "Ostreghe" has two meanings. The first is "Oyster", the Italian translation. The second is used in the Venetian dialect as a mild curse used in the same way as "Christ!" or "Damn!". Easier to say than "Ghe sbicho".

San Marco.

Gondola's at San Marco.

One of the most iconic symbols of Venice has to be the gondola's ferro. This decorative ironwork piece attached to the prow of the boat depicts the 6 sestieres of Venice plus Giudecca, with the top representing the doges cap. The six sestiere of Venice being Castello, San Marco, Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce and Dorsoduro.

The Lion of Venice.

Another famous Venetian symbol is the Lion. At the base of the statue of the first king of Italy, the Venetian republic is depicted as a Lion. The above picture displays the side where the lion has broken free from its shackles. This signals the end of Austrian rule in Venice.

Later we went in search of a toy. Monica wanted to buy a present for Roberto's niece, whom we were going to visit in Sacca Fisola later. We found a great toy store near Rialto. The store was long and narrow and seemed to go back for ages. The shop assistant told us to go and have a look at the view. It was a spectacular view of the Rialto bridge.

The view of Rialto from the Toy shop.