Venice - The Doge Palace, Mask Making, and a Farewell Cruise

Masks

Mask making was right up there with pasta making as one of my favorite Italy experiences. At Tragicomica we met the artists who create these wonderful masks. The Mascareri, the mask makers have practiced their craft since 1436. In the shop we got a brief introduction to this special art. After choosing a mask we sat down to create a masterpiece of our own. With a little help from the experts the results were amazing.

  Before and after - not bad.

Doge

Lunch on our own was followed by a visit to the Doges Palace. The junior adventures set off with our Disney guides for a treasure hunt while the rest of group explored the grand halls, glided staircases, and frescoed walls.

                                         
The palace was the headquarters for the Venetian Republic with an elected official, the Doge. The Doge, elected by the city's aristocracy held the position for life.

Citizens were given the opportunity to report neighbors by dropping a
note in the wall. The note fell into a box on the other side where the decisions were made. If the accused was found innocent the accuser was sent to prison.

Prison Visit

Prisoners walked over the Sigh Bridge for their last view of Venice.

                                                        

Casanova was the most famous prisoner to escape from the Venetian prison. However, the stories vary depending on who told them.

Pirate Ship Adventure

Our last evening in Venice, left us with another jaw dropping experience. We dined, danced, and sailed around the island on a pirate ship. Our masks from earlier in the day were waiting for us with bubble wrap and paper.

Farewell Venice.

  Off to London.

Ciao Bellas,
Zelda

And Then There was Venice

We arrived in Venice after a ride on a hi speed bullet train designed by Ferrari and seats crafted by Tod's Leather.

 



After a group photo, it was off to the gondolas and a walking tour of Venice.

                

 


The Grand Canal was exceptionally crowded this weekend due to the Festival of Redemption from the plague. Between 1575 and 1577 the plague killed 1/3 of the population of Venice. In 1576, the Doge vowed to build a church to help end the plague, promising to make a procession to the church on the 3rd week of July. We were lucky to be staying on the island where this church stills stands.

That evening the waterfront was lined with tables moved out of restaurants and the residents kitchens and dinning rooms. It was one gigantic block party.







There wasn't a dinner reservation anywhere. But with a pinch of Disney pixie dust, Landon our wonderful guide got us a water view table at one of our hotel's completely booked restaurants. We had little time to change and had to be seated by 6pm. The view, the food, and the service were worth the rush. It worked out fine for our hot and tired family. It was 93 when we arrived in Venice.

The day ended with a 2 hour fireworks display.
Seeing the city light up from the fireworks was amazing.

And that was just our 1st day in Venice. 

Ciao Bellas,

Zelda

On The Road to Florence - Secret Passages, Hidden Rooms, and a Toilet Paper Thief

We started our day trip to Florence with a pit stop. Buses must have a permit before entering Florence. There we met the neighborhood gypsy.  She arrives bright and early to remove the toilet paper and paper towels from the bathrooms. Positioning herself between the two toilets she sells it back to unsuspecting tourists. Fortunately, our Disney guides were on to her and came ready with the essentials.

We soon forgot the thief and moved on to Michelangelo's David. Thanks again to the magic of Disney we didn't have to join the long lines. I would advice pre-purchasing your tickets in the summer months. Inside, our local guide had us viewing David from all angles. From the right he appears relaxed, but on the left his muscles are tense and ready for battle. 

Hidden Passages

 After lunch on our own we joined our group for a private tour of Palazzo Vecchio. We walked through halls decorated by Michelangelo, Botticelli, and Vasari and discovered hidden hallways and secret exits.

 

Hidden Rooms With Hidden Treasures

 

Shopping  

Florence has its share of high end shops, but I prefer the other end of the shopping spectrum. At the  San Lorenzo Street Market, haggling is accepted. There are the usual stands selling T-shirts and souvenirs. There are also lots of good deals on high quality leather. 

 

Enjoying a frozen gelato after our afternoon of shopping.

Back at the Piazza Santa Croce to join our group and share our shopping experiences. 

There's still Venice. 

Ciao Bellas, 

Zelda

A Family Farm in Tuscany

The Pasta Making Begins

We arrived at the family farm, Fattoria Poggio                              

Alloro where we were introduced to our                    
pasta chef and guide, Sarah. She's extremely
proud of her father's hard work and success in building this farm. 

Two handfuls of white flour, two handfuls of semolina flour and one or two eggs slowly mixed into the ring of flour and we were ready to roll out the pasta dough. I will never use a pasta machine again. With the right tools we were soon making an assortment of shapes. By the end of the morning, everyone was an expert pasta chef.

Our Disney guides had some fun with the 

leftover flour and eggs.

 Before lunch we took a walking tour of the farm. We met the moo cows, learned about the vineyards and wine production. Everything the family produces is grown on this farm. The beautiful rose bushes at the edge of the rows of grapes have a purpose. If they get infected with some kind of bug, it's a warning and they can act to protect the rows of vines.

Wine Tasting, Olive Oil Making, and Lunch

 

 The saffron pasta with peas and zucchini
was one of my favorite dishes on this trip. No, this is not the pasta we made. That was feed to the animals.
The recipe for this delicious dish is in Sarah's cookbook which I ordered when I got home. Some of the adventurers bought it at the farm, but like I said before, there's only so much you can carry back. I did buy a small package of saffron.

Rest and a Swim

Back to the hotel for a rest and swim before a medieval dinner and entertainment high on the historic town of Certaldo.

 

The meal started with a sample of olives, cheese, battered basil and battered zucchini leaves. The basil leaves were unique and amazing. I'll try to make them, but have my doubts that I'll succeed in capturing the flavor and crispy consistency.

Once again, another wonderful day had us in awe of of our Disney guides. There's more to come - on to Florence and Venice.

Ciao Bellas,
Zelda

Tuscany - Mangia! Mangia! Mangia!

Tuscan Hospitality

Arriving at the family-owned private estate, 

Relais Gli Ulivi ( the Olive Orchard) felt like we were visiting family. The tables were set for lunch and the food started coming - salad, grilled vegetables, and grilled meats.

Italians take eating seriously.  For some unknown reason at a restaurant in Rome, my husband was the only one not to scrape his plate clean. The chef actually came out to ask him if he didn't enjoy his food.

I love this Italian saying that expresses their love for food 

and sharing. 

Chi mangia e non invite, posse strozzarsi con ogni mollica. 

He who eats alone and invites no one, will choke with every               

crumb.

Under the Tuscan Sun

While everyone finished lunch, the junior adventurers had a chance to swim and blow off some energy in this postcard perfect setting

 

Before eating dessert we were shown how to make the delicious Torta Della Nonna. Grandmother's Cake is a thin top and bottom layer of a sponge cake like pastry filled with a delicious light custard. Oh, yes. I am definitely going to make this.

 Room With a View

From here we moved on to our hotel - Borgo di Cortefreda.

There was time to relax and enjoy the view before dinner with a wine and olive oil tasting.

 Wine and ...

We tasted Crema - a base di Balsamic with tartufo, Greppi Di Silli - 

an amazing jelly like honey that's flavored with herbs, vanilla nutella, and cheese. I couldn't resist buying the honey and balsamic.

And the wine...There was a Prosecco, of course chianti, and a limited edition of a blended summer white wine. Our case should arrive by the end of the month. 

  

There was still room for  

dinner where we finished off the 

wine from the tasting plus an 

additional bottle or two.

Each day was more amazing than the one before. You'll have to wait until tomorrow's blog for our experience on a working Tuscan farm.

Ciao Bellas,

Zelda