Ruminations upon Monday September 16, 2024 in Venice, Italy
When we first mapped out our European tour, we planned to be in Venice for only six hours. The city deserves more time, but we wanted to spend more time in Rome and squeeze in Pompeii and Naples. Since we flew in a night earlier due to our quick getaway from Prague, we had a few extra hours in Venice to enjoy before catching a train to Rome.
The boys loved Venice. They were enamored by all of the water, bridges, absence of vehicles, and the idea that a city could be sinking. In fact, our taxi from the mainland had to drop us off before Venice proper because he couldn’t drive any further. This meant we were dragging our carry-ons up and over bridges made of only stairs and zigzagging through narrow streets until we found the storage locker we had rented online. It was exhausting. After dropping off our bags we felt much lighter and our moods improved appreciably.
Our first stop was the Jewish Ghetto of Venice where we ate a delicious kosher breakfast of focaccia and pastries from Gam Gam Goodies. The boys were in heaven, and I was relieved they were finally eating some real food after our travels. The Ghetto was set up in 1515CE by Doge Leonardo Loredan and the Venetian government to appease friars who were upset that Jews had been allowed to live in the city (only because of an economic downturn and for the steep price of a 6,500 ducats security fee) when the Jews previously had been refused rights of residency. Today, the Ghetto is a common tourist site, housing five synagogues – a reminder that Jews of a variety of ethnic backgrounds and different religious practices were forced to live together in a very tight space, mouthwatering kosher food ranging from street food to upscale restaurants, Jewish artists in residence, and a memorial to the murdered Jews of the Ghetto under the Nazi regime.
From the Ghetto we walked through the narrow, winding Venetian streets to Piazza San Marco. Along the way we stopped for authentic Italian gelato - a treat we had been talking about since before we left for Iceland. All of the boys agreed that it was the best gelato they had ever had. Then, out of nowhere, Shai’s nose started bleeding. Thankfully, it was a short episode, and we were able to keep walking. As we walked, Matanel was insistent upon stopping on every bridge we passed to watch the boats go under. With no real agenda and plenty of time, we didn’t mind. Shai and Matanel also felt compelled to stop at every chocolate shop window to watch the chocolate fountains. To be fair, the fountains were mesmerizing, and the chocolate smelled amazing. Eventually, we arrived at Piazza San Marco.
The first thing the boys noticed was the water. Restaurant goers’ chairs were sitting in water, and many wore flip-flops. The waiters wore galoshes. The boys were shocked. We carefully made our way to the raised walkway in front of Basilica d’ San Marco where we sat down to rest our feet and take in the scene in the Piazza. I took the opportunity to read a bit about the history behind the Doge’s Palace and San Marco to the boys. We discussed Venice’s role as a middleman for the spice and silk trades, which led to its enormous wealth and political power, and its downfall when European sailors found ways to circumnavigate the Earth. I don’t know how much they will remember from that discussion, but it was a great conversation at that moment.
The boys really wanted to play in the water. We let them take their shoes off and skip around. They had a field day making up games and trying not to fall in completely. Afterward, we walked to the water’s edge where the boys were able to see stairs submerged in the water. Large waves crashed onto the shore. The boys made a point of standing right next to the edge, waiting for the waves to crash over them. In the thirty minutes the boys spent playing there, they were able to witness the change in water levels as the tide changed.
We planned to return to the Jewish Ghetto for lunch and had hoped to take a gondola just for the experience. Sadly, gondolas can only take up to five people or the police will ticket the Gondolier. With our hearts set on traveling by water, we splurged on a water taxi from San Marco’s Piazza to the Jewish Ghetto. It was worth it. The boys loved zooming through the waterways, seeing up close the sinking buildings, and musing at the “random” traffic lights that they deemed unnecessary. We decided on Gam Gam, the meat restaurant, for lunch. It was another splurge that was worth it. The food was delectable from start to finish. I did not have to worry about whether they would eat. Everyone ate their food with enthusiasm, raving the whole time about how good it was. We had such a scrumptious experience in the Jewish Ghetto that the boys all agreed we would need to return to Venice just for the food.
Reluctantly, we left Gam Gam to retrieve our luggage and headed to the train station. Rome was calling.
