Ellie chronicles

Let me continue what was left before.....

Bath Spa is about 35 or 45 minutes from Bristol, by train. Indeed, Bath is one of the beautiful place to be visited, a scenic country-side view and certainly with its fresh air....awesome...

Next - picnic lunch at Royal Victorian Park which is in front of the huge Royal Crescent building

 

31 December

We were enthralled with Murano and Venice and after 2 days in Locanda Conterie, we bid farewell and knew deep down in our heart that would be our last visit..huhu...

Our flight to UK scheduled on 1 Jan, so we stayed a night at B & B (bed and no breakfast yaa) at San Dona. To get there, we have to go through obstacles...huhu...

First - the bus ticket, to board a bus in Italy, we needed to buy the ticket only via designated machine..usually near to the bus stand and rest assure, the machine is bilingual or trilingual, I supposed, as it appears instruction in Italy, English and French. Of course, we were baffled what to do but after observing local people, we learned and managed to get the billet. (actually it is ok to buy the billet from driver, just it is a bit expensive...and most local people have ACTV card..macam kad bulanan laa)

Second - Bus....we know exactly the number and place to wait but whenever we asked the driver, they just said no and cabut..so?? we asked the local and after we missed 2 buses, we finally boarded the bus....

Third - the question is where on earth via San Dona?? Everything written in Italian, none spoken English and the place look similar. Then, we braced ourselves to ask one of the lady we encountered at the airport. She didn't tell us the exact location so using only our intuition we stopped and after asking 4 local people and 2 non-friendly senile ladies, we finally reached the B&B. One thing about Italy, many of its people especially the young generation able to converse themselves in English unlike French.

At the hostel, we met couple from Spain and on that new year night I was blessed to experience snow. Of course there was a commotion outside when the clock stroke midnight, but we just ignored and we only realized the snow till 5 in the morning and went hullabaloo about it!!! hehehe...Yes, snow in Venice, and to kampung gurl like me who only watched snow flakes in telly, cartoon and Manchester United magazine, surely my heart jumped with joy!!! Thank you Allah and I will forever cherish this experience as I know I wont have the chance to see more in the future!!!









1 January 2009

Headed to Piazzale Roma, took ACTV bus (nama syarikat operasi bus, Rapid Fire, Transnasional etc in Mesia)to Marco Polo Venice Airport. The Piazzale Roma is Venice's gateway to all transportation mode, you can get vaporetto, buses (orange line) and can take taxis to Mestre, train station.


Piazzale Roma

It was a wonderful journey to Italy, to observe its people with latest fashion statement, holding latest design of LV from top to the bottom and deep down I pray that the visit is not the last, hope that one fine day I can put my humble feet in Rome and Milan.

That's about all, my humble and meagre memoirs of the trips to Europe....of course I was unable to visit many places.....but am more than happy, with the pray granted by Him and with my meagre income I still can reach these places......

Next day (30 December 2008), after having breakfast in the hotel, which merely 3 small packets of hard bread and hot chocolate, we headed to Venice Island, the land renowned for its romantic land, breathtaking and picturesque view with unique gondola ride and magnificent architecture works.


Upon arrival at Venice, the city of merchant, we were mesmerized with the beauty which inviting me to explore the island that never fails to attract tourists all over the globe...though it was cold, we presumed nearly 1 degree or below at that time, which meant leaving gloves was molto stupido…hehehe...


One can easily get lost in Venice due to its similar features, buildings, bridges, routes so don’t be too frantic to be trapped in the same place over and over again or to be bothered by people asking for directions to get somewhere…..hehehe…So, we just sauntered along San Marco Square, feast our eyes with Venetian lace, admiring the touch of Roman sculpture on the murals, inhaled idyllic, cool, breeze air and denied constantly the temptation from pizza outlets…hehehe…and do a lot of window shopping...so we just bought memorabilia and t-shirts to family and friends...

Personally, Venice very much reminds me of Pn Sharifah’s photo albums which we (Kittyna, Ian and me...hehehe) flipped one evening in her house back in the year 2003 (I think) and to put my humble feet on the Venice soil signified that I had realized one of the aims …though I might not able to fulfill all (Holland, Rome, Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland for that matter)


The only sour note, I unintentionally dropped my camera and further detail explain it really like rubbing salt to the severe injury…….


In the meantime, just enjoy the photos here….and seriously Puan Sharifah’s photo albums are much better than this so called digital thingy.




Venice Island, Italy




Gondola




Gondola ride (Euro80 per-person)









St Mark Square, Bell towers....(Dodge)





Venetian Lace






shops and more shops.....


Next – Journey around the mainland of Venice and Piazella Roma.

As for now ciao

The journey continues…..

Last time it was about Disneyland, Paris…..

Around 9 a.m we departed from Charles De Gaulle Airport to Marco Polo Airport in Venice, Italy. It was an hour journey and through the window pane, we could see Alps Swiss which was covered in white...(kalau lah dapat sampai....) Upon arrival, we headed in the line (Alilaguna) to buy vaporetto (water bus) ticket to Murano Island. It is cliché to note that as if Venice is the only island in Italy, no surprise, doesn’t count out Murano Island….it is a rich Italian land with plethora of heritages especially its crystal and lace…and just leave the fame of Casanova thingy to Venice…smirk!!!



Marco Polo Airport








Murano Island

After half an hour vaporetto ride, we reached Murano Island, which, for 2 days (29 to 30 Dec), we stayed at Locanda Conterie Hotel(nearly half and hour journey to Venice). It is an awesome hotel, though it was a bit perplexed to find a way to the secluded hotel. Originally Locanda was a mansion and transformed into a hotel, which is not only beautiful, but having both, the combination of modern facilities and traditional architecture. Most of the hotel in Venice might burn the hole in the pocket, so this hotel would be a better alternative though.



A view of one the residences in Murano (not our hotel)


Murano engulfs with crystal, so we could only see glass and crystal shops in the island, offer the items as low as 5 Euro to hundred thousand Euros. Not surprising to see myriad tourists visited the glass factory which we do not have the idea where...hehehe... What make it superb is it calmness, fresh air, serenity and peacefulness.




one of the shops in the island

2 days in Murano, we could only see senile folks, who are quite trendy and bold in their dress, especially woman, with their trolley (i think a shopping trolley) walk to the market or supermarket. It seems that only the old folks left behind to continue glass and lace legacy and the young one would rather stay in cosmopolitan city for that matter Milan, Rome to a name a few for a living. Similar and universal scenario even in Malaysia!!

It is quite dreadful to find food in Italy, let alone halal food unlike Paris, so we just ignore the temptation, the smell from Pizza shops especially in Venice and just satisfy our crave with bread, biscuits and fruits in the hotel cafe and we bought from nearby supermarket...ermm...(meaning that 3 hari tanpa nasi...hehehe...)

So our first day in Murano, we just sauntered ourselves around the island and save the energy to explore Venice tomorrow.....

ciao...mucho gracias!!