Gardens in Venice

From my Venice trip last September.
The top one was in San Marco, facing the Grand Canal, between the Rialto and the Accademia Bridges.
The one on the left was outside a church in Castello, near the Fondamente Nuove.
The one in the middle was right near the Ca D'Oro, just to the left of it.
And the one on the right was outside the Alloggi Alla Scala - remember the little hotel?
If you double click on the picture, it makes it bigger.

Please Don’t Eat The Daisies

“Dearer to me than the evening star
A Packard car
A Hershey bar
Or a bride in her rich adorning
Dearer than any of these by far
Is to lie in bed in the morning.” - Jean Kerr


Up and away even earlier this morning, we were out the door to explore Venice at 6.34am. Jean Kerr obviously wasn’t in Venice when she wrote that! After cappuccino and brioche at a ‘glossy’ bar, we headed down Calle de le Rasse towards the Riva degli Shiavoni. We walked clear along, admiring the large wake left by the tug boats holding onto the leashes of the massive cruise liners as they forged up to San Marco. There were five this morning but we may have some as we turned into the Public Gardens at the far end of Castello Ovest.

From here we wended our way to the Arsenale, then through the residential calle of Castello, watching the apartment shutters being opened, then the school children streaming out in small groups, heading for the vaporetto or in the case of the younger ones, holding papa’s hand and being walked to school.

We spent time today sitting under a large umbrella in Campo Santa Maria Formosa, looking for tourists, but finding few, as most people we saw were from around here. It was another drifting day, along calle, over bridges including the Rialto, pausing in campos to gaze up at the buildings and admire the wisteria and wonder where the honeysuckle was hiding, that we could smell.

After lunch Alessandro bought a bag of grain to play with the pigeons and had a wonderful time with one which was so tame, we could both pat it.

In the evening, in a little store in San Marco near Calle dei Fabbri, Alessandro finally found a belt that was then remade in front of him, specifically to fit just him. Then we headed for Piazza San Marco again, to see how the cathedral looked in the dusk light. We sat on a trestle table watching a reception of well dressed people drinking Prosecco outside Quadri. All the bands were playing, and it was returning to the quiet state that we always see it in, as we are out so early in the morning.


San Marco at dusk


Quadri bathed in golden light

A convent stay in Venice

I'm partial to Castello. I've stayed there a few times recently and it suits me perfectly.

Here's where I'm staying with my son - in a quiet, peaceful convent hotel next to Campo Santa Maria Formosa and very near Piazza San Marco.

There is a landing stage outside the front door (see picture), often used to tie up sleeping gondolas, the garbage scow or the supply barge for the nearby SUVE grocery store. There's also a take away pizza place one minute away.



You buzz to be let in and out, and it is preferred that this is between 7.30am and 10.30pm. The sisters and the lay staff go out of their way to be friendly and polite. Almost all conversations are in Italian though, so brush up before you go.

The rooms are sparklingly clean and very, very quiet. The bathrooms are new. There is a lot of cupboard space. The beds are firm but very comfortable. For the price, 70 euros a double, there aren’t the glossy extras like bar fridge or television. Who needs them with Venice outside the door.

There is a vending machine on the ground floor that I use often – it has soft drinks, cookies, candy – that sort of thing. There is another set up on the first floor with free tea and coffee from a machine for those who prefer it.

There are some charming courtyards. You go through a large one after the front door, then after passing through the big hall with the vending machine, there is a another smaller courtyard filled with potted plants on the way to the elevator that takes you and your luggage up to your room.

There is a Venetian “piano nobile” up on the second floor. It's a beautiful room! This convent is also a preschool. A couple of times I have watched the teachers and the nuns with the children. You never hear any sounds at all from your rooms apart from the neighborhood church bells.

Sometimes, there is the sound of a pigeon cooing on your window sill.

A convent stay in Venice

I'm very partial to Castello. I've stayed there a few times recently and it suits me perfectly.



Here's where I stayed with Alessandro - in a quiet, peaceful convent hotel next to Campo Santa Maria Formosa and very near Piazza San Marco. It's called Istituto San Giuseppe. I've stayed there twice with my sister, too.

There is a landing stage outside the front door (see picture), often used to tie up sleeping gondolas, the garbage scow or the supply barge for the nearby SUVE grocery store. There's also a take away pizza place one minute away.



You buzz to be let in and out, between 7.30am and 10.30pm. The sisters and the lay staff go out of their way to be friendly and polite. Almost all conversations are in Italian though, so brush up before you go.

The rooms are sparklingly clean and very, very quiet. The bathrooms are new. There is a lot of cupboard space. The beds are firm but very comfortable. For the price, 70 euros a double, there aren’t the glossy extras like bar fridge or television. Who needs them with Venice outside the door.

There is a vending machine on the ground floor that I use often – it has soft drinks, cookies, candy – that sort of thing. There is another set up on the first floor with free tea and coffee from a machine for those who prefer it.

There are some charming courtyards. You go through a large one after the front door, then after passing through the big hall with the vending machine, there is a another smaller courtyard filled with potted plants on the way to the elevator that takes you and your luggage up to your room.

There is a Venetian “piano nobile” up on the second floor. It's a beautiful room! This convent is also a preschool. A couple of times I have watched the teachers and the nuns with the children. You never hear any sounds at all from your rooms apart from the neighborhood church bells.

Sometimes, there is the sound of a pigeon cooing on your window sill.