Home » Italy » 6. day. Trip to the islands Burano and Torcello.

Trip To Burano And Torcello
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The alarm clock rings as ordered at 7. We have planned a trip to the islands Torcello and maybe Burano. We are a bit worried about the weather; it has rained all night with thunder from time to time. But the rain has ceased now and the fresh grey can easily be better than high sun when on a trip.
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6. day. Trip to the islands Burano and Torcello.

Eric
2005-12-08 19:36:05

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quiet.

The ferry from Burano is pretty full and we do not get seats until we leave Murano. Well, in fact there are two vacant seats beside an old bum who continuously sips his magnum wine bottle and speaks to the air. We change at Fondaco Nuove, but the vaporetto doesn't go to Piazzale Roma as expected, but the long way east of the island where it stops at San Marco after half an hour. We change to #1 and are home at five. It has been a long, but nice trip.

All day Helle has suffered from the mosquito bites she got the other day. They swell and form blisters.

We Are Spoilt at Al Giardinetto

It is good to rest a while and we leave between 6 and 7. It is still cloudy, but there are some bright moments. We get an aperitivo at the café near Campo San Tomà. The phony American boheme-type isn't here today or maybe he is inside, because it is a bit cold. Before we leave we are actually the only ones left outside.

We go to Al Giardinetto - after the dinner-disaster yesterday we need to feel secure. By the way I have also seen that we can get a 15 % discount with our Venicecard - we weren't aware of that on our first two visits. It is to cold to sit outside, so we go indoors. The senior waiter recognizes us with a broad smile, makes a sweeping motion with his arm and tells us to sit wherever we like.

The waiter inside is a very polite, attentive and charming young man. When we order fish risotto as first course he warns us and says that it will take up to 30 minutes to prepare. Excellent! - Then you know it is fresh and we can have an aperitivo while we wait! He immediately suggests something with "secco" at the end (prosecco?) and trusting him blindly we accept. It is a light and delightful white wine with a delicate sparkle and a touch of sweetness.

The risotto arrives after 20-25 minutes and it is really good. When I ordered I asked for a red wine from the region (Veneto), and the waiter suggested a Cabernet Franca, which is delightful: powerful taste and a wonderful bouquet. Helle gets veal in Marsala sauce and I get (again) Fegato alla Venezia: liver with polenta. The polenta is yellow, about one centimetre thick and takes up half the plate.

Three middle-aged women are placed at the next table. One wants salad, another pizza. They order with strict and detailed instructions as to how to do this and how to cook that, and on one of the pizzas oregano is strictly taboo. Italian and French housewives are probably among the most merciless restaurant guests in the World - only daughters in law have a worse time than the restaurant staff.

We finish off with an espresso - there is absolutely no room for dolce - and while we enjoy the rest of the wine we see some of the opening soccer match from the European championship in Portugal. I pay with VISA and when the waiter returns he eagerly asks if we're are from Denmark (is says "Danske Bank" on the card). He has studied economics in Copenhagen for 5 months. "Well, then you speak Danish?", I ask, but he remembers nothing but "dak" and "skol" ("dank-u" and "sjeers").

We are very full and can just manage a pint at Vivaldi's before we stalk home. Helle didn't see the rest of the soccer match.