Planning for this trip started two years prior with Tony and Sandy taking the lead and doing research on where to go. They finally decided on Italy and found a trip from Girolibero called The waterways of Venice. The itinerary was 8 days aboard the Ave Maria, beginning in Venice and ending in Mantua with 4 days of biking and visits to Murano, Adria, Ferrara, Zelo along the way.
The chartered barge would accommodate 31 people. The list quickly filled up with folks interested in the trip. We even had a waitlist, and like any good non-rev trip, a few lucky folks were able to clear the list!
The final group consisted of Tony, BJ, Sandy, Polly, Pat, Lynn, Jackie, Dave, Bill, Lisa, Kristi, Kelly, Carl, Elena, Nancy, Eva Marie, Kevin, Joyce, Charlie, Nadine, Beth, Kyle, Troy, John, Keith, Jean, 2 Janets (JP and Jayla)and 3 Marks (EMTY, Shoe & Markle).
Everyone was responsible for making their way to Venice for the departure. BJ, Tony & Nancy left from Jacksonville on Wednesday, connecting through JFK. The trip went smoothly except when Tony got his bike helmet stuck in the TSA X-Ray machine!
BB25 Day 1, Thursday, April 10, 2025
We arrived in Venice around 10AM but waited for the flight to arrive from Atlanta at noon before taking the water taxi to town. JP, Jean, John, Troy and Pat arrived on the ATL flight along with EMTY, Lynn, Kristi and Kelly who had been lucky enough to secure seats as non-revs!
We found our hotel, the Foresteria Valdese Venezia which turned out to be a really nice hostel. The only problem was that the "private" bathroom was down the hall and around the corner. We had an extra large room with 6 single hospital-like beds for the Fearless Fernandina Foursome. The room had a high ceiling with a fresco and a really nice view of the canal.
We got settled in and headed out to sight see. We stopped for lunch at Al Burchiello where Nancy and Pat discovered that not all pizzas come with cheese on them.
We were going to have a drink at the famous Harry's bar, but it was too expensive for the likes of us. Drinks were 25 Euro and up.
We made the obligatory pass through the busy Rialto Bridge with its shops on each side. The bridge spanning the Grand Canal has a rich history. The impressive stone structure was completed in 1591. It succeeded a wooden bridge that collapsed under the weight of a crowd rushing to see the marriage of the Marquis of Ferrara.
More wandering led us to Cafe Venezia for a bit of wine. Janet and Jean tried to hook up with us, but BJ sent them the wrong place. Turns out the name on the napkins at our table was not the name of the restaurant. We were able to communicate our location to Kristi and Kelly who joined us for a glass of wine (or 2).
Tony, BJ, Nancy, Pat, Kristi and Kelly finished the evening with a delicious dinner at Gallo d'Oro followed by a delicious glass of meloncello that tasted just like cantaloupe!
The funniest miscommunication of the day was when Kelly asked, "What sea are we on?" And Pat said, "Hunh? Sierra Leone?" And Nancy said, "I live on Ceira Lane." Turns out we are on the Adriatic Sea.
BB25 Day 2, Friday April 11, 2025
We had a lovely breakfast with the other youth in our hostel. Had we realized we were booking a Hostel, we might have changed our mind, but it turned out to be okay.
Next was a visit to Libreria Acqua Alta, "the most beautiful bookstore in the world" (according to the sign out front). The books are arranged on gondolas, canoes and boats. Cats guard the books too.
We found Kristi and Kelly having a breakfast beer at the Cafe del Doge in the near the hostel.
While we were checking out St. Mark's square again, we heard from some of the Atlanta friends who were getting ready to board their flight. Eva Marie, Keith and Jayla were delayed out of Jacksonville and missed the Atlanta connection. They were rerouted on a KLM flight through Amsterdam, but it was later cancelled so they would not arrive until Saturday.
Next stop was the beautiful Chiesa di San Salvatore.
We heard from EMTY and Lynn but unable to connect with them.
We had lunch at Ristorante Sempione, a beautiful little place overlooking a canal. Tony and BJ thought they could have a romantic picture from across the canal, but Nancy, Kristi & Kelly wanted to be in the picture too! :)
We walked through Piazza San Marco, the city's main public square, and down the Riva degli Schiavoni promenade.
We passed the gathering spot for the many colorful gondolas.
We stopped by the Scala del Bolovo and then checked out the Academia bridge.
By then, the next wave of friends had arrived so we had a welcome happy hour at Al Burchiello!
Jean and JP took a Gondola ride with a handsome Gondolier!
Dinner was back at Gallo d'Oro, this time as a party of 17!
We barely found our way back to the hostel before our cell phone batteries (and therefore GPS) died.
BB25 Day 3, Saturday April 12, 2025
After our breakfast at the hostel, a few of the group met at Cafe del Doge. We noticed the gargoyle on the church of Santa Maria Formosa, supposedly there to ward off evil spirits.
BJ decided to explore a part of the city we hadn't seen before. She walked along he Fondamenta s. Lorenzo past a cool leaning tower and ducked into the Chiesa di San Zaccaria to see its beautiful frescos.
When she got back to the group, some of the group took a gondola rides. It was a quiet relaxing way to see some sights.
We took a boat taxi to get to the barge. This was a much preferred way to travel without having to drag our luggage over the many bridges.
The barge is lovely. A step up from some of our previous barges! The rooms are spacious and well appointed. The public area is huge with plenty of seating and the top deck has a comfortable open air area.
At 6, we met for a welcome drink and snacks. We met the guides, the captain and the cooks. Captain Riccardo, Chefs Alberto & Dani and Tour Leaders Helmut and Caterina
The 3 course dinner was delicious! We'd never had risotto with strawberries as a main course before.
After dinner, the Caterina described the plan for the next day which would be a guided walk around Venice and dinner on our own.
About half of the group turned in early. The rest stayed up to chat and catch up.
BB25 Day 4, Sunday April 13, 2025
Breakfast was better than expected. In addition to toast, cereal, meats and cheeses, there were scrambled eggs!
We weren't sure what the day would hold, so some of us packed a lunch, just in case.
Caterina led some on a tour of Venice. A few others set out to tour the ghetto area. We stayed on the barge, playing cards until the rain subsided and then set out to explore Giudecca.
We stopped by a Spring Market and walked to the Hilton, hoping to have a drink at the rooftop bar but it was closed.
We crowded into a corner at Ostaria Vecia Guideca for a couple of drinks and then headed back to the barge.
Back at the Barge, the afternoon was filled with fun and games. We played the card game 3/13 and Jenga.
Dinner was on our own. Some of us went to Ristorante da Crea which was exclusively seafood. BJ mistook a carafe of white wine for water and was quite surprised when I took a big drink of water.
Back on the barge, several games broke out and went late into the night.
BB25 Day 5, Monday April 14, 2025 (15 miles on the bike)
Breakfast was delicious, a frittata and a custard pie accompanied the usual meats, cheeses, breads and cereals. We are heartily and packed our lunch as the barge sailed to Murano.
We had 45 minutes to explore the glass factory, watch a glass blowing demonstration and do some shopping.
As we sailed away from Murano, we saw the Building Bridges Hands Sculpture.
We arrived at Lido Island and got our bikes ready for our first ride.
Caterina and Helmut showed how to use an ebike.
.The ride was very pleasant despite a little light rain. The terrain was very flat so it was an easy ride.
Caterina promised all sorts of surprises during our trip. Today's surprise was a flag raising on Lido Island. Eva Marie assisted with raising the flag.
After crossing on the ferry, we cycled along the waterside path until we got to the barge which was docked on Pellistrina Island.
The crew loaded our bikes while we enjoyed an afternoon snack.
The owner of the barge company had dinner with us and told us a bit about the company and also advised the crew that the barge would need to take a detour due to a lock on the Canal Bianco being damaged.
Dinner was a 3 course meal with lasagna and tiramisu.
After dinner Caterina played a game with us where we all made up a character name for ourselves and the others tried to guess who we were.
Most people turned in early after playing cards.
BB25 Day 6, Tuesday April 15, 2025 (20 miles on the bike)
The barge left Pellistrina Island at 7AM and passed through 3 locks. Our bicycling was delayed because of the tide. The barge must get under the bridge while the tide is low.
We barely made it under the bridge.
We docked in Porto Viro and the staff off loaded our bikes.
We biked in the delta of the Po river where we saw flamingos and herons. The ride was nice except there were a couple of spots where we had to ride with traffic and it was rainy.
We took a short break at the Picnic Area Rosolina.
Because of the detour, we had to hurry back to the barge so it could get to the next docking spot. We ate our packed lunch and played cards. We passed through another lock on the Po di Levante.
It was a sunny afternoon. Too bad it couldn't have been sunny during our ride.
It was so sunny and warm that we were able to have our snack and relax on the deck. Carl entertained us with some music. He was kind enough to play music that us geezers would enjoy!
We reached our intended docking spot in Polesella but there was an abandoned boat chained to the dock. Our kitchen staff jumped off on the boat and used a hacksaw to cut the chain holding the boat.
Dinner was tuna pasta followed by baked sea bass with gelato for dessert. After dinner Caterina entertained us with her guitar and some beautiful music!
BB25 Day 7, Wednesday April 16, 2025 (16 miles on the bike)
Breakfast on the boat was delicious as usual.
We had a really nice morning ride on a paved bike path among trees and fields.
Another short ride found us in the busy town of Ferrara where we dodged traffic, pedestrians and other bikers to get to the park.
We left our bikes locked in the park. Caterina took us on a brief tour of town and then set us free with instructions to meet back at the bikes at 3.
We found a great pizzaria, the Pizzeria Adelardi. The prices were so good, we thought the pizza must be just a small slice. Boy were we wrong!
After lunch Nancy and BJ went for a walk to try to find the wall in this walled city but we were afraid we would be late to get back to our bikes by 3 to meet the group. We did find the Estense Castle.
Back at the bikes, we rode back through the town to find the spot where the bus would pick us up. It was a little chaotic at intersections trying to get all 33 of us across before the light changed.
We had a really nice bus with a bathroom and a trailer for the bikes. Some of the guys helped load the bikes and we were on our way to a Grappa manufacturer.
The Grappa visit was interesting. A very animated man spoke about the distillery and it's history in Italian. Caterina translated for us.
It turned out that they do not only make Grappa, but also make gin and several other liqueurs. We sampled and sampled, and then made it to the gift store.
Back on the bus, it was an animated ride after all of the sampling.
They didn't really let BJ drive the bus...
Dinner was a wonderful buffet of meats and salads followed by a cheesecake with a decaf espresso gelatin on top.
We had to divide into 2 tables to play Left Right Center, then a few hands of 3-13 and it was off to bed.
Another fun day!
BB25 Day 8, Thursday April 17, 2025 (30 miles on the bike)
After breakfast, we cycled 15 miles to Caselificio Sociale Ballottara in Bergantino, where we learned how Grana Padano cheese is made. After the tour of the factory, we got to sample the cheese with a bit of wine.
After the wine and cheese sampling, some of us may have gotten chastised for playing on the merry-go-round.
We cycled another mile and a half to Mantiotti where we toured the Museo Storico della Giostra e dello Spettacolo Popolare (the museum of amusement rides). It was interesting to learn how many rides were created in Italy.
We ate our packed lunch with a beer from Pasticceria Gamba just down the street from the museum. Seven miles later we stopped at Pasticceria Gamba for a glass of wine and a bathroom stop.
Before we could finish our wine, some locals warned our guides that the weather would get bad and we should go, so we saddled up and rode 13 more miles.
We met the barge at Campo gara pesca sportiva Fissero Cà Vecchia, site of a fishing competition.
The crew quickly loaded our bikes and the barge set out for Mantua. We had an afternoon snack of pizza and aperol spritz as we crossed the Lago Inferiore. We went through another lock before arriving in Mantua.
Dinner was delicious. Bean soup made with the rind of the Grana Padano cheese followed by roast pork and a frozen pie.
We played a couple of card games before we realized the deck was missing 2 cards!
It was a great day! We were so lucky with the weather. It was predicted to rain on our entire trip, but we managed to only get wet on the bikes one day.
BB25 Day 9, Friday April 18, 2025 (21 miles on the bike)
After breakfast we took a lovely ride around Mantua. The Italians call it Mantova. We don't understand why we don't call it the same thing.
We stopped at Riserva Naturale Statale Bosco Fontana, but the gate was closed. We learned about the Euro Velo bike path system.
We cycled on to Lorenzo Fiorini Pasticceria for our morning "coffee break". Mantova has a coffee version called liberli that is a cross between cappuccino and macchiato. We had a little pizza snack. Caterina brought the bell from the boat as a surprise. She made us all close our eyes while she brought it out. We had a tradition in the boat that whenever the bell rang we would have a toast. So she rang it and we had a toast.
We cycled on for another hour or so and stopped for a break at Ponte dei Mulini, a beautiful spot by the lake.
We had one other stop to fix a bike with a chain issue and then it was back to the barge to turn in our bikes, paniers and helmets. New bikes arrived for the next tour group.
We had another snack on the barge and then split into groups to go into town for lunch.
Beth, Mark, Carl, Elena, Tony and BJ had lunch at Ristorante Masseria.
The group walked into town with Caterina. We met our guide at the Rotunda Di San Lorenzo
and were given headphones for the tour.
We toured the Basilica di Sant'Andrea. The Relic of the Holy Blood was on display. This is the only day of the year it is out of the crypt. This is believed to be drops of Jesus' blood, collected while he was on the cross.
We toured a few other places and ended up at Casa de Rigoletto.
After the tour, Dave, Jackie, Kristi, Kelly and BJ went to the rooftop bar atop the un’ Oasi Urbana Grand Hotel San Lorenzo. We were almost late getting back to the barge for dinner because it took so long to get a drink.
Dinner on the barge was so much fun! The entire crew came out to tell us how much they enjoyed having us.
The dinner was delicious as usual!
Caterina created a little play and used members of our group as actors.
Video?
We said goodbye to 5 of our group who were taking a taxi back to Venice. We were all sad to see this fun trip coming to an end.
BB25 Day 10, Saturday April 19, 2025
It was a long day of travel for the Fernandina Four! We left the barge at 8:30AM. 3 trains and a shuttle later, we were at the Doubletree airport hotel in Milan.
Time to go home! Thanks for the ride Delta!
