Today was our last morning in Venice as we were taking the 1
pm train back to Rome. We had one major thing on our itinerary and that was to
visit a store that I had found in my Venice guidebook. So after breakfast and
checking out of the hotel we set off. The decision was made to carry our bags
along with us because we were not going to be able to have any place to store
them and our morning was going to take us closer to the train station.
Logistically it was the best decision. For my back it was the worst decision.
Thanks in advance to Chris and Gigi who took turns carrying my duffel bag. Did
I mention I was still sick??
The store we wanted to visit is called Arras. It is a shop
that sells woolens and silks that are woven by a cooperative that employs
disabled folks. Both Chris and I have family members who are disabled and we
really like to patronize these shops. Their online website (albeit in Italian)
looked interesting. So we set off.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Thank the gods
for Gigi and his knowledge of Italian. This was not an easy shop to find. And
although I have mad Google Maps Street View skills (which helped when we
actually found the place and I declared “there it is, it looks like it does on
street view”) this shop was a little out of the way. You had to go through the academic portion of the island and
run into quite a few students and such. Not that that’s a bad thing. Just less
touristy.
Once inside Arras Gigi was going to stay outside with our
bags (this is a small shop). But once Chris and I got inside and started trying
to speak with the woman at the counter, we realized we needed Gigi. So he was
only too glad to come inside and converse with the lady. He explained that we
had family members who are disabled and chatted about how the place operated
and such. Apparently the co-op also employs prison inmate to make some of the
goods, in addition to disabled folks. It was quite interesting. And we all
bought something. I have a lovely mohair scarf that was woven by the co-op
people. It was 30 Euro but well worth it. So soft!!!
 |
| Lovely and so soft! |
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| Postcard the shop gave us. |
After our stay at the shop we started walking to the train
station. We were getting closer to the time we needed to be there and since I
was walking a little slower we headed out. After a few wrong turns we ended up
at the train station and stopped for a quick sandwich at a place near the
station. Not the best sandwiches but Chris and Gigi enjoyed their mini pizzas.
We headed inside and found a place in the train station to post up and have a
coffee and wait for boarding time. After taking turns staying with the bags
while others went to the shops and the rest room we boarded the train
anticipating a nap for the ride back to Rome.
Chris and Gigi were staying at a different AirBNB while I
was back at the Marriott Grand Flora. So once we got into Rome’s Termini train
station we parted ways with Gigi getting me a cab and telling the cab driver in
Italian that I was a very important person and take good care of me. Heh.
A check in and rest we then met back up at the Termini
station (central to each other’s hotel) and headed for our last stop in the
trip. EatItaly. Now they have these places in Chicago and New York but I have
never been. At this point I was so done, getting sicker by the minute but I was
not going to spend my last night in Rome wasting away in the hotel room. I was
going, dammit!!
We had to take the Metro out a bit from the city center but
again Gigi knew (basically) where we were going. EatItaly is an old train
station that was built for a soccer tournament that sat empty but is now turned
into this food paradise with a grocery store/kitchen store attached. It is huge
and a little overwhelming. We walked around a bit and decided on pasta for
dinner.
I felt bad that I had little to now appetite and was really
fading fast. (Turns out that I had the flu and had a good reason to feel bad).
The food was great and it is a really cool place but try as I might I couldn’t
get it together. I just wanted to sleep. Or collapse. Whichever came first. So
after dinner instead of taking the Metro Gigi got me a cab and I said goodbye
to my Italian tour guide buddies. They were staying another week and I was
flying out the next morning.
After getting back to the Marriott and securing my taxi for
early the next morning I finished packing and fell into bed completely
exhausted.
***Michelle’s tip:
I should have just found a doctor
to see me about my illness. If I had started on Tamiflu earlier my time in
Venice and last night in Rome would have been more pleasant. For myself and my
traveling companions.
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