The day after visiting Murano and Burano we disembarked and were taken to the 5-Star JW Marriott Hotel situated on the small Isola Delle Rose Island in the Venetian Lagoon.
This was the special ending to our cruise called Italy Sojourn, 2 nights in a 5-star hotel. What a treat! Getting to the hotel was, unfortunately, not a treat. We started with a 90 minute coach ride to the airport, a 10 minute walk to a boat and then another hour on the boat to the hotel. Because Venice is a city in a lagoon one travels by boat to go anywhere. “Vehicles” such as ambulances, buses, police and fire are all boats and sirens can be heard up and down the lagoon.
When we arrived at the island we learnt that the hotel, full name JW Marriott Resort and Spa, was the only facility there, set out in beautiful gardens. Besides the hotel building there was a church and on the roof of the hotel is a pool. There were 4 restaurants and 2 other swimming pools. Breakfast was served in the restaurant on the ground floor which extended out into the garden. This was a beautiful area and it was where we had our breakfast on each of the 2 mornings we were there.
These final 2 days were described as having an opportunity to spend 2 days in Venice but, by the time we reached the hotel and had been booked in, it was almost 4pm. We did go to Venice that afternoon, but it took 25mins by boat which docked at St Mark’s Square. We had the choice of 2 shuttle boats to transport us from the hotel island to the main island of Venice. One was the same as that which had brought us to the hotel and the other belonged to the hotel. Both were free of charge. We chose the hotel shuttle as it ran until 23:00 whereas the one belonging to Viking Cruises until 20:00, which was important as we could only get to Venice late afternoon. The only other means of going across was by water taxi which was quite costly.
A lane marker
Travelling through the lagoon was quite an interesting experience. As on any city road there are lane markers, so there are the same in the lagoon. Where the lanes intersected and boats were approaching from each direction, they could not stop but the one furthest from the intersection had to slow down. Another rule was that, if boats were passing one another they both slow down, but, as with traffic in all countries, some didn’t and their wake really bounced the other boat around.
There was no doubt that we were visiting in the middle of summer holidays as there were literally hundreds of people using the taxis and wandering along the streets. The Square was packed with people and getting around was quite difficult. So many people and so little time and space. St Mark’s Square is probably the 2nd best known Square in Italy after St Peter’s Square in Rome. It is an enormous open space surrounded by the Doges Palace, St Mark’s Basilica, St Mark’s Bell Tower (Campanile), an ancient library, the Bibliotica Marciana or St Mark’s Library, a Clock Tower and many shops and restaurants. The Square was first constructed in the 9th Century and then extended in the 12th Century. The floor was originally terracotta paving but today it is natural stone.
We spent about an hour walking around the Square admiring the buildings but, as it was quite late on a Saturday afternoon, many of the shops were closed and there were still long queues waiting to enter the Basilica and the Palace. We decided to return to the hotel for dinner as we were tired from the long day and to return the next morning, Sunday, when we would have more time.
