Spring Break: Venice - Piran -Venice

April 24 to 29, 2008

 

Trip Overview: Why go to Piran, a small fishing town on the coast of Slovenia? And why go there from Venice? Like many travel plans it all started with a friend mentioning he’d enjoyed Piran at about the same time I was looking for someplace to go during France’s two-week spring school break.

My son has wanted to go to Venice since reading the Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. It turned out that Venice is just across the Adriatic Sea from Slovenia’s short, but sunny coastline. And Piran is one of their most picturesque coastal towns. Visits to several travel websites convinced me that I could get from one city to the other fairly easily (more on this under my Piran post). A visit to Opodo and Expedia websites sealed the deal with cheap flights to Venice’s Marco Polo airport – better than to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia – at least when I looked. So it was off to Venice, a city I already knew, and Piran, for a new adventure.

VENICE

Where we stayed: Venice’s Dorsoduro neighborhood turned out to be a great choice: calm but in walking distance of the Accademia museum. Our vaporetta stop was San Basilio along the island’s outer bank. A wide quay stretches to the Zattere stop and beyond filled with restaurants and simple benches for enjoying the sun and sea air. From here boats run to the train station or to the Piazza San Marco. In fact, because the vaporetta crosses the wider lagoon to stop at La Giudecca island and the Palladio-designed church of San Giorgio Maggiore, before heading towards San Marco, you get ample time to take photos of the Doges Palace from the water.

Our hotels: The last thing I booked for our trip was our Venice hotel.  This was partly because I wanted to get myself a guidebook and get reacquainted with the plan of Venice before booking anything on-line. The other reason was that my husband got a few broken bones that week and I was worried about having to cancel the whole trip. Once we knew we could leave (without Dad), I booked a room at the Locanda Avogaria (www.avogaria.com) on venere.com. My price for mid-week in April was 150 euros a night for two people including breakfast, moving to 200 euros on the weekend (and higher in July/August) which was as much as I wanted to spend in costly Venice. It turned out to be a great deal as not only was the three-room boutique hotel both modern and charming, but our ground floor room had a walled-in, private patio with an outdoor sofa, chairs, and a table for breakfast under a fig tree. And this wasn’t their largest room. They pulled the two twin beds apart for my son and I, but he couldn’t help noticing that the shower was made for two – with a showerhead on each side. Ah, the romance of Venice. Strangely, the room didn’t have small amenities like shampoo or tissues.

After Slovenia, we had another night in Venice before catching the plane back to Paris. Early in my planning I had booked the Courtyard Marriott adjacent to the airport for that one last night. I had taken the “pay ahead” non-refundable rate – thankfully as the dollar kept dropping. And I didn’t regret it. Having woken up at 5:30 in Slovenia, and spent a full afternoon in Venice I was ready for a good night’s sleep. I followed the hotels advice and took the No. 5 bus from Venice’s Piazza Roma, asking the bus driver to let me know when we get to the Marriott (basically the last stop before the airport). Our bus driver said si, si Marriott and we were on our way. The hotel is brand new, with Courtyard’s new system of including a mini-mart sandwich shop in the lobby, though they also had a restaurant.  After four days of trekking through Europe it was nice to be in a big comfortable room with all the conveniences like hot pots to make tea, and your own thermostat! The hotel’s free shuttle dropped us off at the airport the next morning. While nothing beats staying in Venice itself, the Marriott was a good choice for the end of our voyage and a no stress trip to the airport.

Where we ate: The Avogaria has a great restaurant, well known in the area, and the chef is the sister of the front desk manager (both owners of the small hotel). This was our “splurge” meal in between several great pizzas and daily gelati. We tried the warm bean puree served alongside langoustines, and a plate of paper-thin carpaccio with argula and parmesan shavings. For a main course, I had an excellent tuna just seared on edges that were coated with sesame seeds. My 13-year old (who had already devoured all the homemade bread sticks) had a modern take on beef lasagna that literally melted in the mouth. A poached pear with fig sauce was the perfect ending.

We also enjoyed the peaceful ambiance and pizza at the Taverna Capitan Uncino (Santa Croce, Campo San Giocomo Dell’Orio), our best pizza at the Pizzeria ai Sportivi (Dorsoduro, Campo Santa Margherita) and our gelati at Gelateria Nico on the Zattere. A quiet coffee along the Campo de Pescheria near the Rialto bridge (get away from the crowds as fast as you can) with a lovely view of the Grand Canal.

Getting Around Venice: No gondolas for us. We did however make the mistake of not buying a multi-day pass for the vaporetto boats (run by ACTV like the urban buses) as soon as we arrived. Later, near our hotel there was no ticket booth at San Basilio, and onboard they only sell the one-hour 6.50 euro standard ticket, or 13 euros for our two tickets. This gets expensive. We did buy a 12-hour pass when we came back to Venice, after Slovenia, so we could enjoy our last, leisurely rides up and down the Grand Canal, and it even worked for the number 5 bus to the airport. It seems much simpler to pull your money out once and be covered for the day. Fares for private water taxis begin at 40 euros.

What we saw: The Piazza San Marco with the Basilica and the Doges Palace. I wish I listened to my guidebook and brought my binoculars. It would have made viewing the Basilica’s ornate ceilings much easier. Of course, the square was crowded and yes the pigeons were everywhere but it is still beautiful. If possible take the advice of all those travel writers who tell you to go in the early morning, that way you can actually have a cappuccino on the square and not pay the 6 euro-per-person charge “for the music,” that many cafés add-on in the afternoon. Musicians play on small stages over looking the tables, which I suppose could seem romantic. For us it just seemed overpriced and we opted to go elsewhere.

What we saw next was one of my son’s favorite memories – someone falling into the canal! A young woman got too close to the algae-covered steps along the canal and slipped in, fortunately without hurting herself. The same cannot be said for the man who gallantly decided to run in after her, slipping on the algae and landing on his duff on the steps. I’m willing to bet he had a nice bruise the next day. Wiser heads lent the lady a hand but as she climbed out she realized that her shoes were still floating on the canal. Now to her rescue came one of those good-looking water taxi drivers. By deftly maneuvering his boat and carefully leaning over he scooped up the shoes and tossed them to a cheering crowd. Being Italy, the young lady, drenched in a very form-fitting shirt threw out her arms and called her Taxi hero over for a kiss. He declined as it would have been a tricky move for the boat, but we, and the crowd, loved it.

The biggest must-see is Venice itself, the palazzos, the canals, the bridges and the narrow streets. Just walking around is a treat. Along the way we visited different churches, the Palazzo Grassi museum (now showing an expo on Rome and the Barbarians, www.palazzograssi.it) and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. We navigated the Rialto bridge as quickly as we could to discovered some of the quieter market buildings and water-side vegetable stalls further along.

What we brought home: A handmade, leather-bound sketchbook. I personally don’t like the masks they sell everywhere in Venice, but the specialty paper shops pull me in every time.

PIRAN, Slovenia

Our spring trip continued from Venice around the Adriatic sea the coastal town of Piran, in Slovenia.

Piran is a port town between Croatia and Italy – both of which are close enough to be seen across the water. Set on a rocky penisula, this isn’t a “beach” destination - though locals swim off the coast and there are plenty of spas with seawater baths in the next town – it is however a great location to charter boats, bike, walk and simply relax. Especially in the Spring and Fall. July and August brings crowds to the city’s narrow streets and swimmers to the same rocks I was able to commandeer in April for an hour of quiet reading.

Piran is also about fresh seafood, local wines, espresso and the low prices that make Slovenia an affordable destination. In fact, the restaurants were packed with Italians on the weekend. Our waiters, and just about everyone else we met, spoke Italian, English, and German (Austria is just to the north). The country is incredibly clean, with a natural landscape stretching from ocean, to heavy forest to mountains (with skiing). The Slovenia tourist office site is filled with travel ideas: www.slovenia.info

This was the “adventurous” leg of our journey since I was going some place I’d never been before and, because I was relying on being able to catch a bus in Trieste to get there. Several Google postings on Slovenia promised a bus at 9am, and 11am, but after that times varied. We took the train from Venice to Trieste, and then crossed the street to our right coming out of the station to the bus terminal. Like most bus terminals it was a bit of a dump but the staff was nice, the times were posted for several afternoon buses (11:15, 12:30 and 3:30pm), and for 5 euros a ticket I was on my way to Piran. My only tip is to sit up front in the bus. Like many buses in Europe today, the windows were covered with advertising in the form of adhesive film. You can see out, but it’s like looking through a dot screen. Not great for enjoying the view as you drive along the water or through hills. At least upfront you can see through the windshield.

Where we Stayed:

The Hotel Piran (www.hoteli-piran.si) is directly on the waterfront. I decided the sunsets over the Adriatic would be worth paying a little extra for so I opted for superior sea view room with balcony. I wasn’t disappointed. Watching the boats head out in the morning, and of course the evening’s sunset was incredibly peaceful and beautiful. The rooms are not going to win an interior design prize (shower was small and dated) but they’re clean, bright and comfortable. My rate was 130 euros/night including an ample breakfast buffet for two. Another popular hotel is the historic Hotel Tartini (www.hotel-tartini-piran.com) on the main square (Tartinijev Trg), and Max (www.maxpiran.com) a small hotel with six double rooms higher up in the village, is a nice inexpensive option (60-70 euros a night). Cheaper options include local hostels and Bed and Breakfasts.

I was disappointed in the Hotel Piran restaurant (my risotto was basically a big bowl of rice and cream), but the staff was extremely helpful. Reserve ahead if you need hotel parking.

Where we ate: Piran’s waterfront walk is lined with restaurants and ice cream stands. The main attraction is fresh seafood, served in large bowls and platters to be shared with friends. At Pavel, one of the best choices, fresh whole fish, like sea bass was priced by the kilo, while a seafood platter including a whole fish, shrimp, calamari and potatoes was just 18 euros.

What we saw: Piran is for strolling, first along the port, and the waterfront, and then, in a burst of energy you can climb the narrow streets up to the lovely white, Baroque church that sits atop the hill. From here you’ll enjoy sweeping views. Then continue up to the medieval walls that once protected the town. This climb will have you huffing and puffing but again, it’s worth it for the view, and to get a sense of the history of the place.

Everything else you’ll want to do is outside of town. Slovenia has the largest, and certainly some of the most spectacular underground caves in all of Europe. It seemed a shamed to go home without seeing at least one. Postojna Cave is only an hour’s drive from Piran, but unfortunately, the tourist office didn’t have an excursion to the caves on the Sunday we were in town. Luckily, we ran into Cvetko at the tourist office, a local taxi driver (Taxi Piraneze, 386-51 607 333) who was more than happy to pick us the next morning and get us to the caves for the 10am visit. His rates to several local sites were posted in the tourist office vestibule so I could clearly see what it would cost – 100 euros. Sounds steep but the man not only drove up there and back, but ran us up to the ticket booth to make sure we wouldn’t miss the visit, gave us a voucher for a 10% discount and then waited in his cab for almost two hours while we visited the caves. So, money well spent if you haven’t rented a car.

The caves at Postojna are Slovenia’s most visited tourist attraction.  Once popular with the Austrian Archduke and other nobles, a small train was built to take visitors into the caves in the late 1800’s. You still take the train in today, but then the crowd is split up by language spoken, and you follow a guide on foot for a good 45 minutes through the cave’s different “rooms,” over a bridge and past amazing rock formations. A little further away towards Italy, the cave at Škocjan is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Also near Piran are monasteries, the original stud farms of the Lippizaner stallions, and vineyards.

Don’t hesitate to ask your hotel, the tourist office or even the fisherman at the port about exploring the coast by boat. Our hotel concierge had boat schedules to cities from Triest to Koper that I hadn’t known existed when I’d planned my trip.

What we brought home: Sea salt from the local salt flats (Sečovlje Salina Nature Park). They offer several different grades for cooking and bath salts (stylishly packaged in linen bags with neat red logos). The salt flats stretch into the Adriatic and are part of protected wetlands area 3.3 kilometers from Piran. You can go yourself – the park has bicycle and walking paths, or you can do all your shopping at the official boutique Piranske Soline on Piran’s main square.

How to get to Piran: Nearest airport is Trieste, Italy (1.5 hours by bus to Piran, 1 hour by car, or boat link), followed by Ljubljana (train/bus combo to Piran or rent a car), but you can also get there from neighboring Croatia. Buses go everywhere in Slovenia while trains and planes connect Ljubljana to most of Europe.

Or take the boat. From May-October regular ferry service connects Piran to Venice (2.5 hours).

Useful website: Piran tourist Office: www.portoroz.si