Europe Trip Episode 2

Off to Venice the next day Day 4. Interesting boat ride to the island of Venice, watching beautiful buildings on both sides of the river banks in clear waters.

Having a hot delicious lunch served on the boat was quite enjoyable. There a long walk through the riverside to St. Marks’ Square Palace with a Gate to Paradise. There is a bridge called Bridge of Sigh connecting the palace to the prison. The prison is for those convicts sentenced to death and those who went there never came back. They could only watch the palace and the prison with a sigh. Hence the name.

Then a Gondola ride. It is a kind of boat, somewhat similar to the country boats in Kerala called ‘vallam’. Of course a little more sophisticated with a good painting and decorations. Passing under foot over bridges is a sight to remember.

 Boat ride as such is nothing new to us. But the cleanliness is. At places the boat passes through narrow stream with tall and long buildings on both sides, which are fully occupied as residences and shops etc. But no waste materials floating in the river. Dust free clean air may be one of the reasons. I could not help recalling the pathetic sight of the once beautiful beach in Rameswaram, that has been littered with flowers and clothes in the name of tradition or some of the water bodies in Kerala filled with litters and weeds due to neglect.  We have a long way to go when it comes to preserving Nature’s Gifts like rivers and beaches or Man’s toil like ancient buildings. Well, after the ride, we went to a Murano Glass Factory and watched a demo of making a unicorn. Quite interesting it was to see an expert melting glass in hot flame and turning it into a well shaped animal. Then by bus to Austria for night stay.

The highlight of the next day. Day5 was a visit to the Swarovski Crystal Museum, in Innsbruck, travelling thru Vienna, the capital city of Austria. Some walking and a city tour in a road train in the pleasant weather in the streets of Innsbruck thru the Golden roof and also doing some shopping. And for the crystal museum, oh, what a sight. You are surrounded by exhibits made of crystals, of snow white, of different colours, shapes and designs, on all sides, front, back, sides, and above on the roof.

In the afternoon stroll through the shops making some sundry purchases and watching the Golden Roof on the top floor of a palace on the way.

Quite interesting to watch people eat pizzas and bread for lunch in the roadside inns.

Drive to St. Moritz, Switzerland, a luxurious alpine holiday resort situated at an elevation of more than 1800 meters above sea level for a cosy Indian dinner and overnight stay.

Then four dreamlike days in Switzerland, the most interesting part of the trip in a separate episode.