Day 8 Brenta Canal-August 30, 2016

Heading up the Brenta River Canal on a canal boat.
Got up while still dark, ate breakfast, boarded the bus and went to Fusina, a town near the coast across the lagoon from Venice.  

There were delays but we were on our way with a guide on a river boat called a burchielli towards Padova on the Brenta Canal around 10:30. This tour takes about 7 hours and includes a big lunch in Oriago (which was delicious) and had a guided tour of two villas.  After the one-way cruise, the bus will meet us and return to our agritourisimo (hotel). We are going from sunup to sunset today.  The second villa, Villa Widmann, was immense. None of the links to this villa paid it adequate coverage nor described it's beauty in any decent detail.   
After the year A.D. 1000, wealthy folks built summer places along the hand-dug canal. These mansions especially in the 18th century are much larger than the ones in Newport, RI.  Napoleon, Mussolinni, and every local Doge (leader) came here.  These sumptuous summer residences were popular from the 15th century until the fall of the Venetian Republic due to the arrival of Nepoleon. Early on these boats or burchielli were powered by oars and drawn by horses along the sides of the canal. The canal system along this section drops 10 meters and there are 9 swing bridges and 6 locks.  

This is a view from the main house of Villa Widmann to the stables in the distance.

Dining room

One of the garden houses.

Bed Nepolian slept in.

Swing bridge on the river Brenta.

 Entry area-Villa Widmann.

Some of our group on the canal boat.

Wall decoration at Villa Widmann.

Original wallpaper.

Mural.

Lunch at Oriago.

Water wheel at Oriago, next door to where we ate.

The restaurant is the building on the right with the two tall chimneys.

Walking from our canal boat to the restaurant for lunch in Oriago.

One of the locks along the Brenta River.

One of the carriages in their garage.

One of the beds in the villa.

Old style gondola cover.  The design of the ornament on the front (at left) was described to us and told us the meaning of it.  

One of many outstanding Murano chandeliers. 

Some of the boys, while waiting for the tour on the river boat to start.

Some of the girls, etc.

While we were waiting around town, a panel truck pulled up, the driver proceeded to remove the side panels and set up to sell his fish.  It was quite a procedure and it was very efficient.  Shortly folks from the town showed up and bought fish.  He had a sink set up with running water and cut and cleaned the fish for them.