Venice

Venice is extraordinary, and unique. I didn't really understand what the fuss was about until I got to the city. I didn't know it was an island in the Venetian lagoon, floods up to 100 times a year, and has been fighting rising water levels since 500AD.

The Grand Canal.

The view outside our apartment front door.

We arrived on the public water bus and dragged our bags down narrow alleyways, over a couple of humpbacked bridges, to reach our apartment.  The apartment was really modern, in contrast to nearly everything else outside. The buildings are a mixture of very decrepit or just a little decrepit, but all are very old, tall and surrounded by water.  

There is an Irish Pub in every city ... We didn't go in!

It took us very little time to work out the "streets" which are never straight and often led to dead ends or canals without bridges. Getting lost is inevitable and half the fun. On the first night we weaved our way across town to see the sunset from the south side, passing many squares, courtyards and churches.

The casual dude lower left - who is he?

There is nothing else to do except be a tourist, and outside late afternoon drinks are compulsory. The evening light is soft and full of colour, reflected off the canals and many pastel-coloured buildings. 

On our second day we made the early morning pilgrimage to Piazza San Marco, where we met the full onslaught of rampart tourism (and it's not even the busy season). Five hundred metre queues to buy tickets to get into the basilica, tour groups crowded around a guide with a bright shirt and a flag, security guards moving people along for eating while sitting on the steps....

The bellringer going commando. 

Piazzo San Marco.

Huge queue to get into the basilica. We didn't go in here either.

We cruised the little walkways connecting the various piazza's and eventually ended up back at the apartment for a well-needed siesta.  Our evening promenade took us to a friendly busy bar with cheap drinks and expensive tapas, before we settled on a restaurant for the plate of the day.  More yummy pasta for the primi, and the fish for secondi. The sea bass was dry and tough.

Mask-making shop.

Our model under the Bridge of Sighs. Sigh...

Boat jam.

 

Our last morning was spent at the market, with a brilliant spread of different fish, fruit and veges. We were pretty much "Veniced" out at this stage and spent a large part of the morning sitting at a cafe watching the world go by, on the street and the Grand Canal. Gondolas, water taxis and water buses, work boats and private dingys. Fascinating. Interestingly it costs just 1.50 Euro for a coffee standing at the bar, or 3.50 Euro sitting at a table.  It is often worth the extra so you have somewhere nice to sit and have a breather. Also you can use the cafe loo rather than pay 1.50 Euro to go to the public loos!

Just like Clutha River rainbow trout, even the same size.

The crowds were building up to critical levels by the time we were due to leave. In some parts it was hard to move along the street and the little bridges were clogged completely. Fortunately we'd enjoyed the extended spell of good weather for another few days, and were looking forward to it continuing in UK and North Wales next week.