Bridge of Sighs, Venice

When I took this photo, I thought I was standing on the Bridge of Sighs as I was using a rather inadequate map. Now I know better. The bridge in question is the covered one high above this canal. It is said to be where convicted criminals got their last view of Venice through its windows as they passed from the interrogation room in the Doges Palace on the left to the prison building on the right. Its name is derived from the sighs of these unfortunates.

Venice Is in the Mists of Time

It seems such a long time since we were there. It's now just a lovely, fuzzy memory. This is a photo looking down the Grand Canal from the Accademia Bridge.

The Grand Canal is one of the places that always gets a mention in every book set in Venice, and in every article I read about it. Although I say my memories are growing fuzzy, I will definitely have a clearer picture of what is being referred to when I'm reading.

The Venetian Bellini

When it is raining cats and dogs here, I get to thinking about Venice again. Here I am in the sunshine with my morning coffee and a Bellini - one of the absolute must-haves on a visit there.

Actually I only had a sip of that one, because it was ordered for one of my companions. But I liked it so much I had my own the next afternoon.

Another Birthday Present

My trip to Venice was a birthday present from my daughter and her friend, and, although I contributed the Avios miles for the flights, it wouldn't have happened otherwise. I didn't expect to get another birthday present from my girl, but one arrived with the postman on Saturday.

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may remember the photo above. My lovely daughter had it blown up and reproduced on canvas on a frame.  Now it sits on the wall above my VDU in the office and when I'm sitting in front of it, as I am now, I only have to lift my eyes to see it.

Sunday Morning in St Mark’s Square

We walked through the square on our way to the vaporetto stop for San Giorgio Maggiore. The square was buzzing. Full of people, and we could hear music. When we drew near to a large group we realised this was where the music was coming from. It was accompanying young girls folk dancing and surrounded by a mesmerised audience. I was enthralled but it wasn’t really my companions’ thing so we didn’t stay long.

Moving on we could hear drumming coming from around the corner past the tower. This was more like it – a group of young men performing with flags.

Wordless Wednesday: Fish Market, Rialto, Venice

A Magical Town

One of my commenters coined the perfect adjective for Venice: it was magical indeed. On our second morning we crossed to San Giorgio Maggiore, the island shown in one of the pics in my last post. We went into the church and took the lift to the belfry for yet another magical experience. The various openings at the top afforded us a 360 degree view over the city and its closest islands. Photos don't really do it justice but they'll give you some idea.

Ciao Venezia

Monday – our  third and final morning in Venice.  We’d had the best long weekend since we three girls were in New York together. We had packed and tidied up our rented apartment, put our two sets of keys on the table and left before the appointed time.  Looking for breakfast and dragging our wheeled luggage behind us, we checked out the cafes in Mark’s Square, without much hope I have to say. 

Sure enough, €10 for an orange juice seemed a bit too much for us. Changing £20 for a meagre €17 was a good idea though. The helpful Italian behind the counter of the currency exchange told us where we could exchange that for a good breakfast by walking behind the square for a few minutes. Soon we were tucking into wholemeal croissants with cheese and ham washed down by delicious café latte, while admiring the little white dog that was accompanying its family at the next table.

Brekkers over, we headed back past the famous square to the jetty where we were to meet our water taxi for the airport. (We’d got a €10 discount on that by booking it through the company we had rented our apartment from). We were half an hour early so we leant on the boardwalk railings and watched the world go by. This jetty was located at the entrance to the Grand Canal from the lagoon of Venice.  In the distance we could see the church of San Giorgio Maggiore  on the nearest island in the lagoon. Beyond the parked gondolas the sunlight glinted on the tops of the gently rolling wavelets on the water, perfecting the picture.

On the other side of our jetty we could see people at work. The boat moored there was full of cardboard boxes and smaller parcels being unloaded onto trailers that would be pulled or pushed around the narrow streets of vehicle free Venice. The boat had the DHL logo on the side.

Several water taxis sped past, plus a couple of the water buses they call vaporetti. Then we heard music drifting towards us from higher up the canal. Looking in that direction, we saw three gondolas coming towards us side by side. Each contained a party of oriental tourists, as well as the gondolier in his navy and white jumper, of course. On one of them sat an accordionist accompanying a really good baritone. So we were treated to this harmonious serenade as well as the trippers on board. As they passed us another similar group came up behind, and then another. As each song ended, the audience politely clapped to applaud the bowing singer.

One of the songs repeated over and over, “Ciao Venezia”, which now runs through my head. This can apparently mean either hello or goodbye Venice, but I prefer to think for us it should be arriverderci Venice - meaning: until we meet again. 

Saying a Temporary Goodbye

Tomorrow afternoon I'm away. I go by train to Surbiton, where I will be collected by my daughter for an overnight at her place before we fly to Venice. I'm so excited. It will be tinged with sadness, though. It's easy leaving hubby. He knows I'll be back on Tuesday.

It's not so easy leaving Jade, whose sad, pleading eyes will follow me through the train window as it leaves the station. No matter how hard I try to explain, she really won't know when she will see me again. Although I know I will get an ecstatic welcome when the time comes.

Anyway, farewell to this blog for a week, and then I can tell you all about my adventure.

No time to write more now. I have to go out to the bookshops to find the guidebook I'll be reading on the train.

Eighteen Days to Go

We are now well into the month when I'll be boarding the plane to Venice on the 28th. I've just had a great time trawling the photos in Wikimedia Commons for one to put here. This view, by Didier  Descouens, is titled Campo Santa Sofia. Be great if I can find it and see it when I'm there.

I'm really getting excited now, and not a little anxious too. It's about five years since I used my passport to go out of the country. What do I pack to wear in Venice in March? Do I need to go out and buy things to wear as well as a guide book? Can I fit everything in within my luggage allowance?

Venice has been on my bucket list since I did a history of art course in the 1970s. I've bookmarked a number of  websites about things to do in Venice. How much can we fit in in three days? How can I make sure I get around the unmissables? I think I'm going to be on tenterhooks until we get there.

Holidays to Come

I've lived in a number of locations in the south of England, and tried to get the best out of all of them. Now I love living in Poole, but believe I'll always think of Torquay as home. It's where I was born and brought up and I have to get back there at some point each year.

This year, when the schools break up in July I'm going to share a holiday house with my daughter, granddaughter and friends who often come along on our breaks. Hubby may come for part of the week as well.  It's a dog friendly one so we may take one or both dogs.

We've been trawling the internet for suitable properties and finally decided on one today. Normally I'd just stay with my sister who still lives there, but she's not too well and I don't want to give her extra work. She and bro-in-law can come and have some meals with us this year. It's something to look forward to, as well as my short break in Venice at the end of March, which is to be a birthday treat. Aren't I the lucky one?