Venice is without doubt one of the true wonders of the world and our trip started in style. Picked up at our hotel doors by executive mercedes with blacked out windows leather everywhere and air conditioning turned up full blast. If only George Clooney had been inside too Debra would have been well chuffed! We were whisked to the train station around thirty miles away with a slight delay for traffic build up on one of the roads and a couple of German lads bursting at the seams jumping from their car and peeing for what was an unusual length of time by the roadside in front of us. That bit of excitement out of the way we arrived at the train station with plenty of time to spare. The local train to Venice pulled in first and hoards of tourists crushed in to the un-air-condition carriages, joining the already sweating throng of tourists from further up the line. Our Eurocity train rolled up a few minutes later and we were in our pre-booked table seats in no time and on our way in air conditioned spacious comfort. Thankfully I had researched and found that prebooking seats online was not expensive. Rather like booking via the trainline website there are bargains to be had. Arrival at Venice Saint Lucia Station was a perfect way to get a first glimpse of the canals and beautiful buildings that the city had to offer. Through the concourse and into the afternoon heat and bustling madness we went. Tourist travel tickets purchased we were on a Vaperetto (water bus) in no time on our way along the Grande Canal, zigzagging from one side to the other, dropping off and picking up tourists and locals alike. Underneath the Rialto Bridge, past the Peggy Gugenheim Museum and onward toward the famous Saint Marks Square. Unsurprisingly it had changed very little since our first visit. There were still thousands of Chinese, Japanese, American, European, Asian tourists crammed in. Thankfully we didn't have to get off there. By the time we made it a few more stops along the line there was more space to manoeuvre. You don't get much time to get off once the vaperetto has slammed into the side so we jumped ship and found ourselves on dry land with only a short walk to our hotel.
Showered sustained and suitably refreshed a short time later we were back on board making the same journey only in reverse towards Saint Marks Square, which thankfully had cooled off and calmed down considerably as most of the day trip tours had left. Walking around the square listening to the music from string quartet, jazz band and piano at the various outside café evoked strong memories of our last visit, in fact I think they may have been playing the same set! Walking out of the square in no particular direction and getting lost in the quiet alley ways is part of the charm of the city and we did just that. For a good hour or so we twisted and turned, crossed bridge after beautiful bridge, watched gondoliers navigate with a skill that made it seem effortless and finally popped out at another arched street entrance to Saint Marks Square, not knowing how we had managed it and knowing we would probably never manage to find the quirky shops and bars we had passed along the way. Not to worry though as there are hundreds more to go at the next day. Well we had popped out into the square it seemed like just the right time to park ourselves at one of the fine café, listen to the music and have a drink. Don't worry we were well informed of just how expensive it would be but what the hell, when in
Venice and all that! To tell the truth the dry martini I had was possibly the best I have ever tasted and Debra's wine was perfectly chilled and delicious too so the eventual bill had a more palatable flavour to it and the band were very good too!
Day two, my Birthday and it was more of the same. Start in the square, point in a direction and start walking through the alleyway. We ended up this time on the other side of the city next to the hospital, watching the ambulance boats zoom away with lights flashing and horns blaring. One thing about Venice is that you are never too far away from a vaperetto stop and we hopped on board the next one that came along, which delivered us to the island of Murano, famous for it's glass foundries and wares of all different shapes, sizes and colours. The heat emanating from the foundry doors was so intense that paying three euros each for the privilege of sitting watching the artisan at work was not an option, it was hot enough outside as it was! Walking along the canal side with shop after shop of Murano Glass was a wonder to begin with but it got slightly tedious and I couldn't help thinking that if you opened a shop selling anything but glass somewhere along the strip you would make a killing. Thankfully there were a few trattoria dotted along the way which made the burden bearable and the fish dishes tasted amazing. Back over to Venice and more walking. This time we popped out at the Realto Bridge having set off in the complete opposite direction, we weren't surprised though. We had promised the kids a ride on a gondola to immerse ourselves in the culture, but when Olivia had seen hundreds pass by with all sorts of people in them being gawked at she decided it was far too tacky and cheesy a past time so it saved me a good hundred euro and I was a happy chappy! What a way to spend my Birthday though, in the city and with the people I most love in this world!!
Our last day and we decided to hit the Lido Beach. Fully caked in factor fifty and laden with beach towels we trotted off in search of sand. When we got there it was so windy, we were instantly sand blasted and covered head to toe in sticky sand encrusted sun tan lotion. The red flags were flying and only the bravest kite surfers were out in the wild ocean. We walked to the edge, dipped our toes in, picked up a few shells, had a chat to a very nice local lady who was picking up clams for her lunch and then made our way back through the sandstorm to our hotel for much needed showers.
The journey back to Lake Garda was as efficient, delightful and un-eventful as our journey to Venice, except for one mishap which occurred just outside Venice as the train was silently travelling along the causeway linking Venice to the mainland. Debra was too busy looking out of the window to keep an eye and a hand on her newly opened can of beer and when the train suddenly came to a halt the can didn't and it first hit her in the crotch are, thankfully not spilling too much, then hit the floor, where upon the impact sent it fizzing down the aisle below the seats, wetting the feet of the mid west bible belt yanks who had just removed there shoes to get some air to their feet. A quick dash to the toilet, a handful of paper towels and me being apologetic in my best British accent as I was prostrate on the floor mopping up the spillage from around them and us. After the incident had passed and I was back on my seat downing my own beer I over heard one of them in their American twang say "yes it was beer but it's ok, they are Brits", to which I made like a toast to the queen and finished off the can ready for the next!
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