Venice

We went to Venice !  We had a few days to see the city, eat well, drink a Spritz and count lions and well heads.  It was Worrybombs first overseas trip with me.  Italy is a lovely place to go, my language skills are pretty basic at the best of times ( with English ! ), but most people there speak English very well and although I am rubbish at speaking Italian until at least a few days of being there, I can generally pick up what is being said in Italian.  Plus, I can point competently in several languages.

After a very early start, a boat transfer to the islands that was a little bumpy, we dumped our bags and headed out.  After a while we had the hankering for ice cream ( not sure where it came from ), so we headed to the nearest Grom.

After the greatest gelatos Italy has to offer, it was off to see what we could see.  She snapped away with her camera.

Worrybomb took lots of photos, some of them are below ( click to enbiggen ):

Hungry again, we headed to Pizzeria All’Anfora for a pizza ( it had been recommended and was great, a bit off the beaten track and very good).  Worrybomb didn’t really like pizza until recently ( although I do remember a firework night in Winchester a few years back where she did some pretty serious damage to one happily ), but now she was keen to try a proper Italian one.  I am not sure if she or indeed we, expected such a huge one to arrive …

… or that she would eat pretty much all of it !!!!

We walked lots, went on boats lots and saw lots.  I lost count of the number of lions, but I think we saw 19 wells ( we were counting ! ).

Although we didn’t go in, we did pass Peggys and stopped to look at her lovely front gate.

I still get a kick out of the door bells!

We crossed the Grand Canal with the help of the traghetto.  A much cheaper method of getting around ( or across ) than the not so traditional gondoliers.

Then more lions outside San Marcos

Carnival time !!!  We went into every mask shop.  I mean EVERY mask shop, to get the right one!  It was a toss up between this and a cat mask, but after much deliberation, we went for the blue swoosh style.

Then we went over to Murano to see the glass makers and watch some blowing.  We saw him make a jug and then a decorative glass horse.  Worrybomb was apprehensive about going in, I think she still has some big worries about fire, but after a bit of persuasion we went in and very much enjoyed it!

Then back out into the streets ( ? canals ). to investigate the workings of the many water points and well heads.

Murano being the glass capital of the world had some interesting scupltures

 

The Shard ?? ( Just googled it and … This blue glass sculpture has become Murano’s symbol of Christmas after it was made in 2008 by artist, Simone Cenedese as part of the annual Christmas Celebrations.).  Not sure about the Christmas bit, but it is stunning.

Then back to the main islands of Venice to watch the gondolas bob up and down, before heading to the square to play with some LED sycamore helicopter toys ( like these ).  Which were great fun in the huge square and I am sure although the Police get fed up with the street sellers, I hope Saint Mark would have smiled at the kids running about in the evening outside his cathedral even if he was miffed at being body snatched earlier in his death.

Then back to the sighing..

Squeezing the last bit of fun out of the trip, a very lucky Worrybomb managed to get onto the flight deck before take off and sit in the Captains seat !!!  On his special fleecy seat and everything!

 

BA have a lovely little app they carry on their pilots iPaD that they can use to snap as well!  It was a lovely end to the trip.

Worrybomb had a super time and we are planning our next trip…