Ciao Venezia!

So we made it to Venice. Our apartment is brilliant. Views of the canal from every window as well as our own local bell tower which rings out every quarter of an hour! Love it. Wish we had more bells in Australia… great way to work out the time.

First day here we just wandered the alleyways aimlessly, taking it all in. The piazzas are the place to be in the early evening. Everyone comes out for a chat and a catch up and the kids are all playing soccer and chasey and riding their scooters. A real community atmosphere. In Australia at the end of the day we all hide away in our houses and there is hardly anyone out on the streets.

Second day we set ourselves some sites to see…such as…Rialto markets, Piazza San Marco, Liberia Acqua Alta, Spritz Alley on Fundament Della Misericordia and then on to the Jewish Ghetto.

Fascinating day and about 8 hours of walking. We really earned the Spritz!

Today we went by Vaporetto out to Burano, then stopping at Murano on the way back. Another long day but while looking at a chocolate shop on the way home we were offered three free samples each, of their chocolates, which were divine.

Tonight we got told by the guy in the COOP supermarket that, “In Italy we wear plastic gloves and use plastic bags when choosing fruit and veg. In Italy we wear the gloves!” as he pointed to a massive container of one-use gloves and one-use plastic bags. We tried to use one bag for all of the fruit and veg and got into a very sticky mess as the price tags were sticking to the gloves. The lady at the checkout had a bit of a laugh when we went through.

This is me on the bridge of books at Liberia Acqua Alta. An amazing bookshop where lots of books are stored in boats, baths and even a gondola!