Home
+
About me
+
E-mail me
+
Holidays
2008 Venice
- Sat 2008-08-30 {19864}
- (!) Had a little sleep, then up at 01h30. W arr 02h15, taxi at 02h30.
To Wolverton, where met 16-seat Transit minibus with luggage trailer, and
15 of the holiday crowd. The 16th, Stephan Kirk's friend, joined us at
Gatwick. A5, J9, M25 W side route. 03h05->04h55. Onto easyJet to Venice
at 06h50 nominal. Julia was re-packing her suitcase in the check-in queue
and Jac was only just in time at the gate. Cast: Graham+Wayne (2), Steve
Kirk (real first name Philip, Stephan is 2nd name) + friend (4),
Germaine+Richard (6), Liz Letts + Chris (8), us (10), W (11),
Katie Thomas (12), Jac Collins (13), Julia Metcalf (14), Julie (15),
Lesley Gray (16). 8 of us got onto the 3E express bus to Piazzale Roma,
the other 8 had to get the next one. Very hot standing in the bus station,
so as all 4 of us for the odd apartment were there we went off and bought
48h rover tickets and took the waterbus around to S Stae. So crowded that
we failed to get off and had to go one stop back. Then walk to the apartment
and meet Paolo Rosada. Showed us what's there, all in Italian. There are 4
gates to go through, in sequence, each with its own key, and then the front
door. We have 2 sets of keys which is useful. Out again to local small
deli for a few provisions, then out again for a pizza lunch and a beer
followed by a walk thro' the tourist-trap shops leading up to the Rialto.
We are in C de Teatro. Very old buildings of course and very well fitted
inside, with rambling levels. Two double bedrooms adjacent, 2 bathrooms
adjacent to each other, one with bath, bog, bidet and handbasin, the other
with shower, bog, bidet and handbasin. Have to leave the shower open to
clear the steam she says. She came back for a bit more money. Wayne gave
us 724E to hand over, but she wanted 750E. Then later on the waterbus again
to Campo Stefano, met the whole group there (Wayne had to go out to fetch
Steve Kirk's lot who had got lost) and a good meal together at a restaurant,
who set a table for 16 for us. I paid by CC and got more cash, we're going
to need a bit of cash. 48-hour waterbus tickets were 26E each, many
restaurants don't take cards. Waterbus on the way back was very crowded
even just before 23h, Theme of day - very hot. Almost pleasant, but still
hot, outside after 22h.
- Sun 2008-08-31 {19865}
- We're all covered in bites. Up quite late and out about 11h. Walked to
Rialto and across to Fondamenta Nuove where we met Lesley, Julie, Julia
and Jac and, after only a little faffing, got onto the right boat for
Burano, about 45 min ride, all still on our 48h passes. Drink in a cafe,
then wander around. Julia plays the part in long white skirt,
white shirt and hat, and matching shopping bag, talking to anyone. Some
dithered and we split up, arranging to meet at the boat stop. We (Jac, W,
Julie, us) stopped to eat sandwiches (bought earlier) on a bit of grass by
the sea, then wandered a bit more. Wandering means just incredibly slowly
looking at all the tat shops and buying one fridge magnet and one pendant.
Met the others again, and 5 of us (except Lesley, Julie, Julia) had an
ice-cream and a drink at a cafe; the other 3 had a meal at a restaurant.
Took the 15h56 boat back and split up. We went straight back to the flat
for a beer and a read, W and Katie got back a bit later, then the 4 of us
to the same place as yest lunch and spent 40E each. I got rid of the 100E
note Graham gave me yest (part of the money we handed over on arrival was
a 500E note). One of the groups with flat near the Rialto spent 2h getting
there yest as seriously lost, with suitcases. It's sometimes hard to relate
the map to the ground, but the instructions to get to this flat were easy
without map. This is only day 2 and already tensions are high.
- Mon 2008-09-01 {19866}
- Slept well, tho' W didn't, too hot, and too many mozzies. Yest we beat
SA again, by DL method, so 4-0 up with one to play. More activity this morn,
sounds of workmen from 8h, people about. Flat is adjacent to a canal and
has a water door. Have still not achieved a GPS fix at the flat, even looking
over the little garden, but Burano yest was 33T0298006/5040348 and beach
today was 33T0294902/5032356. Out individually. We went to the Rialto first,
buying antihistamine and mozzie-repellent (bites are a souvenir of Venice
according to the assistant). Then 3-day passes (31E but she got it wrong
and took only 52E for 2) and out to the Lido, the end of line #1. Walked to
the other side of the spit to the free beach on the Adriatic. Sit for a while,
then back a little for lunch at a restaurant (pizza for \theta, steak for
\phi, and wine). While here some of our party walked by. Went back to the
beach and joined Graham+Wayne, Steve+Colin, Liz+Chris, Germaine+Richard
who were picnicing. Had a few soaks in a very warm sea. Had changed into
costume in the restaurant bog, under the cut-offs, and came home with them
still wet underneath; silly system. Saw several people, inc Steve Kirk,
using 2 costumes, one for swimming and one for sunbathing. Some younger
girls topless in the water. Back by the reverse route, meeting W and Katie
on the waterbus. They'd been shopping and church spotting. Eat eve in flat,
pasta by Katie, while they prepared for an early departure for Rome
tomorrow. Still had to choose between sweating (windows closed) or getting
bitten (windows open).
- Tue 2008-09-02 {19867}
- W and Katie off at 04h30 to go with the others to Rome. We can use the
flat naked for the next 2 days. A little light rain at first, but then hot
and sunny again. To St Mark's square on foot and round the Doge's palace
and prisons. Lunch in the middle of St Bartholomew's square, then waterbus
to the parks on the E end of the island, where there was a little breeze
and it was cool in the shade. Back then to the flat for a rest. Steve
Clark reports that Alf has resigned. To local shop for more wine, beer and
food, then to Chinese. Eat in what was an open passageway between 2 buildings
with one end shut off and a vine as a ceiling; there was an inside in the
adjacent building but unused tonight. Busy, good, but small in quantity.
My cognac served in a shot glass. Rubbish put out, it's a daily collection
except Sunday. Bought an Italian to euro adapter. Italians have 2 3-pin
plugs, euro pitch with central earth and bigger and wider with central
earth. Most sockets take either, and therefore euro 2-pin as well. Some
sockets wide only. Adapter goes into wide 3-pin and accepts euro or narrow
3-pin.
- Wed 2008-09-03 {19868}
- To the museum of modern art by S Stae, good. Included a Rodin "The
Thinker", one of about 20 in the world. Then waterbus to S Marco for an
ice-cream and try to find the supermarket we passed yesterday, which we
did after trying various routes, at jn Salizzada San Lio and C.d
Bande. Then lunch at the same place as yest in S Bartholomeo, and then
back to the flat to put food into fridge. Later out again, walk to
Accademica thro' several campos, a beer in a cafe there, and waterbus back
via S Toma. Eat in, cold meat, cheese, olives and salad, then wait for
the others to get back, and dress again. They enjoyed Rome, but it was
very hot; so hot that they couldn't concentrate and didn't explore very
thoroughly.
- Thu 2008-09-04 {19869}
- To Murano. Walk to Rialto, where we bought more 3-day bus tickets, this
time for the correct 62E, then walk to St Mark's square where met the
others, the whole party except Liz and Chris. Boat #5 to Murano and a drink
at the first cafe we see from Faro stop. Learn that Stephan and Colin have
fallen out. Glass
museum, which was moderately boring, some very old glass from 1st C AD,
but apart from that nothing exciting or well-displayed. Then we split up,
but on an island this size we mostly went to the same restaurant: us (\phi
\theta W Katie Jac) and (Wayne Graham Germaine Richard Stephan Colin);
leaving Lesley, Julia and Julie to go somewhere together. Very hot in the
sun, but the restaurant had a cool garden. Went into a glass works demo
and saw a glass horse being made; we seem to have missed the proper
factories. We came back by ourselves, the others were considering a gondola
ride. Via supermarket for supplies for party tonight, then home for a rest.
Eve to the Wayne+Graham flat for wine and nibbles, and a cake for Jac:=65
today. Julie absent worn out. At last some rain, distant thunder and
lightning, then some heavy rain. On the way home, with 6 women well-wined,
Lesley was showing some very dodgy women's jokes on her mobile, and drawing
from W "remember I was a student once".
- Fri 2008-09-05 {19870}
- Just us, waterbus to Salute, photo church there, then walk across to
the other side of the island and take waterbus #2 over to S Giorgio, where
we looked into the church and had lunch at a cafe: pasta with "fish sauce"
which was mostly baby octopusses and mussels. Then line #2 again all the
way around the end, Tronchetto and P'le Roma, and back to Rialto. Some
more shopping, a beer and an ice-cream, and back to the flat. Paolo
visited, to offer to keep bags here as late flight, but we explained (in
Italian, with great difficulty) that we had friends at one of the other
flats. W and Katie back later. After some delay and misunderstandings
we eventually ate together in the local square. Packed and cleaned up.
- Sat 2008-09-06 {19871}
- A long hot day. Sun is blazing again for the last day. Up and all ready
to go by 10h, hand the keys back to Paolo. The failure of the lounge lights
was that Katie turned them both off at their individual switches while
the rest of us were assuming that the 2-way wall switches were still in
control. Walk to the apartment near the Rialto (~Calle de Cinque) which
is not let next week and we can use today, leave luggage there. Then a day
to fill, me wanting a stress-free plan. Took waterbus to S Elena and spent
some time reading in the shade in the park, but plagued again by biting
insects, tho' tried several seats in different places. Lunch in the cafe
there, pizzas again, this time I had blue cheese and walnuts. A little more
time in various others bits of the park, then took the #2 waterbus again,
going the other way round down the Grand Canal first, then round the end by
Tronchetto, then via S Giorgio back to S Marco; Not very crowded and managed
to get the outside seats at the back the whole way. Through the crowds again,
an ice-cream and walk back to the Rialto. Had an expensive wine in one of
the cafes right on the waterside by the Rialto, then to the apartment again.
Several are already there. 8 of us started off relatively early at 17h30,
got a waterbus straightaway, and surprisingly not too crowded so we were all
able to get our luggage on together. To P Roma, and to the airport bus. We
went to the direct express bus, the same one that we took out. Diferent
company so the passes didn't work, but we were able to buy 3E tickets from
the driver so no time lost. Then the bus started, the AC came on, and for
the first time in a long time it felt comfortable. Got to the airport OK, to
find the flight delayed from 21h15 to 22h40, because of the heavy rain in
the UK, with bad flooding in some places. So a long wait, tho' we could
check in close to the original time less 2h. All a bit knackered by now,
with the heat and the activity. Flight was packed. After some fruitless
searching and mobile numbers not responding we made contact with the minibus
driver and were picked up. Same driver as on the way out, and odd he was too.
Kept looking at his eyes in the rear-view mirror, which had broken off and
was lying on the dashboard to be picked up and used like a hand mirror.
At one point he fiddled a wipe out of a packet, took off his glasses and
wiped his eyes. Sometimes bounced in his seat as if trying to wake himself
up. Inexplicable changes in speed and occasional sudden lane wanderings. We
all bought Wayne a bronze face mask, and thanks to him on the way back.
Driver dropped me at A5(D)/H5 slip road, I ran back to pick up the Focus, and
collected \theta and W at the drop-off by the Agora; W then drove home. By then
it was about 02h00. Julia trying to find someone to take her curlers back for
her as her case was too heavy. Stephan's case was 32kg, but as in a group
with \phi, \theta, W, and ours were around 10kg each, he got away with it by
summation for group. BBC forecasts for each day were either sunny 28degC,
light showers 28degC, heavy showers 28degC or thundery showers 29degC;
apart from one storm we only ever had a few sprinkles of wetness; the rest
of the time it was clear blue sky and HOT. Good moment: bath in the morning,
open window right alongside, clean water, cool air, and a view of the
garden. Houses in Venice are numbered not by street but by district; our
apartment was #2303 (I forget the district).
2009-09-04..2009-09-04
Home
+
About me
+
E-mail me
+
Holidays