M:

One of the reasons we have chosen Verona as a base - aside from its own charms - is its proximity to so many other fascinating places, and Venice is right at the top of the list.

Anne and I were last in Venice in 1985. On that occasion we camped in a site on the mainland which had advertised a ferry from the site, but as we were in the off season, we ended up catching local buses on the two or three days we spent there. Let's just say it was a far cry from the present comfort .... and the two hour train trip passed quickly and was relatively inexpensive.

We got to Venice a little after 10 on Tuesday 27th. As soon as you step out of the station you know you are in Venice - the grand old dowager has raised genteel decay to a fine art. The fading colours and tideworn facades of the palazzi seem to be an open invitation to the charms of the city. The multitude of boats that ply their trades - traghetti, gondole, vaporetti, taxis, and the waterborne equivalent of utes all just carrying on as if there was nothing special. I guess for them, that is true. For us, however ...

We were armed with the downloaded Rick Steves audio guides and the Lonely Planet, but called in to tourist info at the station for a detailed map and held a council of war at a cafe. We had already decided to take the traghetto down the grand canal with the Steves' commentary, so it was the bits after that which needed attention.

We got the very expensive ferry tickets (6.50 for a 40 minute run) and sat back to enjoy the trip. The weather was on our side and the light had a dazzling clarity to it as it illuminated the various offshoots of the Grand Canal. It is hard to imagine how anything approximating a normal life can go on here. For those who like a good yarn with a Ventian flavour, you should consider having a look at the Donna Leon novels, set in Venice. The link takes you to a US National Public Radio site.

We sailed past the iconic Piazza San Marco in order to get a good view from the water, then walked back towards it. Marthese was particularly keen to get a look at the Doges' Palace, like the church, a wonderful melange of east and west, witness to Venice's place at the crossroads of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. The interior, like the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence witnesses the world view of the ruling body - with government, courts and jails all in handy reach of each other.

It took us ages to find a lunch spot. Prices near the Piazza are prohibitive. We were also juggling lactose intolerance, red meat intolerance, and vegetarianism. We thought we had found a place, but after waiting five minutes for a table it became clear that the warning that the only things available from the menu were pizzas should have been SOME pizzas - and not the ones we wanted. We settled on our next choice on one of the quieter piazzas. The food was pretty ordinary, (A: Very unusual in Italy but this was Venice) but we were fed and ready for the next stage.

We walked to the Rialto to rehearse our lines from the Merchant of Venice. The bridge lacks the character of the Pontevecchio, particularly with the grafitti on the outer side, however it gave up a great treasure. Anne had indicated that she wanted me to buy a Venetian mask, and up until that point I had been disappointed by the expensive mass produced confections on sale everywhere. We came upon La Bottega dei Mascareri, a fabulous place with the loveliest hand made masks. Similar prices to the mass produced numbers, but with real character. I bought a couple and Beth and Elias bought one each.

We headed back to the Piazza San Marco along the calles and bridges. The girls and Elias followed the Steves guide in text form, while Anne and I listened on the iPhone. We didn't make it into the church but really relished the square.(A: The girls and Elias went inside and two comments they made were that the floor was very uneven and there were copious amounts of gold on the ceiling.) Everywhere on the streets there are piles of the risers used during acqua alta - the high tides which cover the footpaths of Venice regularly enough to be routine.

Next stop was the Accademia bridge, put up in wood as a temporary measure in the 30s and there ever since. At this point we were flagging so we decided on a coffee and a fast ferry back. The light on the Grand Canal was quite lovely as we sailed back to the station. We made the train in good time around 5 and were home by a bit after 7. Tired but happy!

Wednesday was a day of R and R really. Marthese and Elias set off for a day in Verona. Beth had eaten a bit of unexpected dairy food the day before so was a bit off colour. I made several forays into Verona - incuding buying another box to mail home and getting a haircut from a nearby Arabic barber. (When I grew up all the barbers were Italian, but here in Italy there are two men's hairdressers nearby - both Arabic!). Anne's family had organised for Interflora to send some flowers for her birthday, and we had been promised a delivery for Wednesday, so she wanted to be around. It is now Thursday evening and the story is not resolved! A lovely thought gone awry somewhere in the ether.

Marthese and Elias set off about 4 to meet their train to Brig in Switzerland to catch up with Marthese's friend from her German exchange - Wiebke, and her family, who are holidaying there. They were hoping for snow.