Venice

Day Four - Friday 18 June 2010

Another day awaking to pouring rain but with this our last chance to spend time in Venice, we stuck with our plan for the day: a quiet morning the a drive into Venice to explore this famous city.

At to about an hour's drive we arrived in Venice and managed tofairly easily find a parking place in a serviced multi-storeya few hundred yards from a water bus stop. from here, we boarded a very busy water bus our next stop St. MarK's Square.

The water bus was a good opportunity to get a good look at Venice: the canals; buildings; boats and Gondolas. Most of the Gondolas we saw were very well kept, although some did look rather funereal! The buildings were all I expected of them and more. One of the most striking aspects of walking around Venice was its ability to surprise. Waiting through narrow streets and alleys would suddenly give my tohuge open squares with ever more impressive buildings. Unfortunately theBridge of Sighs is undergoing extensive renovation and restoration work so only a small part of it was visible though its tarpaulins. This was one of the structures z had particularly wanted the photograph butit wasn't to be on this trip. Ah well, a good excuse to go back soon! We crossed the Rialto Bridge and paused to take some pictures from it before continuing our waltz back to Piazza Roma and the car. A very modern bridge stands near the waterbus stop for Plazza Roma, in stark contrast to the buildings and bridges nearby.

Back to the car, out of Venice - after paying ow twenty-sixEuro parting fee - and heading for air last night at Lido de Jesolo.After a quick "reviver" we squared the place up ready for departure in the morning then headed off for our evening meal. After eating we had a quiet night to be ready for on early rise on "Ship Day".