Due to events in London likely to mess up travel plans we get an early taxi to Gatwick and chill out at the airport excitedly anticipating our second honeymoon in Venice. We are allowed to take off, unlike flights from Heathrow, and land on time. Met at the airport by driver with luxurious car who drives us into Venice to the last place you can drive where we then board our private water bus which takes us along the Grande Canal to our landing just next to the Rialto Bridge where we are met by someone from our hotel jetty. Our room is the same as we had on our honeymoon and we drink our complementary prosecco watching the gondolas with singers, water taxis, municipal water buses and boats laden with goods ply up and down the canal. It's a wonder there are no collisions. Our outlook is of the Rialto Bridge which has it's usual throng looking down the canal and taking photos. After watching an amazing sunset over the buildings we wander round our local area stopping to eat and drink at an accommodating old restaurant bar.
Tuesday is gloriously sunny and we wander out for coffee through the tourist then fruit and veg then fish markets. Back home we ready ourselves for the day's trek. We wander up to the Cannaregio area which is where the Jewish ghetto (in fact the first place that was called a ghetto in which Jews were compelled to live). The area seems more lived in and the houses all look well cared for whereas the rest of Venice varies between very smart and near dilapidated. We sit by the canal up at the far end of the island of Venice (which is really 100's of small islands joined by bridges) as it joins the Adriatic and we look across at the mainland, and I think it's the Dolomites you can see in the distance. Wandering back in the streets we picnic with food from the local organic bio store on a canal landing stage with boats hooting as they pass to warn those that may be on the far side of the bridge. We wander through the narrow streets down to the Campo Santa Margharita square. Some streets are packed with tourists, men taking goods on trolleys (the only way to deliver stuff in carless Venice) and locals trying to go about their business. Other streets are empty and it's the back alleys which suddenly land you at a canal, often needing you to turn back, which make Venice such a lovely place. At every turn there is an amazing view and photo opportunity. We then wander back home to relax. 6.30 bell tolls from local church which is probably a call to prayer but for us call for our complimentary aperitif. After walking the best part of 10 miles today we can't be bothered to go out to eat so relax in our room quaffing wine, reading and listening to the busy canal traffic which tails off as night falls. A blissful end to the day.
Next day I start with a cold shower as the waters not hot. We traipse around for coffee then trying to find a good cambio getting lost so a slightly stressful start to the day.. After that's out the way we wander to the Academia area to queue for the Peggy Guggenheim museum although thankfully not too long in what is now a very hot sun. It's as great as we remember it with fantastic paintings and other modern art with a lovely shady garden. There's a special exhibit of surrealist art as a bonus. We buy two posters of paintings by Kandinsky and Magritte to match the Metzinger bought 16 years ago and still pride of place in the flat. I love that painting lucky to have seen twice. We go to the end of the island and look over to St Marks Square sitting on the waters edge with lots of others watching the ships go by. A hot walk back home then relax in the room listening to the gondoliers serenading their customers. We have yet more complimentary prosecco to compensate for the cold shower before going out to eat at a gluten free pasta restaurant which is very good with friendly staff.
Thursday we wake late again, the window shutters are very effective against the light, and today we enjoy hot showers. There is a nip in the air today land a bit more cloud reminding me that it's the equinox so now pushing towards winter. By the time we get up and out for our morning coffee the clouds have left to leave a blue sky and the temperature has got to hot although you wouldn't know it with the locals wrapped up in coats. After coffee I buy fruit from the market stall and learn the Italian for half (mezzo). After popping back to the room via Spar we walk down to St Marks Square, which is impressive though packed with those pesky tourists, then along the Grand Canal stopping to photo the Bridge of Sighs (so called as was the bridge prisoners took) and jostle our way past the crowds on the waters edge before deciding to go a few streets back where it's slightly quieter. After the crowds we stop for a much needed Aperol Spritz (secco) in a quieter street then to the Arsenale which is another Venetian origin word. After a picnic lunch in the shade and a few must-do photos of me under Arsenale and Arsenal street signs we wander along the water front past a few massive ships that are cruise ship size but belong to rich individuals all registered in George Town (internet search says Cayman Island tax dodge) then opt for the shade of the parks which have both modern and older sculptures. After a drink in the park cafe and coming to the end of the island we hit the Italian navy area so wander back home near enough the way we came but for the first part avoiding the baking sun on the waterfront preferring the residential back streets where we stop for a coffee. Back home we celebrate our 16th anniversary a night early, as we'll be travelling tomorrow, with a bottle of wine and leaning out the window watching folk on the canal and street. We wander over the Rialto Bridge and find a vibrant restaurant nestled in an unprepossessing side street although the place was smart. Our Italian waiter had lived in London and was a Liverpool and Inter Milan fan who hated Man U, Spurs, Chelski and for good measure Everton. So a fair amount of banter about Liverpool v Arsenal every time he brought us a course or when not busy. We had a good top up of vegetables and greens with slightly fizzy red wine, the house speciality apparently, and of course a complimentary lemoncello to finish. A lovely last night in Venice.
Our last morning so up earlyish to shower and pack. We check out leaving our bags at reception and get coffee at our usual place near the market which we then wander through then go for a meander northwards. We pass near the Arsenal again and have a last aperol spritz up by the hospital on the edge of Venice opposite the mainland. It's really hot and we wander through the narrow shady streets westwards finding ourselves back at the Jewish Ghetto area where after a gorgeous anniversary lunch at the Gam Gam Kosher restaurant. We opt to sit inside which is cool and vibrant. Feeling full we wander back through by now familiar streets for our last journey over the Rialto Bridge, at least for a while, and having gotten a few presents from the local Spar, well, they are authentically Italian, we pick up our bags from the great hotel staff. We take the crowded municipal boat along the Grand Canal then up past the Gam Gam where we'd lunched and then it's open throttle to the mainland landing at the Marco Polo airport. Massive queue to get over to Venice but I guess it's a Friday. Having arrived with plenty of time, as we both like to do, we find that the flight is an hour late so we get a lot of reading in. Unfortunately nowhere is showing the Italy England game but having read the match review that's a fortunately. We lost. Back in Heathrow we wait an age for our bags then it's the long tube journey home where we arrive to broken washing machine (needs replacing), dishwasher (needs a fuse) and wet bedroom carpet (result of dripping clothes although we thought it was Casper). Ah well, we had a lovely anniversary trip and may well go again in another 16 years although the bridges may be more of a struggle then. Hopefully Venice will still be above water as it is a unique and special place.
