The access to internet has been a bit piece meal so I am cramming a lot into a small space. We are here in another great accommodation and thank goodness she (Marlene of Marlu B&B) has a keyboard that I can use at speed!
As we flew into Venice we had a great view of the Alps and then the lagoon after an "easy" one and a half hour trip from Paris on EasyJet. We came out of the buss station at Venice down to the vaporetto and suddenly there was the Grand Canal! All the colours and busyness were much more than I had expected - the greens and blues of the canal and the colours of the plastered buildings along the canal. We made our way to our B&B with only one detour and found our attic bedroom had a great bview over the rooftops and was only a hop from San Stefano, the nearest piazza. We needed a "cleansing ale" as John would have it and so we located ourselves in a cafe on the square.We had just texted Jared to tell him where we were and then they were - Jo and Jared had been having breakfast at the other end of the same piazza! It was lovely to see them again. We were entertained by a guy wearing a kit of a drum with cymbals and a drum stick attached on strings to his feet; playing a hand accordion with a begging cup attached; with a funnel ringed with bells on his head. He was playing Italian folk music and people wear having their photos taken and giving him money! It was really charming. Later that afternoon we went to the Rialto Bridge - much the same as would have been in the middele ages I imagine - crowded with shops and people selling junk amd went on to St Mark's Square where we had a Bellini/ beer combination watching life go by on the canal.Very Venice! The next day was Murano day. We got offered a "free" ride by water taxi over to the island to the family "fornace" - just the four of us - no obligation - Tui ad! It was great riding like this and the driver took us through an amazing route with great photo ops.We were welcomed to the Signorelli family fornace (since 1346) under the care of the maestro. This fornace specialises in chandeliers and they were making glass leaves that day. We also saw the apprentice make (and smash - because it was not good enough) a small statue of a horse and a glass decanter.In a process we were becoming familiar with, we were then "free" to wander through to the salesrooms which was an experience a bit like being in the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles - so much light and colour! Needless to say we did succumb to the glass salesman - and managed to score a deal at the same time.
The next day we were to leave so our mission was to go to San Marco and visit the basilica. The day was coolish and definitely autumnal. The scene as we waited in San Stefano was very enchanting:endless pigeons staking out their space, two policemen in very splendid uniforms in important conversation; two astonishingly insouciant (and gorgeous)young men in 17th century period costume; men and some women dragging or pushing divery carts bringing bread, wine, tubs of olives and newspapers; one very thin very elegant young girl feeding a croissant to the pigeons - just some of what could be seen in the space of a few minutes. On our way to San Marco we came across a traffic jam of glossy black gondolas decorated in gold with red push upholstery and the gondoliers shouting the odds for customers (mostly Asian and American). None of them was prepared to make life any easier for the other! As we got closer to SM we noticed that the walkways which we had seen previously stacked up ready for use where in some cases being put out. At the basilica as we queued, we could see the water visibly welling up through the cobbles and the walkways were up in the cathedral proper. The cathedral is amazing! Though for me the terrazzo (the tessellations) floors were just as beautiful as the ceiling frescoes. There was a fair old crush and visibility options were limited. It certainly was a place to take photos but you aren,t allowed - not that stopped some.After the tour we had a coffee break at Caffe Florian(since 1720)where coffee and a cake for four costs the equivalent of $NZ120 - think silver trays, gorgeous waiters and porcelain with the cafe's insignia on it - and great macchioato, espresso and food. Ah Venice!!
Later thet day we picked up the rental care and set off through the smog to Sansepolcro.
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