Venice

Aaaah, Venice. This is a trip that Jessi and I had been trying to go on for quite a while. We thought that we were going to be able to go back in April but for a multitude of reasons ended up putting it off until now...July. We got there Late Saturday morning and were immediately astounded by the heat and the humidity. It had been raining in England for two weeks prior to our departure and neither one of us were ready for the wave of heat that hit us. We smiled in unison as we looked at each other and felt that our holiday was under way!

In true J&J Bates fashion we took a wrong turn right out of the departure gate and ended up getting on the wrong bus-boat. Bus-boats run all over Venice and the system is fairly easy to use once you get the hang of it. They are, however, remarkably slow in the water and quick at the ports. If you are not in the queue for boarding then you can fully expect not to get on as they stick to a tight schedule. Apparently, there are two lines that run in the city and we had purchased tickets to one and gotten on the other. The gentleman collecting tickets informed us that we either had to pay for the bus or get off at the first stop. Well, at that point we were all out of Euro's so we got off the bus in Murano, an island known for its intricate glass work. Loaded down with all of our luggage we didn't dare go into the shops for fear of knocking something over. We finally were able to figure out the bus stops and got onto the right bus to take us to our hotel, or so we thought. At the next stop the bus attendant informed us that this was the wrong bus and ours would be here in a few minutes. We were both quite hungry and thirsty at this point so Jessi stayed with the bags while I went off in search of an ATM and some food and drink. I got back with two mini pizzas and two waters just in time to catch the next bus and we were finally on our way to the hotel. We arrrived at the hotel at about 5 pm, 6 hours after we had stepped off the airplane. We were both exhausted from being in the heat all day with our "England Weather" clothes and our bags. After this adventure everything slowed down and we enjoyed the remainder of our trip at a leisurely pace.

The island that housed our hotel is called "Lido." It is a long thin island with beaches on one side and typical Venetian coast on the other. Everything on the island was within a few minute walk from the hotel and we were able to find quite a few good restaurants and cafe's on the center strip. For the most part we ate while we were in Lido. The restaurants and cafe's offered "traditional Venetian cuisine." Which meant a lot of pasta and pizza. We ate pizza the first day and told ourselves that we would try something different everytime we ate. We did manage to try a few different meals but ended up sticking with the pizza followed up by the Gelato for the most part...and um..um..um..it was good!

Our second day we went into Venice proper and saw some of the sights. We started at Piazzo San Marco and walked through the city to the Grand Canal. There were all kinds of people and pigeons in the square and everyone stood in the shade in between dashes to the shops and sights. We walked through the back alleys of Venice and every turn was a view perfect enough to be Mural. Jessi got to take a lot of pictures and I just hung back and enjoyed the views.













Monday we discovered why the Italians spend so much time sitting in cafes and drinking wine in the shade. We had noticed a little grocery store in the center of town and went in to buy some water and snacks for the beach. The shop was very crowded and the people pushed and shoved their way into the lines at the counters. I was amazed at the difference from the pace of life that is evident on the street. From there we went to the beach and spent a few hours alternating between beach towel and sea. We also went to Burano which is a beautiful, colorful, little island that is known for it's lace production. The buildings are all painted in vibrant colors, the windows and doors were open both to the shops and the houses and we were able to peak in and see some of the locals at work in their homes. As is our luck, we got there right as everything was closing down and so had a quick coffee and got back on the boat bus, promising ourselves that we would go back the next day when the shops were open.




The next morning we went back to Burano and did some shopping. There was a lot to see for such a small island and we were able to get lunch at one of the restaurants. When we were getting back on the boat bus at the end of our stay the heat and the cramped spaces proved to be a little too much and Jessi and I were forced to skip the bus in favor of some time in the shade and a nice cool towel on the neck. We made it back to Lido and decided to take the rest of the day easy, trying to avoid the sun and get re-hydrated. And of course...a little more shopping!

Wednesday morning was the last day of our trip and we were both ready to get back to nice, cool, England. The heat proved to be a little too much for us after having lived in the moderate English climate for 3 years. We had a leisurely breakfast and lunch and caught the boat bus back to the airport. It was a lovely trip and a very well needed break from the rapid pace of everyday life. And oh, let us not forget the amazing food, from muscles, to spaghetti bolognese, and pizza to gelato. We start our diet on Monday!!