An ambulance was nearly sent for!

The first set of photos were taken from the vaporretto stop at S' Toma looking up the Grand canal towards the Rialto Bridge.

The first had the railings in the way.

The second was better but not evocotive.

As some will know I have a habit of lying on the ground to take photos, so that is what i did and I was very pleased with the result.

I scrambled to my feet and turned around to see a couple obviously relieved to see I was okay. I think they thought I had collapsed. They had a mutter to each other, turned to me and gave a concerned smile and the moment was over.

It was good that they cared

The builings and water look amazing as the sun is setting. There is a lovely warm glow.

Columns behind the Rialto market and views from the Piazzetta San Marco

More Venetian views, the one in pink is very happy to be here!

The format today maybe terrible. I have learned to upload the photos I want last first, but then I "lost" two & had to upload them again and move them down the the layout went to pieces. I think the moral is only make short blogs.

I have washed up and tied after my guests last night. We had a great time.

Gaspare should be on the Impressions Show he had Victoria and I in hysterics.

We also watched the first episode of Francesco's Venice which was fun.

Now I need the washing machine to finish - it's been going two hours! then I can have a shower and wash my hair.

Here you can't use use two electrical appliances at once!

Ciao ciao ciao

The madness begins

This morning I had to go to a hardware shop near Santa Maria Formosa. I took the vap to San Zacharia, foolish girl, it was mayhem. The hoards wearing masks had arrived!

I took a back route into the piazza to get the calle I wanted there were lots of people but not in costume. It was busy all the way there and back to the Rialto to get the vap back to Palanca.

Lunch today was in the Bar Palanca, delicious curried prawns with wild rice.

Going to the Jazz Club tonight.

Where does the time go?

I can't believe it's Satuday morning again. After checking my emails I took a look at the Emmerdale web site to see what had been happening this week!

Here are a couple of photos of the full moon recently. Taken from the Fondamenta at Palanca.

The weather has been beautiful but very cold. Thursday I went to my favourite restaurant Cea, full of workmen so very local. The spaghetti with oil, chilli and garlic is wonderful, plus salad and 1/4 house wine less than E13. I walked back Rialto and was getting tired so i took the No 2 directly to Palanca the long way round. I sat outside at the front and by the time we cane out into the Guidecca canal I was frozen. I moved into the lee of the cabin, walked home as fast as I could and laid on the settee covered in two coats and still didn't warm through.

In the evening we had Bible study at Victoria's and she had her apartment really warm which was lovely.

Yesterday I was shopping at the market and preparing food as Jane and George came to dinner. What a lovely evening, such good company. They also said the food was good.

More shopping today as I am having the Bible study group to dinner and we are going to have a Francesco Fest and watch Francesco's Venice.

The Venice Ladies Club

Today I went with the Venice Ladies Club for lunch at the Italian Forces Officers Club just past the Church of Pieta at San Zaccaria. This group was founded nearly thirty years ago by the British Consuls wife for English speaking ladies in Venice. The consulate has moved to terra firma but the group continues and the ladies come from quite a distance to meet together, The criteria is you speak English. The pictures are the outside of the building, a view of S Giorgio from the reception room and the ladies I sat with for lunch.

We began with prosecco and cicchetti - prawns in filo pastry, sage leaves in tempura batter, scrummy, chicken bites & onion rings before moving into the dining room. I sat with ladies from Holland/Canada, Italy, Tai Wan, Japan and Jersey. Very international. The talk was interesting, varied and an exchange of cards means some of us will meet again.

It's surprising what you see......

I am returning to last Friday the day I spent walking. Above is the Rialto fish market, it was just closing but I took some good photos. Then I sat just on the top side of the Rialto Bidge in the area of the first banks had a delicious spritz and watched the world go by. I began watching the pallet of drinks being unloaded, noticed four different types of vaporretto and began listing what I saw on the boats. A piano - laid down but with the keyboard lid open, vats of wine, beer, soft drinks, tables and chairs, luggage, a wheelbarrow and old and new washing machines. That was all in less than half an hour.


Earlier I had seen these concrete mixers being brought up the Guidecca canal - some were rotating too.




Near Ple Roma
goods brought in by road are loaded onto boats.

I also didn't want you think I hadn't been taking note of orange trousers.

The bloke on the vap (German) was head to toe in the colour!

The worst and best of Carnevale!

This morning I felt slightly better and went over to the Accedamia to buy last weeks Hello. Phuphio was moaning on.... Carnevale... I hate it. All those noisy silly people. I agreed and we were laughing at the masks on the postcards he had for sale. Those that completly cover the face allowed people to flirt with anyone, either sex.

I left him muttering to himself and went off to have a cafe americano and read the gossip. On the bridge I met Alan so we went together. He ordered the coffees and two crema fritelle. They were delicious, he said these are the best thing about carnevale and I agreed.

It was then back to my apartment and I have sent the day cleaning, washing and ironing so I feel very pleased with myself.

Blog siesta

Not posted anything for a few days as I have been full of cold and under the weather.

I did go out Friday although I had a sore throat I felt fine and walked all day. I did think I would go to The hard Rock Cafe for a burger but the day was too good to sit indoors. I ended the afternoon with a coffee at the Bar Laguna on the Zattere to take in the last of the days rays.

Saturday still felt just okay and went over to the Lido and took the bus to Malamocco one of the oldest settlements on the lagoon. I had a coffee outside and a walk around the area and had lunch in a tiny local restaurant. The food was fish - not my favourite but I had some delicious prawns.

The restaurant at Malamocco

By the time I was on the vaporretto returning I was shattered and went home to bed. I did go to Church this morning then back home to bed. Late this afternoon I went to Jeremy's and I do feel much better but I shall be in bed again soon.

Wet wet, wet

The rain didn't stop Wednesday. It was torrential all day with a strong wind too. I didn't venture out except to drag in the extremly wet sheets and towels which had to go through the washing machine again.



Thursday was better and brightend in the afternoon. I went to Panorama in the morning and also looked at SME - sells everything for the house except t lights. Upsairs is furniture and I found a sofa.




Those who know mine realise why I need another one. This was cream leather, not too deep and with a straight back. I have been on line to try to find an English distributor and emailed the company but no luck. I could probable DHL it back to the UK!!!!

Venice Jazz Club

Last night I made my first return visit to the Venice Jazz Club. Tuesdays are just an hour of lounge jazz and casual. I was welcomed back by Federico the owner and Nicolo the guitarist. It was a relaxing time. Earlier had been grey but the day improved late afternoon so I took the vap to S Toma and walked down to Campo Santa Margherita, window shopped, had a gingerino drink then had lasagne in a restaurant there.

Today is WET. This is the first rain since I arrived. I left washing out to dry overnight and it is now sodden! But it has meant I have caught up with correspondence and made a bolognese sauce. I am hosting Bible study tonight and should go out and buy cake - but they may be having gorgonzola dolci and biscuits instead!

Lunch and good company

Here are Jane and I outside Gianni restaurant on the Zattere. I throughly enjoyed meeting up with Jane and George again and catching up with them Last year I only saw them at my soiree.

The lecture at the Circolo last night was about C K Chesterton and was a facinating insight into his life and work.

Life is a social whirl!

I feel so lucky to have so many lovely people who include me the life of Venice. I throughly enjoyed going to the opening of an art exhibition Saturday night. I had looked on line to see Geoff Leckie's (dinner last week) paintings and also Maggie Siners' too. Both were wonderful, but don't think I can afford one. Also showing was Richard Scarry's son and I loved some of his.

Tonight I have met more interesting people at Jeremy's soiree and my good friends Jane and George are here for a few days and I am going to thier apartment for lunch tomorrow.

Concert update

I was astounded when I walked outside the fog had come in again and it was very thick crossing the Guidecca canal. I left in plenty of time but I had a very slow journey to the Rialto but made it in good time before the concert began. To my surprise four seats along the same row was Alan, one of my guests last night. As no one came and sat between us I moved along from my Euro10 restricted view seat.

We had a much quicker journey back and the fog had cleared as swiftly as it arrived. Alan lives in San Trovaso so I had company most of the way back.

The Palanca

My dinner party seemed to go well last night. Two of them called this morning on thier way back home and were not ill. I bought some beautiful amenomes yesterday on the Palanca and the apartment looked pretty in the candle light. I also bought a glass vase to put them in and I am going to do a deal with Annie for it when I leave!

Shopping on the Palanca. This is an area overlooking the Guidecca canal from the vaporretto stop to the next bridge each way. There are all the shops you need, bakers, butchers, hardware, picture framing, hairdressers clothes, shoes, newsagents, tabac, bars and restaurants among others. In a morning the area is very busy with shoppers, like it was in villages in England fifty years ago. I don't have to ask for my cafe americano now in Bar Palanca! They do food at lunchtimes which is excellent. There is also a pizza take away which is good to take one home & watch TV.





Tonight Friday I am going to a concert at the Malibran theatre, the music of Prokofiev and Ravel.

Dinner guests

I am having my first guests to dinner tonight.

I have had to borrow a dish to cook it in and I will have to wash cutlery between courses, can't have more than four people at once!

Report tomorrow on how the evening went.

The Fog

At Ca' Rezzonico and San Marco

The fog came in yesterday, so thick the vaporretto driver had to use radar to cross the Bacino San Marco. It was scary crossing the Guidecca canal Monday morning as the vap is crossing and all the other boats are going up and down the canal.

I had to go out as I had an appointment at the chiropodist - all this walking had given me a corn. She did a great job. I had fun booking the appointment over the phone - Sgr Poli has no English & I thought the time was 10.30 am but I needed to be sure so I ran out of my apartment & found someone on his boat who spoke English & confirmed the time for me with the signora!

Later in the afternoon I went out again for some more atmospheric shots and it was bitterley cold.

Today the sky is blue the sun shining and so warm I was sat on the Zatterre for an hour reading and took off my fleece. back at the apartment I have sat out on the terrace twice today even though it is not in the sun the temperature is so much warmer.

Monday outside my apartment

Same view today!

Venetian man at work

I took this photo yesterday at the Accedamia vaporretto stop.

Out to dinner

Saturday night I went to American friends Liz and Geoff's for dinner. They have a wonderful apartment overlooking the Guidecca canal with over the weekend had the bonus of a Spanish, ninety year old navel cadet ship. I have done the tour of the boat today, more later.

The dirty stop-outs crawled home at 1a.m, Sunday morning - and I was reading in Church.

Sunday night was Jeremy's tea soiree which was delightful as always.




Here is where we ate tonight


Tonight, Monday I went to the Circolo with a talk on Giovanni Coboto. Did he discover Canada? It was fascinating.
Following the talk four of us were out to dinner & I am just home.

No view

The bar, the view and from the vaporretto looking back

Last Monday it was a beautiful day so I took the llong ride round to Colonna on Murano. There is a little bar there where the food is okay but the view is great.

Not this week the view is shrouded in orange netting they are working on the lagoon wall.

I get another vaporretto wrong way round, thought i would get off at navagerro, a bar there does wonderfuk pumpkin soup. Not today, closed. I stay on and get off at the next stop, Faro - lighthouse. The bar there has no tables outside. I walk uo tothe crentre and window shop mmy way of glass back to the first bar where i sit looking at orange netting.

Back in Venice I get off at S Toma and stroll down through campo Santa Margatita, looking at shop, would have bought frittelle in Tonolo but it too was closed. I saunter down to Billa for a couple of things and think I will walk down the Zatterre annd enjoy the sun.

I realise it is 4.25 and Annie & Mike are collecting me in twenty minutes. Just made it back & changed.

The speaker at the Circolo was not the best & five of us left laughing to go to dinner to celebrate Mike's birthday. Reastaurant closed! Sums up my day. We found another one and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

The mist and the market

Friday morning I went to meet Liz at the market at Sacca Fisola. The morning had a slight mist and the view of St Giorgio was wonderful. On my way there I met her husband Geoff who was chatting to an American lady and he introduced us. She said I know you - you were Fairy Sparkle. She lives on. Liz and I had coffee, tramazzini and chat before heading off to look around the stalls. There is one which sells sweets, herbs nuts, allsorts. Liz is standing at the stall in the centre photograph. I have seen some wonderful glace fruit I shall be taking home for Christmas cakes. We then went onto the green grocery stall & discussed so much of what was on sale and how to cook it. Then to Walter at the cheese and cooked meat van. Walter likes to practise his English. His Gorgonzola and Parmesan are divine.

Finally we took the three stop ride back to Palanca and said our goodbyes. Not for long I am going to thier home for dinner tonight - Saturday.

Walking back to my apartment I met Geoff again. he was surprised we had just completed our shop, but I explained there had been lots of talking!

The bread and cheese for lunch was delicious!

Church

It was good to be in St George's again last Sunday and meet up with old friends. I had bumped into Hilary with the new Vicar a few days before. I just about managed to reach the candles to light them but nearly went flying when extinguishing them, I lost my balance and put my hand out to stop myself on one of the candle sticks - not a good idea. I just stopped myself in time and did no damage.

There were quite a numer of visitors there ad the service featured the saints day Candlemas and there was a ceremony around the candles and to rededicate ourselves. People were astonished to discover the Methodists have no candles! They are just in my house.

Wednesday night a few of us met at Victoria's home and after tea and cake we began reading and discussing The Book of Timothy.

The Imob cards and the machine

The IMOB card
The tourist to Venice pays E6.50 for one hour on the vaporretto. There are other deals from 12 hours to 5 days which is E50. I paid £40 for my Imob card, above and it costs E28 per month for venice and the Lido, a few euros more for the buses in Mestre. But I couldn't buy a months arriving on the 25th but I could buy ten tickets for E10.50 (normally E1.20 each). I hope you are keeping up.

I have to go accross the Guidecca canal to go anywhere & have to use one of these tickets. Annie said there was a tragghetto ticket for this crossing at 60 cents but didn't know how to use them.

Meet Inspector Clusault. The Zattere ticket office that used to have a human being has turned into a machine but I read about these tickets and in my timetable I read about pressing buttons for different tickets.

I went to the Accedamia ticket office, still human and asked about them was given a lesson. Press ? wave card & press ? till Venezia comes up then press OK. I think. It seems to have worked. Yhen a normal swipe takes a normal ticket off.

The machine

I demonstrated this to Annie & Mike Sunday night on our way too and from jeremy's. They were impressed and were off to purchase them the next day. This will save them many euros per week.
Now you have to remember Annie & Mike have had an apartment here for five years.................

Venetian views

Views on the Grand Canal

I know there are two alike and I can't get rid of one!

The wake from the vaporretto The Grand Canal