I’d heard from my sister and brother-in-law that Venice was astounding. But to be honest it’s not been a place I’ve ever hankered after visiting. It’s quite different in many ways to what I’d imagined. And I adore it! Im not sure if Barry would, but I wish he’d had the chance to find out! I’d been hoping to introduce more of Europe to him this year. Maybe next …

Meanwhile, our third floor apartment in the ‘Arsenale’ district (well away from the main parts), is serving us well. I’m on the sofa bed in the lounge. Once again not a lot of room so good job Barry didn’t get here! (That’s me looking on the bright side).

I’d heard these canals can be rather smelly. It hasn’t been noticeable, apart from an occasional whiff. Maybe we’re lucky. Mostly it’s been fine, with more frequent aromas of jasmine flowers. I even sat with my feet dipped in the water as I ate lunch today.

I’d also heard it’s horrendously busy. It’s undoubtedly a popular destination, and there are hoards of folks animatedly soaking up everything they can. But I’ve never felt overwhelmed by the crowds. We’ve also not visited the bigger places.

Today we spent hours of travelling on the water bus. We’ve got 48 hour tickets,which give unlimited use for that timed or €30 each. The waterways are almost as packed as the streets. How there aren’t any collisions is beyond me. Boats of all shapes and sizes – from long thin gondolas to massive cruise ships and every dimension in between. Fascinating.

We visited the island of Morano this morning and watched a spot of glass blowing. There may have been a purchase or two made whilst in there (but obviously not the chandelier below, little call for those on a narrowboat) …

Here’s the local DHL courier delivery …

This evening Kerry and I wandered locally to the supermarket to buy tea. My phone was charging – here’s a few from Kerry’s professional eye. She even got permission to capture a Venetian mask maker at work …

Our apartment building …

After tea we hopped on another water taxi, took a slightly different route, then another (it’s a great way to travel and sight-see!), eventually arriving and getting a prime spot for some cool shots of the twilight sky from the famous Rialto Bridge. Not that I’d ever heard of it until yesterday mind you. But Kerry of course had. She’s done heaps of research about the destinations in their itinerary, so she knows what are the highlights to capture in each place.

I’ve almost run out of roaming data, after nearly two weeks of posting blogs each night, and the WiFi at the apartment is very slow. Fingers crossed it lasts for my final day tomorrow.

What an amazing adventure I’ve had since leaving Barry on Tuesday 4th June.