Tuesday 5 June, sunny at last

Woke during the night with a call from China, but no signal to speak. We got up after 8.30, and the room was very chilly due to the overactive air conditioning. We watched the news on BBC World and heard all about the previous night's Jubilee concert and Prince Philip's illness. Today we plan to go to San Giorgio, the beautiful church floating on the water opposite.

Blue skies over Venice

After breakfast we checked out, paying the accommodation tax for four stars and four nights. We left our cases at the hotel. We went to Accademia to buy additional vaporetto tickets for 12 hours as we only had a big 50 euro note. We went to San Marco and then took the number 2 again on the long scenic route to S Giorgio via the Grand Canal. We saw the Nieuw Amsterdam again moored at Tronchetto.




After an hour we reached the island next to Giudecca where S Giorgio stands. We went straight inside and saw paintings by Tintoretto and others - very nice though a bit dark.Interesting choirstalls too. We took the lift up to the top of the Campanile where there were fantastic views all round. Took lots of photos. At last some blue sky!

Then we had lunch at the next door bar - tuna salad with rocket, egg, tomatoes and olives - very tasty and fresh. Plus a glass of white wine. Very pleasant.

Palazza Ducale on a clear day

We took the famous 2 back to San Marco and strolled around the square, taking a few more sunny pics. We walked past Florian's and Harry's Bar but sadly didn't go in. Then we went back to the hotel, collected our bags and walked to Zattere which was a better connection to the airport. We had time for an ice-cream cone while we waited. We took the Alilaguna Blue Line to the airport, which took about one and a half hours. We had over 2 hours to wait so we visited a wine bar for some Nebbiolo and some cheese. No problems with the homeward journey.

Monday 4 June, rain

The campanile of the Frari church

We were late into breakfast and Richard missed out on the croissants. Today we are heading for S Toma and the Frari church. We took umbrellas. While walking through the small streets we saw some nice shops and I bought a notebook, possibly a bit big. We went into S. M. Gloriosa dei Frari, which was large and empty. We saw the showy tombs of Tician and Canova and works by Titian and Bellini. It was rather gloomy otherwise.

Big cruise ships visit Venice daily

Then we walked to Piazza de S. Margherita and then onto S. Sebastian, near Calle Avogaria where we ate the other night. The church was closed for prayer.We went into the post office and bought stamps for all my cards - 4 to UK and one to China.We had a drink at the waterside near Zaccare before rain interrupted. We saw the huge cruise ship Nieuw Amsterdam. Then back to the hotel for a rest.

Richard near the Salute church

At 2.30 we walked along to the Peggy Guggenheim collection. It was pouring with rain. Everyone had the same idea of keeping dry inside. The place was full of American tourists and others. There were some nice Picassos and Kandinskys and some rather surreal works by Ernst and others, plus sculptures and mobiles. We had a nice chocolate and hazelnut cake with coffee in the museum cafe.

We walked back via Salute and it was open today - an empty round church with a few side chapels. Came back a different route; we checked the restaurant opposite for later. We tried the hotel steam room but it wasn't switched on. Pity. I had a shower and we decided to head for Osteria Bacareto near Campo S Stephano, as recommended by the German guide book. We got a table and had good service but the food was average. Risotto with veg and stockfish three ways with polenta. For wine we tried a Colutta 2010 Sauvignon. We walked back via the Accademia Bridge, and the sunset was pretty.

We missed the Transit of Venus.

Sunday 3 June, Murano

On Murano

Today we used our three-day vaporetto passes to go by boat to Murano, the nearest of the three northerly islands. Weather still a bit dull. After a nice breakfast again, we took the number 2 to Zaccaria and then caught the number 7 to Murano. We passed by the Giardini and a church with a square tower (Santa Elena?), saw the sports stadium, a church with a grey dome and the car ferry S Nicolo. We stopped off at Navigero and strolled along the canal bank, over a bridge and went into the glass museum. Sadly some rooms were closed to redesign. Then we strolled along another canal and found a place to have a drink by the bridge.

Colourful boats on Murano

We then explored further, and by now the sun was quite hot. We found a rather strange place for lunch near Colonna. I had melon and ham and Richard had spaghetti carbonara (probably not as nice as home-made). We caught the no. 7 boat back, without me buying any glass. A lot of it was a bit tacky.

We got off again at San Zaccaria and strolled past the Bridge of Sighs. There were choirs performing outside, some better than others. I went into the Basilica shop and bought some postcards of the four horses in the museum. Then we had an icecream and sat in the Giardinetti Reale. Peaceful.

Spritz or campari?

We took the boat back to the hotel and had a rest. Then we took boat no. 1 to Tronchetto and got off at an earlier stop to find a 'hidden square'. Nowhere for a drink there so we walked to Ferrovia (the station) and had a spritz bitter. We returned to Zattere with the no. 2 and went into open sea and saw cruise ships, docks etc. At Zattere we had dinner at the Italian restaurant near the boat stop.I had papardelle with porcini and roast chicken and chips. We had a glass of Pinot Grigio which was dry and refreshing. Then we sat outside for coffee and listened to the accordion player. We didn't have any change for him.


 I slept badly and felt hot and then cold.

Saturday 2 June, my birthday

The horses outside San Marco were copies

We had a few disagreements which spoilt the day a bit. Mainly due to my stupidity in speaking Spanish instead of Italian or something silly like that. Anyway I had three birthday cards, from Laura, Rowena and Richard. Didn't hear from Matthew and Sarah, but later discovered there was no phone signal in the hotel. Breakfast was very nice - a buffet with cereal, yogurt, coffee, orange juice, a hard boiled egg, bread rolls and apricot jam. The weather was still warm but overcast, fine for sightseeing.We took the no. 2 to San Marco, and discovered a band parade in the Piazza San Marco.

The view over Piazza San Marco

We queued for the Basilica and Richard took his rucksack to the storage room. Inside it was quite gloomy and we didn't pay extra to see the Treasury but we did pay 3 euros to go behind the altar and see the other paintings etc. Then we climbed up the very steep steps to the loggia and museum. Outside we saw the horses which are copies, and got a closer view of the facade and the Doge's Palace. In the museum we saw the original horses which had been restored; they were looted from Constantinople. It was interesting.

Rialto bridge

Then we took vaporetto 2 to Rialto. There was no market because of the bank holiday so there wasn't much to see in that area. I was disappointed. We found a small cafe for lunch outside. I had spaghetti with garlic, oil and chilli. We took the boat back and I had a message from Laura. There was no signal in the hotel so I went to the cafe nearby to ring her. She told us she would be going to Tokyo on Tuesday. Very exciting! I also had birthday messages from Matthew, Sarah and Francesca.

Then we visited the nearby Accademia and saw Giorgione's Tempest and Bellini's altarpiece with St. Sebastian, and Titian's Pieta, unfinished. Veronese's Supper in the House of Levi was covered for restoration, plus many other exquisite religions paintings.

Later on we strolled along to S.M. della Salute. The church was closed but we did see a statue of a nude boy holding a frog that seemed to excite a lot of interest, so it had its own guard. At 7.30 we went out again to Avogario for dinner. It was about 10 minutes' walk past Zattere and down a small street. We sat on the outside terrace. We opted for the tasting menu: 10 courses: 1. Involtini, 2. Parmigiana, 3. Raw fish, 4. Lemon pasta, 5. Ravioloni with sea bass, 6. Brasciolo, beef roll, 7. Tuna tagliata, 8. Parfait, 9. Ricotta, 10. Chocolate cake. They served all the 3 desserts on one plate and we had a glass of Puglian SB and also Valpolicella with the meal. It was very nice, although not quite haute cuisine.

We noticed the water level was rising on the walk back.

Friday 1 June, arrival

Approaching Venice by boat - weather overcast

Up at 5am and took a taxi to the airport at 6. By 6.55 we were relaxing in the sports bar, then went shopping for perfume and body lotion. Arrived in Venice in just over an hour, weather muggy. We had tickets for the Alilaguna ferry to San Marco which called at Murano, past San Michele and the cemetery island, round the lagoon via Lido, Giudecca and arrived at San Marco an hour and a half later.

There's melon under all that ham

We dragged our bags to the vaporetto line number 2 stop to Accademia. Very crowded. There we used the Raitour Suisse map which led us astray. Eventually a local lady pointed us to our hotel, Ca'Pisano, in a former palazzo. Our room wasn't ready so we walked over Accademia Bridge to Campo San Stephano and had lunch at A Becca Fico: I had prosciutto crudo with melon and pasta with swordfish and aubergine, which was very tasty. We had some Collarini Sauvignon Blanc Fumet 2011, which was very nice. It looks like my 'no wine' resolve will be challenged on this holiday!

Strolling round the canals

Creme Catalan nicely decorated

Then we retraced our steps to the hotel and found a nice room waiting. Slept for ages. It was very warm. In the evening we went out to visit St. Mark's Square using vaporetto 1 this time (it stops at every stop). We strolled around the square and had a drink at one of the cafes there, which had a music surcharge. Nice but possibly not worth 6 euros each.

For dinner we went back to Dorsoduro, our part of Venice, and at dinner at Agli Alboretti in the garden. I had branzino or sea bass and we had some local Lugana white wine, with a lemony taste. First they gave us a seafood risotto, which was probably not a good idea for me. Richard had pasta with beans. The fish was garnished with shellfish which I left, plus olives and tomatoes, strips of vegetables and a nice sauce. Afterwards I was tempted to a crema catalana which was more like a creme brulee but nice anyway.

Then we strolled down to the canal on the other side at Zattere, which was very atmospheric. We went back to our hotel for a coffee in the bar, and then to the room. There were a few problems with the so-called design hotel - obviously the design wasn't tested by a woman. Plus we could only get BBC World on TV.