First look at Pula - Sunday 20th July 2014

Went in to Pula for a mooch and a look at the Colosseum followed by a stock up at the hypermarket Mercator. Supermarkets are very like home, lovely crusty bread and most items quite recognisable although cheddar cheese and Cadburys unobtainable (sad face).
We had a drink at a cafe right next to the colosseum which was incredibly reasonably priced, although the accomodation was dearer than venice everything else is cheaper here. Odd.

Croatian film festival - amazing setting

Don't give up the day job!

Later David and I went for a swim in the adriatic. Beach right by us (shingle) but very crowded so we walked around to a sort of park where we got in the water off the rocks, but unfortunately this freaked me out as I don't like touching seaweed or barnacles.Water cool but quite pleasant. When I got out and looked up had the horrible sight of ugly naked guy bending over! Traumatised or what. Nudism is quite common and tolerated here but as usual its the ones who should cover up who are most keen on getting their kit off.

Went for a walk in the evening to this old communist era lido which is now derelict.

Although there were lots of people about (its next to a camp site) and it is in a beautiful setting, something about the place gave me the creeps. 

Venice - Slovenia - Pula, Croatia on Saturday 19th July 2014

Said goodbye to our little house in Venice and picked up car without major incident, smooth journey to Trieste and the border, stopping for lunch at a little pizzeria in Latisana where the bloke spun dough to a thin consistency in front of us, spread it with tomato puree and cheese and cooked it. He did manage to drop a cooked one he had done for someone else though!
It was lovely.
However we were stuck in continual traffic jams all through Slovenia for 2 1/2 hours until we ducked out of the traffic to another border crossing one mile from the one that all the rest of the tourists were queuing for and used "white van man" tactics to edge into the other queue. Once across the border to Croatia we were on a brand new toll motorway which was nearly empty. No idea where the rest of the tourists were, possibly on the old A road?

Apartment tiny for 4 but has amazing view of the Adriatic and is only a few meters from the sea

David took the laser pointer gadget we bought (illegally) in St Marks Square and went down after dark to the headland you can see above in middle window (the nearer one), we saw the green light on our wall, so I took a picture - it certainly carries a long way!

Horses for Doges and lido for tourists

Early in the morning David and I walked to St Marks square leaving Dylan and Ross comatose in the manner of all teens. We got in line for St Marks Basilica at 8.50 - near the front of line, it opened at 9.45. But at least we were in the shade, the lines in the hot sun later in the day were absolutely ridiculous, hence the early start. The place was amazing, every surface covered in mosaic, the ones on the walls and cupolas all gold leaf. Amazing sight.
We also saw the Pala D'oro - a large sort of picture with little rectangles of saints in SOLID gold frame inset with precious stones, a serious amount  of bling in anyones book. But best of all was the original horses stolen from Constantinople in 1200 and frozen-to-death and put on the front of St Marks, then nicked by Napoleon in 1797 but returned in 1815. They are almost 2000 yes 2000 years old and they are so real .

We rested in a little patch of shade on the balcony of St Marks and had the place to ourself for a few precious minutes

Clock tower - figures strike hour

If you buy a tourist ticket apparently you get 2 visits to the loos included. On the pavement there are lots of signs to WC this way but we never actually came across one until we were on the way back from this outing - and it was closed until 12.00pm. Presumably they don't need loos in Venice, but on the other hand they don't do like the French and wee anywhere they feel like it, so goodness knows whats going on.

In the late afternoon we all went to the Lido to have a look,  the trip was quicker than I expected. The beach is half a mile walk across the narrow strip that is the lido, cars buses and bikes a bit of a culture shock after nearly a week without them. The public beach is on the right in the photo near the odd white structure. The rest of the lido are pay beaches, no good if you only want a quick paddle in the Adriatic as we did.

Following this a meal at Hard Rock Venice which was quite frankly overpriced and deffo not as good as the ones in the U.S.A.

and finally another night time trip up the Grand Canal where we wangled the front seats on the boat again - lovely evening and a wonderful trip. But it nearly backfired as there was a thunderstorm and it began to rain lightly - but we made it home before it really rained.

Feeling the heat

Wednesday - Ridiculously hot and humid today, all of us feeling the heat.

I thought if we went to the islands we would have a breezy boat trip, how wrong this turned out to be. We left about 11 due to waiting for teenagers to get up, only to have our tickets inspected before we got to Fondament Nove where we change boats, finding that Ross did not have his pass. This resulted in a 59 euro fine, more than the cost of the 7 day pass in the first place. He was not popular as might be imagined. Then we thought it would be better if he and Dylan got off the boat and walked home (otherwise another fare necessary) as it could be done in 15 mins, then catch the boat again (this time with the pass) and meet us at Fondamente Nove. It actually took them more than an hour and so we were all hot and bothered before we actually got on the boat, only to find we were not allowed to open the windows because it was air conditioned, but the air conditioning didn't work!
Anyway we made it to Burano and strolled round for an hour or so before giving up and coming back.  Not our best day.

View of multicoloured Burano houses

Dylan looking cool

Later that evening David and I went for a stroll round the local area, which was pleasant in the setting sun.

Cats of Canareggio

Bottom of our road from other side of canal Battelo

Evening in quiet untouristy Cannaregio

Glass and gorgeousness

Had rained overnight so a bit overcast but decided on a trip to Murano. Vaporetto route a bit confusing, suggesting that the one stopping outside terminated round the corner rather than continuing to Murano but we decided to stay on it as the locals didn't get off, and sure enough it continued to Murano. Got off and randomly wandered about as its a pretty place, ended up in glass museum to see glass from the 1st century AD - almost 2000 years old, had no idea it was invented that long ago.
Some amazingly delicate pieces in the museum. On the island, cheap Chinese tat (of which some things were quite nice, bought a dish) and really expensive artwork type glass, some hideous, such as this version of "the scream" by Monch, or nicer "picasso alikes".
v

but I was happy with the tat as can't afford real thing. 

David on bridge in Murano, weird blue sculpture on right

In the afternoon David went alone to San Michele which has been the cemetery island since 1797, it freaks me out (not good in graveyards, which is a handicap for a genealogist).

He said it was divided into different sections including an Evangelical section full of Brits, Russian Princesses and the odd German and Greek who had popped their clogs in Venice (quite a few over the last few hundred years), this looked like an English country churchyard. If Italian, there was a definite difference in how you were buried depending on how much money you have. All the tombs had pictures of the deceased (oddly often unflattering passport style pics) which looks weird at home but apparently looked OK when everyone did it. However due to lack of space your grave tenure is only about 10 years, then you are dug up again and bones dumped in a communal ossuary or presumably put in smaller space as below if rich enough.

ENTRANCE TO SAN MICHELE

HIGH RISE |TOMBS

After eating in, we walked from the house to St Marks square for sunset but just missed it by a few minutes (

the walk mostly along a rio terra and strada nova to rialto (not too many bridges or detours) until rialto then all goes pear shaped down tiny alleys. I established if you always went the way that was most crowded it was likely to be the best so we hardly got lost at all.

But best of all, after an ice cream outside the Doges Palace, we caught the No 1 Vaporetto up the Grand Canal to Ferrovia which is the nearest stop to us. And we got the best seats - right at the front with a fabulous view of the canal when the lights were coming on and it was getting dark and it was the most beautiful evening.

San Georgio Maggiore from St Marks

St Maria della Salute - chuch built to give thanks for deliverance of city from plague in 1630, baroque

Typical tourists

Well this morning (Monday) we made an effort to get up early and get to St Marks Campanile (reproduction, original collapsed 1902, venetians voted for "dov'era, com'era" (where it was, as it was) instead of a different design, quite right too) before the crowds. Made it by 9.30 and there was no queue.
Views from the Campanile:

Campanile Bell

Salute from campanile

When we came down, the queues for the basilica were ridiculous so we decided to go round the Doges Palace, an exercise in power and bling if ever there was. 

Ross and Dylan

View from inside Ponte de Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) - on way to prison

After that, a walk through the thronged streets to Rialto and over the bridge:

Shops on Rialto

So hot today, so back to House for siesta.

Later a walk in the local area and a little shopping followed by a meal in the only Kocher restaurant in Venice, Gam Gam, which is only a couple of hundred yards away. The first courses were excellent  and the young waiters/waitresses friendly but not keen on the dessert ebraico which were assorted cakes/biscuits. Shame they didn't have gelato on the menu, although perhaps we are having enough of that already! There was (to our shame) an appalling northern woman causing lots of problems to the staff. Hope they don't get too many like her, awful woman.

Blue skies for Sunday morning stroll

:Dylan and Ross still asleep so David and I went for a stroll around Cannaregio, first to the ponte tre archi just up the road

and then in a big circle of the local area going wrong at least 4 times and having to backtrack - no hardship in a place where there is beauty everywhere.

Random palazzo

End of our narrowing calle (street ) - starts about 6 foot and narrows to 3 feet wide other end

finally we wandered through the jewish ghetto - which is where jewish people were locked in (by iron gates guarded by venetians) during the heyday of the Venetian republic. Its a tiny island

and because of over crowding buildins were generally built higher.

We will do the synagogue tour later. This is an aerial view of the ghetto nuovo not taken by me! You can see its an island.

much to our surprise after long walk, we had entered the campo (centre above) on the bridge top left and exited bottom centre, within 5 minutes back  at the house for siesta as hot now! 

Found Dylan playing ukelele, oh dear, didn't know he had brought that with him. Shades of George Formby.

In the afternoon we decided to get some use out of our vaporetto passes:

Few traditional views below

Ross suitably gloomy at Bridge of Sighs

Ross and |Dylan and Campanile - just after this we saw a bride and groom wa

walk across the piazza alone, him in black satin suit (urgh)

Two years ago in the other Venice

Today, real venice

Arrival in Venice

Beginning of 2 weeks in a beautiful part of Europe

On arrival at our little 2 bedroom house in Canareggio - Casa Batello -  ( Canarregio a residential |"sestiere" of Venice about 45 minutes walk from St Marks square) , 

see here for details : http://www.visitvenice.co.uk/holiday-home/ 

this is the small canal (rio de batello) a few metres from the front door:

we decided to wander to the supermarket for milk and bread etc. We got to the approximate area and the heavy grey clouds started to gather and big drops of rain started to fall. Couldn't find supermarket and then the rain became torrential so we sheltered (all wearing summer clothes) under a closed kiosk overhang, very picturesque view, we stayed there for about 45 minutes while a spectacular thunderstorm raged right overhead, never known anything like it! anyway the rain eased and we had another go at finding supermarket, successful this time. Lucky the rain was warm! Quite glad to get back to "our" house which is very comfortable.

torrential rain not really showing in last 3 pix