Thursday 18 July 2013

Venice

Married for 20 years? HOW?
(not 'how are we still together....' but 'how are we this old'?!!)

So, we I decided we needed to go away for more than the annual cheeky one night and maybe go for 2 or 3. It was the first time away for more than one night without children so I got on to the jet2.com website and put in the dates...I didn't really mind where we went.
When Venice looked like a relatively cheap flight option I thought, 'bit predictable, bit safe, but need to see before it sinks...etc' and booked it.
 
I genuinely thought we would like it, but then feel it was ticked off the bucket list.
How wrong I was. I LOVED it, and can't wait to go back.
I chose a hotel in the Dorsoduro district, (Hotel Moresco)which is a good walk from the main tourist attractions. I'm really glad I did - it was a wonderful hotel in a beautiful part of the island.
It might even be my favourite hotel ever - not because it was any more beautifully styled (although it was) but because the service was amazing. 
 
That rare combination of beautiful and luxury but with warmth and friendliness so often lacking in snooty upmarket boutique style hotels.
The lounge/library was beautiful - and provided fruit and cake all day (yippee) followed by antipasto in the evenings.
It also had a small, quiet garden...a wonderful place to indulge in a late afternoon bottle of prosecco
For three days we wandered - that's it. Mooched. Ambled. Gazed. ooohed and ahhhed.
It was so pretty, a photographers dream. Around every corner another view. We drank coffee (/Peroni!) and people watched. The biggest effort was picking a flavour of ice cream.
                                   
No shopping, no rush, no need for a watch. And (those with rascals like mine will appreciate this) no 'come away from the edge'!! 
 
Cleggy unintentionally dressed as a Gondelier!! It would have made my LIFE if someone had asked him for a ride!!
It was particulary nice to wander at dusk - the warmth was perfect and the views magical
 
where else would you come across an attractive young man, sitting in a window, reading a book?
                   
(Yes Granny, I walked the cobbled streets of Venice in those silly heels!!)
 
 
Lots of balconies to take in
 
 
...and slightly creepy masks
We didn't ride in a gondola and we didn't even see St Marks (gasp!) We got to The Rialto bridge and found it SO busy with tourists (why so many smelly armpits in this day and age?) and so hot and busy it was unbearable. Instead we saw it from the Vaperetto (water bus) and I looked at photos on the internet when I got back to see what I'd missed. (Cleggy had been before when a student)
BUSY
 One of my favourite places was Academia Bridge, where, inspired by a fairly recent novel, lovers write or engrave their initials in a padlock, attach it to the bridge and throw the key into the canal.
 Apparently they are unceremoniously removed by the authorities every now and again...
 
It was also fun visiting the markets near the Rialto - the fish was incredible
spot the crazy lady?it's NOT me!!
One of the oldest gondola repair yards - has been in action since the 17th Century
 One thing I was surprised about was the amount of graffiti - sad to see. Of course some of it might constitute art...
My favourite bit was on the side of a concrete post - Cleggy spotted it. Very subtle.

We took the late night vaporetto down the grand canal to see it by night - of which ALL my photos are rubbish! (MUST read the manual)
I love this image though - the statue outside the gallery was huge - but her shadow on the wall was even bigger!
 
On our last day took a boat out to Burano - a small island about an hour away but within the lagoon.
When I was doing my research (a bit I find as much fun as any holiday) I took one look at the photos of this place and knew I had to visit.

It was ACE. Pretty much every single house is painted in happy colours - and not just the houses on the main canals - every nook and cranny was colour. I took millions of photos and almost drove myself mad with the amount of times I commented on a particular colour combo. It even has it's own leaning tower.

If I had a boat it would look like this...
It really was as beautiful as the pictures...
We saved our spends for two special meals on our anniversary - which was our last full day. The first was in a restaurant in Burano and the evening meal was at The Riviera, on the wide canal overlooking Guidecca
 
It was special. So special there were no prices in my menu. (eeek!)
I later found out that there WERE prices in the man's copy (as if that still happens!) which Cleggy neglected to tell me, probably fearing I would blanket ban half the options. (I would!)

We were treated to the view of this magnificent ship sailing by at dusk...
It was amazing food, with a beautiful view and best of all my soul mate for company.

I can't tell you just how much I love him.
Fee x

21 comments:

  1. How absolutely splendid and happy anniversary. I have thoroughly enjoyed this virtual tour and it has now even more made me itch to go to Venice which I haven't seen as yet. It looks as if you had a really wonderful time.....so romantic!

    keep well

    Amanda :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a gorgeous post of everything I love Fee. Venice is the most amazing place and I agree until you go you do not realise quite how amazing it is.
    Congratulations to you both on reaching a milestone, here's to more wedded bliss. Your photo shows just how much you do love your Cleggy, don't ever worry about that;0) Hugs, Jane x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Happy 20 years first of all x That little place Burano looks magical and the colours!! Fantastic post and it's wonderful to see "true love". I'm getting quite tearful! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, that is my fave post of yours ever!! It looks absolutely fabulous and you describe it so well I feel I could have been there!!

    Congratulations on 20 happy years!!

    Hugs,

    S x

    ReplyDelete
  5. CONGRATULATIONS AND HAPPY, HAPPY 20TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! What a wonderful place you chose to celebrate. Venice is gorgeous, a place that just has to be experienced. Your photos are wonderful and bring back so many happy memories of our time there. Thanks for sharing.
    Anne xx

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been to Venice, but all too briefly.......your pictures are just amazing! Makes me want to go back and soon. You look wonderful together, hope there are many, many more anniversary trips to come!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Awe, happy anniversary to you and Cleggy! What a wonderful trip, amazing colours! I have never been, now I want to go!! My daughter and her new husband are there at this very moment on the last stop of their honeymoon cruise. I expect I'll be seeing some more Venice pics this weekend!
    Thanks for sharing Fee, I can tell you had a fantastic time. :)
    V xxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. WOW - what gorgeous photos!! Happy anniversary - 20 years! Thanks for sharing your trip - beautiful, colourful, inspiring pictures! J9 x

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh! You have made my day. We went there for our 25 th wedding anniversary and had the most wonderful time too. You have brought tears to my eyes just remembering it all. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow, wow, wow! Congrats again and you have so inspired me to come up with a little trip like that with Mr. G. since we will also be married 20 years next month! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  11. oh it is my favourite place in the world, just magical and I love all your photos!You don't need to tell us how much you love him, we can see it in your photo x

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy, happy, happy anniversary Fee and Cleggy :D

    It looks like the most glorious few days, and all those colours ... wow!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am absolutely speechless. Really. Your photos are bloody amazing. I can't think of a more perfect way to spend your 20th anniversary. Beautiful. xx

    ReplyDelete
  14. Fee, I wish you and Cleggy a very Happy 20th Anniversary, and best wishes for all the years to come.

    Isn't Venice amazing? I say this as someone who only visited there once, (in the last century) but was so caught up in its beauty. The intimate scale of Venice was such a surprise to me. I am glad that I did see it well before any graffiti artists were emboldened, but admit that some of the images you show do have an artist's sensibility.

    Now, you've got me wondering when I might be able to make another journey in that direction. That wide Atlantic Ocean really does put a bit of a damper on some of my travel yearnings.

    Enough about me...it's wonderful so see what a joyful time you spent in that lovely place. xo.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Wow it's gorgeous, a very Happy Anniversary to you both .. and the colours in Burano are stunning ~ Sarah x

    ReplyDelete
  16. Looks like you had an amazing time. We went on our honeymoon and went back again a few years ago with the kids. They loved it. Burano is gorgeous and Murano is well worth a trip too. Would love to go back. Happy Anniversary, only 2 years until our 20th anniversary - where does the time go?? xxx

    ReplyDelete
  17. Darling Fee....YOWSA!!!!!!!!!!!! Wait, let me contain myself here.....

    Ruben and I are going on 32 years and I ask the same question, "HOW?" And like you, not, "How have we stayed together so long" but "HOW HAS TIME PASSED THIS QUICKLY?" When I see his niece now married with her OWN child, I just remember when she was born and my husband was throwing her up in the air. NO WAY am I that old. NO. teeheee

    You and the Mister are just gorgeous. Love is the only thing that we'll ever end up taking anywhere with us, from beginning to end. And to think we have had the opportunity to experience it? THANK HEAVENS! Now for Venice...wow. I've only been to the coast of Italy, but one day, I must see this magical place. I had no idea there were so many colorful corners and nooks to discover, and you just about covered a large area of it!

    Many wishes for many more decades of life, laughter and adventure with this precious man. HI CLEGGY!!! Anita

    ReplyDelete
  18. this is the most stunning post Feel I marvelled at it and. now want to go!!! we have a long way to go to reach our 20th anniversary, nine years to get through before we make it, but wow I neeeeeeeeeeed to go there. it looks fab, your pics are literally out of this world love!
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  19. Happy Anniversary to you both, Fee! And what a wonderful way to celebrate being married for 20 years......these are the most fantastic photos of Venice! You are so clever at capturing places really beautifully and interestingly.....I especially love the colourful houses in the collage, but each pic is special and lovely and I'll be going back for another look at them!
    Enjoy your summer with your boys!
    Helen x

    ReplyDelete
  20. We just have to go, it looks beautiful. Was looking forward to this post to see some pictures. Amazing ones at that. And if someone had asked Al for a ride it would have made my life also. In fact I keep smiling every time I think of it,
    Love you both xxxx

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for stopping by.
I LOVE reading your comments!
fee x