Saturday 12 August Venice

Andrew has decided that although we had an amazing party for my 50th birthday, we need a holiday too, as he usually takes me away for my birthday. We drove to Stansted to catch the 2.15pm flight to Treviso airport just outside Venice. On arrival we found a coach which takes you almost all the way into Venice. We boarded and were driven as far as the Grand canal. On our map the hotel looked about 10 minutes walk, in reality we walked up and over several bridges before finding San Marco Calle, Goldoni, where the Hotel Bonvecchiati is. No mean feat with heavy suitcases! We are about two minutes walk from San Marco Square at this hotel, nice and central. We are going to stay in room 229 and have a superior en suite with a balcony. Check in accomplished we are shown to our room, where the bed is 2 singles, the chair is broken, the chest of drawers is locked, the safe won’t open and the bedside lamp doesn’t work. An hour or so later most of the problems are solved, the cleaner, chambermaid, handyman, receptionist et al have been for a visit, we’ve all had a great time, the only problem now is that the key to the chest has utterly vanished. Maybe the previous guests have nicked it, gits! We unpack and decide that the missing ingredient of the room party was wine, so it may be time to find some. We went downstairs and realized that it was persisting down, so opted to eat in the restaurant. We sat in the conservatory dining room and had a really lovely meal and a most welcome bottle of wine. Watched the people with umbrellas walking over the bridge and up the road. It was a replica of the Ave Maria clip in the Fantasia film, I really enjoyed it. We retired for the night and were lulled to sleep by the gondoliers singing. Just one cornetto...