2. Clooney n Venice - I love you both (though perhaps not equally)

 

What a train ride! Gliding through Tuscany, chatting and look-seeing.. it was truly beautiful to see the  countryside! Then to arrive in Venice, and be in a city on water is a truly magical experience! Roads in place, traffic sailing, plains landing and Islands awaiting!

Ofcourse the four of us missed our first boat, and left Isablella - our host, waiting.. and then when we met this lepord printed, high heeled, big haired, deaf and sassy Italian..she was now in a huge hurry to get back to the hospital for some or other operation so we - and her friend, a Spanish speaking Italian who couldn't speak English - had to fly through the cobbled alleyways to catch up lost time.

Then arriving and having to sort out the works..oh you you can imagine us trying to understand what was what in the apartment, how anything worked - what knife to use for the bath plug or where to get what going where - and then in some broken Thai (for some reason that was the language that came to me in this whole muddle) we got told (perhaps in Spanitaglish) that we would not be able to get a taxi to the airport - no bus etc leave that early and it would not be possible without a phone to arrange such a thing. Well.. I cannot even explain how ridiculous this whole situation was - Sian and I negotiating ideas in weird sign language while Isabella was signing and 'telling' my mum how she got deaf and that she couldn't have any children and so on and so forth..

When the two of them we're about to leave for the hospital - we suddenly shout, "The keys! (sign sign) The Keys!" "Aaaaaah that would have been a disaster!

It was a Monty moment for sure! Once they left we we're still worried about the fact that we wouldn't get to the airport, so to distract us my sister put on the cd player and Sting burst out,"Sending out an SOS to the world, message in a bottle.." aahahaha it was priceless!

 

  

Anyhoo..let's Venice.. It is the most romantic place I have ever been to.. glittering lights, roses draping, gondolas ambling and candlelit duo's having speciality moments..

Put me in the vicinity of water and I'm a very happy person indeed - so imagine me being on, in, next to, on top of and around - ALL water. Hmmm..need I say more?

We have had the most wonderful time here.. eating out in piazza's watching the Venitians do their thing, Grandpa taking his very imaginative grandson on a day out,  This one and that one walking their dogs, some small and fluffy, others of a Spanieled kind. Us drinking coffee and eating cake.. it's all very civilised :)

We went to the San Marco's Basilica which was detailed in different shades of beauty - each pillar and every window pain stained in it's own individual way. Bellisimo! And then we walked the masked streets and drank more tea and more coffee, and ate more pasta and more pitza and walked some more, and more and took more boat rides..and then some more more and MORE..!! :) (I'm still swaying) and theeeeeeeeeen..

We went to Burano Island for the day, brightly coloured houses and shops, restaurants and whatever else - pink ones, blue ones, some the size of your bed ;) Walking around we realised we had implanted ourselves into a story book - and so the story goes, four ladies went to an Island, and have fun they did. Looking and seeing, laughing and joking. Living slightly off the grid. Sea food and wino for lunch (or brunch) it all had a delicious crunch munch munch munch.. and then wandered aaaaaall the way home :)

Ok - haha (I'm well overtired ;) but oh our day was such fun, shopping for little preciousness and that Octopous was the best Octopous I have ever turned inside out! Sea food is my bestest!! It really was such a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. If not, Why not? Apparently Granny was too lazy to cook so she decided instead of a Sunday lunch in Swellingham, she's fly us to Burano instead ;)

Yesterday we did a what we like to call a "Follow your nose day" and well.. I'm very happy with our noses because they followed us all the way to George Clooney!! YES!! GEORGE CLOONEY!! Can you handle!! As my Granny put it,"He's caused quite the traffic jam."- on the canal - there he was, suited up and Amal looking gorgeous in flowy white pants and a crop top (but ofcourse) and a big floppy white hat, oh she looked just the part! :) I couldn't believe..there he was..Gerorge..ah! Sigh..Waving to the crowd, smiling and oozing his charm! I was so excited I thought I might just faint on the spot. It's all a bit ridiculous but fun none the less!

Then we relaxed and went to another restaurant on the canal and soaked in our surroundings, great big ships passing us by..yaughts and..granny working Nunu's iPhone.. fun fun fun :) We've been exercising our vocal chords on this leg of our trip - singing tunes and busting rhymes..who can forget,"I can see your body movin.. lady you don't know what your dooooin.." Death by sick bay! Granny gave mummy her sickness and I swear to goodness if they give it to me I'm busting something up! ;)

Never the hoo..To end it off we went on on a gondola ride.. which was a spectacular finish to a truly unforgettable, romantic beauty of a place!

I have love love love love fallen head over heels in love love love love with this mysterious beauty! We have had the best time here, wandering and falling deeper in love and love love love love.. Can you feel it? Love.. it's the Venetian air.

And to put paint to this - I must tell you that it was indeed possible to get onto a taxi (boat that is) and zoot off to the main land (even though we jumped on the wrong one..being pitch dark and having to go,"No no no no this isn't right." LOL) and then get a normal car taxi to..wait for it.. a closed airport..oh lordy.. travelling can be quite the pinata (it's got lots of surprises inside) Needless to say we got onto the plane and passed out - off to Prague.. oh the excitement - it's there, waiting for us when we wake up..