Venezia

After an early start - leaving Wimbledon at 5.00am and London City at 7.30am - I finally arrived in Venice at 10.45.  We were a little delayed as the flight was fully booked and because the runway at London City is so short, it is a fine balance to ensure that the passengers and their luggage as well as the fuel required weigh the right amount.  Despite an announcement requesting anyone who could take a later flight to come forward, no-one did.  Eventually we were all accommodated.  I enjoyed the smaller aircraft.

A smooth exit and a slow trip on the Alilaguna vaparetto to S. Angelo where I met Di who introduced me to our abode for the next couple of nights.  We have a canal at the back and an entry from the back canal!

The city was full of tourists and the familiar pink umbrellas at the start and finish of long lines of travellers denoted (we think) the day trippers from the big cruise liners in port.  We chose not to queue for the bell tower and many more attractions, instead wandering through the little alleyways and a wonderful Murano glass display.

A text from Robbie indicated that she and Sue were on the slow boat to San Marco, where we met tham and wandered back to the apartment.  Our place is on the third floor and unfortunately the lift is broken!  It's a bit of a haul to get the luggage up - particularly in the heat of the afternoon!  The canal view is lovely though and the living area is really spacious.

We headed our for dinner, coming across a lovely theatre where a couple of gentlemen were practicing their violins in preparation for a recital later and crossed the canal near the Academe - obviously a very popular vantage points for photos of the canal.

An early night was in order ready for a day of exploring on Sunday.