Phil’s last cruise blog

Holiday nearly over now just the long day tomorrow hanging around to fly back looking after our cases.  Our last night on the cruise, the girls wasted no time getting on the dance floor.  Pam is like Claire and Sue, she loves to dance and Phil is like me, he would rather she was dancing with the girls.

Phil and I sat back and admired the views.  I loved the decor of this bar its just the the music was so crap.

Here we are in Venice with Claire smiling as the sun is still shining.

We wasted no time in using our bus and water bus tickets and shot off to one of the islands; I think it was Murano where they make all the glass.  We havent been yet but Burano is another one where all the clothes shops are, maybe the girls will want to go there tomorrow to pass the time.

The usual sights of Venice with canals everywhere, even when you go to the other islands.

Back to our hotel for a shower and out to a little restaurant that got recommended to us.  We had a nice meal for the four of us.  trouble is we were sat between two tables of women that were all talking to us as well.  We had and Australian lady that had flown from Brisbane to meet her mum in Venice because her father took ill while on a cruise with her mum.  The other two were just chatterboxes and are staying in our hotel.

We are off again with an early start on our own today so the new lovers can have a romantic day by them selves.  We were straight off piste, avoiding the Grand Canal from the start.  You soon get lost down little alleyways.

Sometimes they just keep on getting narrower the further you go.  I nearly got stuck in this one a couple of times.

But they always keep opening up into a square with little restaurants (cafe's) and shops.

We found our way back to the Grand Canal, but sometimes you come to a cross roads and there are no bridges so you have to backtrack.  Around here they need to deliver everything by boats and they all carry those little hand trollies.

Here is a museum that is getting very close to flooding.  As Venice is sinking 2mm a year and the sea is rising 3mm a year it wont be long before they have to do something here.  You can see the high tide dark line and its already over the step.

We stayed on our boat for a complete lap so I could get some decent pictures and when we went back under the main foot bridge to the bus station they have made it translucent.  When people walk over you see their ghostly shadows through the bridge.  It really reminded me of the light show on Piedmont Street Las Vegas.

On our trip around I became fascinated with the water level and how it is effecting Venice.  This one looks like they have already lost the bottom floor and have moved upstairs.

This one looks like they have had a go at prolonging the inevitable and shortened the door at the bottom but its still got them in the end.

Here is another one that looks like its lost the downstairs.  Trouble is it will get damp once the water gets above floor level anyway.  All the plaster has started to fall off as well.

Trouble is they have the water all around them its not just on one side.  Some alley ways have walk ways while others have canals.  Maybe they were all walkways originally but some have sunk.

Back to the Grand Canal again near St Marks square.  This is where they catch the gondolas.  That hotel is where Claire went in for a wee later I got a picture from inside, really posh.

It is very pretty around here and grand but the maintenance costs must be unbelievable.  Venice is sinking 2mm a year but its not gradually and everywhere.  With subsidence, one part slips here creating cracks and wonky buildings.

I loved this yacht it is called “Sea Force One”.  Great but I don't think its the presidents ship.

We shot over to Lido island that I keep calling long island for lunch.  Very nice we had muscles in white wine, lemon, herb and oil sauce mopped up with bread then a spice pizza.  It was called a restaurant but it was only a cafe really.  Only the hotels have restaurants in Venice.

Lido is very pretty and much more relaxing and quiet than around Venice.  If you cross to the other side they have a very long sandy beach lined with hotels so there are plenty of proper restaurants along here.

Last stop back to Venice and St Marks square.  Its not really our thing; I can appreciate its beauty but its far too busy and religious for my liking.

Here we are inside.  I couldn't believe it, last time we stayed here it was wall to wall people and today it was quiet.  So much more civilized, even for religious people.

Here we are back to Claire’s personal toilet.  She wont just go anywhere you know, only the best for Claire.  Its a good tip though because they charge you in all the public toilets unless you go in one of the many cafe toilets.  I wouldn't mind staying here next time we come.

We got back onto the water bus to go back to the bus station and who should we se but Phil and Pam again; what a coincidence.  They were on their way back as well because they fly home tonight.  Its great for them as they had two nights in Venice before their cruise and another two at the end.  They left their luggage in lockers at the station and are getting the bus to the airport.  Not sure the best way for us to do it yet but maybe we can leave our stuff at the hotel and get a taxi back to the airport from our hotel and we don't have to lug them around anywhere.  We have a bus pass for tomorrow anyway.  We will decide tomorrow when we see Sue and Ian.