Advertisement
Published: October 21st 2012
End of cruise one when we arrived in Venice - can't believe the first half of the cruising is over and about to embark on the second cruise. Our trip is 2 cruises back to back cruise - but seeing some different ports on the second cruise. Some people started in Barcelona for 24 days and finished in Venice whereas we got on at Venice and will finish in Barcelona. The first cruise finished at Venice when we returned there a second time before embarking on the second cruise.... make sense?
John and I went on the people mover - a bit like a mono rail, to see the San Marco Basilica - which I'm sure sister-in-law, Sue Redfern would have loved. Everything is in MOSAIC - all the ceilings and walls and paintings are done in mosaics. It was everywhere and looked brilliant - the majority of it was done in the 13th - 18th century.... must be a bit slow at working back then..... LOL.
Parts of the Basilica are flooded and everyone has to walk in on raised wooden planks. No back packs are allowed and it's a shame to see hundreds of people line up
Lyn with the Military Police
A couple of the high brass here...for a long time just to be sent away to put their backpacks a block or so away for safekeeping and then have to line up again. We lined up when we were last in Venice so knew the drill so John finally found where you put the backpack while I waited inline.
We took the stairs up to the top and could look out all over San Marco square - quite a fascinating sight with the Doge Palace next door and many very old buildings. The ambience of the square was amazing with so many people there and a band set up in the middle of two al fresco restaurants - which were in the middle of one side of the square. Hopefully the photos will do it justice but really you have to be there - or any place to see how it is.
We've had brilliant weather all the way through and have had to buy some more summer weather clothing. We thought that with it being the 'fall' over in this part of the world that the weather would be getting cooler but we've had weather from around 18 - 25 degrees every day.
John with Maurie & Chris
One of the formal nights at the Pinnacle Restaurant Not bad at all.
We spent a day and a half in Venice this time and 1700 bloody Americans got on the ship to go to Barcelona and then through to Fort Lauderdale..... some of them told us that it cost just $530US for 13 days on this latter part of the trip from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale........ this is called a 'relocation' trip and is cheap because the ship has to return there as the season ends.... not bad hey.
No doubt the Americans are nice people but some of the them are so damn arrogant and pushy and don't seem to know anything about being polite and waiting their turn. Some have been really lovely but still have that arrogance about them.
We ran into some people from somewhere in NSW - in downtown Venice in a cafe - funny we ran into them again in Dubrovnik the next day in a cafe.... all of us looking for free wifi connection cafes... they're a lovely couple and Ron is so much like John that you can't help liking him.
In Venice I went into one of the thousands of jewellery shops and loved a
Sunset at Venice
How gorgeous is this?!! necklace there but not the colours so the girl in the shop made one that I would like and also matching earrings - it's truly lovely and great for those special evenings out - it took her about 20 minutes - am absolutely thrilled with it. I wore it out a couple of nights later at a formal night and everyone commented on it and only wished they had had one made too. It's made of Murano glass in black and gold and can be worn in a few different ways - very versatile!!
One thing we didn't do in Venice and have no regrets about not doing it - is ride in a gondola - everyone looked so bored with the long and expensive trips and the rocking of the gondolas when other bigger boats went by - however, others say you can't go there and not go on a gondola ride - to each his own we say.
It was a formal night for dinner and we went to the Pinnacle restaurant with a group from Adelaide - just a small group of about 16 of us - we had the best time and had many photos taken. The Pinnacle is just that - the best of the restaurants on the ship.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.262s; Tpl: 0.01s; cc: 9; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0591s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Sue Redfern
non-member comment
So glad that you are enjoying your holiday. Great photos of the various places - love the commentary for background information. Yes the mosaics do look fantastic. Our love Sue and John