Venice

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Third day in Venice, we leave tomorrow and with stay in someplace called Como, near the Italian Swiss border.
It's on a big lake and is somewhere Carmens been before, there is nothing about it in the Lonely planet.
Which does mean much because we only have the guide for western Europe, a big brick of a book short on detail. We have spent much time walking this canal city built on all these some 170 little islands, we visited some of the things to see round here and Had a interesting time.
The lonely planet says " Stroll late at night to feel an eerie atmosphere, redolent of dark passions and dark secrets " Well we did that well and truly last night, it's strange to make your way through this maze of a place to come around a corner out of a dark narrow alley over a small canal, via a small bridge, around another corner to find a small square a little bar and the most delightful piano improvising, chatter, glasses chinking, low light. Like stepping back in time.
Venice does have a melancholy and romantic side but you do have to get away from the crowds, fortunately that's not some hard they mostly stick to the St Marks area terrified of getting lost perhaps.

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