Venezia

We have spent two days in Venice.  What a different city it is, I am so pleased we came here, it gives Jordan a really different view of Italy from Rome with its busy streets, cars and Vespas, Amalfi coast with its narrow streets, steep cliffs and beaches to Venice with its pedestrian walkways - calli lanes, and canals with vaporetti and gondolas.

We did go to San Marco and up the Campanile to see the view of the city from above, but most of our days have been spent wandering the streets with no particular destination to see what we can find.  We have found really interesting things.  An art display to bring attention to the disappearing honeybee and the disappearing glass artists in Murano.  A lovely display of glass, painting and a video to draw attention to these issues.

We have found lovely churches, piazzas and places to get gelato.  Nice stores with Italian goods that are not mass produced and will suit our lives back home. We bought shoes - blue sandals for me, black dress shoes for Jordan - only an Appleby student has Italian dress shoes for school!, a blue leather handbag, a red and grey silicone watch from an artistic store called The Spot.

We took a water taxi to Murano and spent the day wandering the glass stores.  What a lovely art form. Jordan was particularly taken with glass blowing and is anxious to get lessons and try it out. We bought a few small pieces of glass jewellery, most of the art glass is very expensive - for good reason, it is beautiful, original and takes 30 years to become a master in this art form.