May and I went with Josefina. We took the Eurostar to Paris, stayed the night and then travelled by Thalys to Milan and from there direct to Venice. We arrived at night. What a great feeling it was to step out of the railway station and see the Grand Canal for the first time. I count it as one of the most satisfying travel experiences I have ever had.
Venice is shockingly beautiful. In October the canals smell of the sea and the water is mostly turquoise in colour. The buildings give meaning to the word ‘distressed’. Forget the gondolas; this place lives up to the highest of expectations.
It was not even all that expensive – apart from Florian in the Piazza San Marco. We always finished our sightseeing with a great meal and a visit to a concert. It was inevitably baroque and mostly by Vivaldi. The Fenice, unfortunately, was still closed after the famous fire.
