violetismycolor

more fave Venice pix....

There were so many pictures of Venice that I loved.  

***Click on the photos to have them enlarged***)

We stayed there for 3 days and it wasn't enough.  It was incredible.  From the views out onto the other Venetian islands, from our water-taxi:

 

 

To to views of the Grand Canal:

 

 

 

 

The lovely old doorways and docks (sometimes with lovers sitting there...):

 

 

San Marco and the Square were as magical as they seem when you imagine them:

 

The interior of the Cathedral is all in real gold:

 

Yep, Venice...

Venezia...

I don't think anything can prepare one for the beauty of Venice.  In some ways, it reminds me of Holland...so flat and so much water.  It is awe-inspiring.

 (click on images to see a larger version)

We got to the bus station and started to wander off in search of our Bed and Breakfast, which was called Campiello Zen.  It was enchanting...very small, only 3 bedrooms...and run by a young couple and their year-old son.  The breakfasts were wonderful, their service was impeccable, and it was away from all the crowds.  Only about one water-taxi stop from the Station, it was only steps from the Grand Canal.  

We bought lunch at a little grocery and sat in this plaza and ate it:

On the left is a lovely church, one of many in this city.

John decided it was time for a nap, but I decided to have a little wander, and here is what I saw:

A gorgeous wall covered with Trumpet Vine:

 

 

As I got close to the Station again, I saw this beautiful church, Santa Maria di Nazareth:

This is just ONE church...and there are tons of them...it's hard to get your head around all the money that has been spent on them, how many years it took to create them, how many people have passed through them.  Mind boggling.

I will leave you with one last shot, the our water-taxi stop.

                            

 

 

Finally, the vacation recap...

I know....you're thinking, "Didn't she take that Italian vacation in September 2010?"

Yep, that's right...and I have finally gotten around to going through the trouble of actually processing some of the 2000 pictures I took.  That's right...2000!  I am not mistakenly adding a zero there.  This is what happens when you give a girl a digital camera.  No discipline.

So, we started out with a 24-hour visit to Holland.  We got such a deal on the airfare IF we stayed overnight in Holland...and so, my lovely cousin, Rosemary, agreed to put us up overnight.  

We visited some cousins of my mother's.  They were so welcoming and told me some things I didn't know about my dad's dad...Cousin Bets was a friend of his and would visit with him whenever he went on visits back to the Netherlands

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Rosemary and her sister (my cousin, Mariette) took us to an interesting outdoor art show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then, we wandered around the beach at Noordwijk, near her home in Noordwijkerhout. The weather was sunny and warm.  We saw this interesting McMansion...lovely, and with a thatched roof but in Holland?  We are seriously infecting the world with our need for these big houses!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was an interesting Sand Sculpture event going on...one example is shown here:  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We didn't do much more in Holland besides go out for dinner and then CRASH...Rosemary even got up with us at 4:30 in the morning to make us breakfast!  Then we headed to the airport for our flights to Rome/Venice.

This mini-trip to Holland reminded me of how much I like this country...we seriously need to go back and do a proper vacation.  Having my incredible cousins there makes it even a bigger treat.  

Tomorrow:  Venice recapped

'dislike'

My friend, Marilyn, wrote 'dislike' after I noted on Facebook that it sucked to be back on antibiotics and prednisone.  Thanks, Marilyn, I couldn't agree more!

Went to the ENT's office with the following complaints:

1. my left ear is ringing
2. my left ear has 'feedback', like a bad phone
3. my sinuses are totally inflamed
4. my left tearduct leaks into my eye
5. I am coughing up green gunk
6. I am coughing
7. when I blow my nose, my ear makes popping noises...though luckily it no longer makes the room spin

I am certainly glad that modern medicine can help me here, but I hate having the side effects of the meds.  I am hoping that it will NOT be a problem this time.