Lake Garda and Venice, Lake Garda

Venice Flying from Luton Airport to Treviso Airport took two hours and then it was an hour by coach to Venice. My friend and I rented a small apartment near St Marks Square for four days at the beginning of May I also had my teenage daughter with me. Renting an apartment near St. Marks square is a noisy option but it is worth it for everything is within reach. The wonderful Rialto bridge, museums and tiny art galleries as well as beautiful churches and winding alleyways. Venice is one of the most romantic cities in the world and for me has never lost its power to enchant. Taking a speed boat ride up the Grand Canal, going under the Rialto bridge the stunning glory of Venice is all around you. The magnificent old palaces competing for attention with glorious gondolas, waterside cafes and beautiful churches. The waterbuses are excellent value and you can buy a two or three day pass which is then even better value. Luxury yachts parallel park along the wooden walkways, jostling for space with speedboats and working barges . St Marks Church steps bustle with locals, tourists, digital cameras and expresso coffee cups. Arriving at St. Marks Square for lunch the question would be which restaurant? The one with the piano playing sweetly while serving fresh seafood or the full orchestra and pizza Italian style. On a tight budget we went to the tiniest Mcdonalds at the back of the square to buy coffee but then sat in the square listening to the music. St Marks church sits dominating the right side of the square and its magic glows from the intricate painting to the gold topped domes. The paintings on the walls are spellbinding and the survival of the church in such wonderful condition is jaw dropping. The romantic reputation of this city comes alive as we take a ride in a gondola through narrow side canals and under tiny ornate bridges with people waving above us . It is a busy beautiful place. See it quickly as it feels like it will disappear into the water forever. The history is also staggering like the ghostly story of the black Gondola carrying the dead to Isola di San Michel the cemetery island during the plague. The long nosed white masks that were filled with pepper in the hope they would protect the living look spooky and menacing. As evening approaches we go to Lido island where a flat sandy white beach merges into the calm sea. The wonderful Victorian hotels stands grandly facing the ocean with their private beaches and bandstands. It is here we decide to have dinner at a pretty side street cafe with a set menu price so no surprises, and fresh seafood. We drank wine from glasses that have been hand blown on the island and bought cheap rainbow coloured vases to take home. Not really a place for small children but older children will be impressed.