Arrivederci Venice

£10 return flights each(inc taxes, admin etc)   from Leeds Bradford to Treviso with Ryanair were just too good to miss so plans were promptly drawn up for another break. After hesitating over whether to add a case for £50 (!!!) I decided carry on would do only to find my camera gear took up 9.4 kg f my 10kg allowance. No matter with scant regard for personal hygiene the minimum was packed and we were off. Hotels in Venice were ridiculously expensive - often with shared bathroom facilities so following a good review we decided to stay in Treviso at Hotel Mezzaluna. What a great choice! Great breakfasts, free ,fast wi-fi, lovely staff and they even dropped us back to the airport at the end of the stay for less than a taxi price. Buses were over the road for E1.10 if you bought them at the tobacconist's ( E2.50 on the bus) and trains into Venice were fast and frequent taking 35 minutes and costing around E5 each way.
We too the opportunity to look around Treviso on arrival day rather than rush into Venice and what a lovely place.

We ate here at Tony del Spin after another recommendation and had the best turbot and steak ever followed by sublime tiramisu`s. Hard to find at the back of the main square but fantastic.

Next day it was off to Venice. The sky was now grey instead of blue and a whole 10 degrees cooler than the day before but no problem as we were walking all day. What a city - forget the map just wander. Once you get off the main squares and routes you can be alone.

We walked all day stopping only for a surprisingly good lunch just back off the main square that was both reasonable and tasty - against all odds. Then it was back to Treviso on the train later sharing a pizza from the local takeaway which the hotel let us eat in the breakfast room sharing a bottle of wine from their ope bar as they do not have a restaurant.

The next day we bought water bus tickets (E12 each for 12 hours unlimited use) as we had decided to take in the islands. Wow! Murano was pleasant enough but Burano was a colourful paradise for photographers. A bit less busy would have been nice but again a great lunch in a bar tucked away from the main drag hit the spot! Torcello maybe not worth the short boat trip but the experience of getting on the water buses was worthwhile. How another Costa Concordia was averted I know not - way, way overfilled to me but they still floated and got there.

Murano is famous for it`s coloured glass. Looked awful to me but a few bigger sculptures looked good.

Glass worker sneaked through an open door

Burano - beautifully coloured houses which they say the fishermen painted brightly to be able to see their houses from sea. A grown ups Tobermorey.

Tarcello was a little disappointing with the bell tower closed but marvellous garden of vines and poppies.

Then it was back to Venice. We took the4.2 water bus all the way around Venice  rather than crush into the buses on the Grand Canal. Not altogether wise as we saw the working parts of Venice that were less attractive but also saw these sights from the boat.

After a restful nights sleep it was another great breakfast then Paolo who ran the hotel with his sister dropped us off at the airport just 10 minutes away. I must admit I fell in love with Venice and would love to go there again during the carnival time - if there was room for us! Managed to get myself a couple of carnival masks for shoots - will be looking to get brides and portrait sitters to try them out.

This guy mkaes papier mache masks in a back street workshop full of the most superb pieces. They all have a story behind them and it was great listening to him talk about the work and the carnival. He even donned a mask and cape and posed for me in the shop! ( La Commedia)

 Strictly the budget versions but they look the part and at least were made in Ital. As with other craftsmen goods the market is getting flooded with Chines copies which are obvious due to the mouth size being smaller. The papier mache ones are superb and flexible but way too expensive for a photo prop!

Great stay , must go again one day.