...I'm sure most of you have seen more than enough on the internet/TV etc...
...but...
...I will show you some of the goodies that I picked up on my little trip :-)
NOTE:-
We took a decision to buy ONLY from LOCAL artisans/businesses. There is so much far-eastern crap being peddled by Kashmiris...and they have managed to get most of the prime pitches! They sell dreadful glitter-encrusted masks and with anything you can think of with "Venezia" stencilled onto it, PLUS...selfie-sticks if it's fine...and plastic rain-ponchos if it's not!! We were sick of seeing them...as well as the (mostly) African beggars - the fit/healthy young men, quite capable of doing a day's work, who have bobbed across on a boat from North Africa and stopped at a place where they can get money for nothing! Some were VERY persistent and got quite angry when told "NO!!"
So...
...from an artisanal mask maker in Canareggio...
...hand-made lace from a shop in San Marco...
...some "moth" fabric from Benevento in Canareggio...
...a tiny Murano glass pen & inkwell and some "handwriting" paper from Il Papiro in Castello...
...some Murano glass beads from a specialist in Canareggio...
..and some gorgeous yarns made especially for Lellabella in San Marco.
These are made up of several different textured yarns joined together. It's designed to make a scarf by simply knitting garter stitch from one end of the yarn to the other...but...being me...I've wound it off into small individual skeins and will use it for other things!! :-)
Although we were only there for a short time...
...and despite the fact that my knee severely restricted what we could do...
...we still managed to set foot in every siestre - Canareggio, Santa Croche, San Marco, Dorsoduro, San Polo & Castello.
We ate in small, local restaurants/trattoria...
...had coffee in small local bars...
...and stayed in a lovely converted monastery that has been there since the 15th century.
I took over 1000 photos...
...and shall re-live my trip for a long time.
We loved Venice...but will not go back.
Apparently they had just dealt with 3 million visitors for Carnivale (the weeks before we got there)...
...and have over 30 million visitors a year!
Sometimes they have 35,000 cruisers disgorging on one day...
...and huge liners churning up the waters of the Giudecca canal causing a LOT of damage.
All of this is too much. Venice is a victim of it's own success.
The graffitti shows the sentiments of some...
"Less tourists...More rats!!"
No translation needed...
To lighten the mood...some colours from the Rialto Market...
...and a couple of "Venice" shots...
Enjoy!!
x C
