It started raining in the morning after breakfast so we were glad to have had Venice basically finished without having to contend with rain. However the rain only lasted for about 30 minutes luckily, so that means our day is still good.
We headed out to have the car washed. I wouldn't normally bother with it being a hire car, but in Firenze, Milan and the first night in Mestre we had parked under a particular popular tree in Italy that I now know drops sap, lots and lots and lots of sap. I had been cleaning the windows by hand but the car had reached a point where you could not even touch it anymore without it being sticky all over your hands. So I found this incredibly friendly place where no one spoke English and of course all I could say was what I wanted from Google translate "lavaggio di automobile" or "autolavaggio". They were puzzled about this tourist getting a hire car cleaned and wanted to do it outside and in, we just wanted a basic outside wash. The car got a great clean, we all had a great laugh at each other and we were on our way again.
We then headed to Forte Maghera. It was built in the 1300's as the first line of defense for Venezie by the Austrians before eventually falling to the French and now owned by the Italian Military who are donating it back to Venezie. It is in the middle of restoration works, when I say middle, they have a long way to go and I have no idea how bad it was before they started. Its like most Italian buildings, always in a state of both continual disrepair and repair at the same time, functional yet decrepit simultaneously, but it is what gives Italy its magic.
Following this we then went over to Piazza Ferretto, strangely classic and modern at the same time. We both agreed though that we are shopped out and have no desire to spend anymore money on things as we have all we could want from this trip, maybe a few more knick knacks but nothing substantial.
We headed back to the hotel. Initially we were going to pick up some nibblies and just eat in the courtyard at the hotel, but then not finding something immediately close by, we settled into a cafe bar for something light to eat and drink. It was one of those subliminal and total existential experiences you just cannot get as part of a tourist group being herded around. Let me explain that first of all dog owners take their dogs everywhere, shops, buses, trains, you name it, a dog will be there. So it is not a strange sight to see people having a drink in the bar, indoors with their dogs. But as we all know (looking at you Kathy and Murray), not all dogs like all dogs. So when this lady comes in with her dog for a whatever she was coming in for and another patron's dog goes ballistic, she drags out her dog (by now also going nuts), but then the older gentleman at the table next to us goes ballistic at the first patron, who was for the better part minding his own business the whole while. Now we know some Italian phrases and words and we do know "cane" pronounced 'carner' means dog (I wanted to know how to describe my MTB jersey from my Dirt Dogs MTB Club, its Maglia Cane Sporco). This older gentlemen is swearing, cursing and most of all gesturing with a horizontal finger wiping under his chin at the patron. This goes on for a full 5 minutes and was highly entertaining. Of course we had to be careful not to laugh and incur his wrath. Absolutely gold moment.
Back to hotel for a well deserved rest and some catch up on sleep. We have been going hard for 13 days straight so I am writing this after having had a nap of about 2 hours and probably going to have another one soon.
Next Venice our last night.
Ciao.
Sean & Lorraine
Photos
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