Fabulous Venice

We have been living here for six years now and I have been trying to convince Graham to visit Venice for almost as long. Having read a lot about the city I was keen but he was not interested. Finally and reluctantly, he agreed and that’s where we spent the last week.

Campo Santo Stefano

Basilica di San Marco

Doge's Palace

We rented an apartment on Campo Santo Stefano in the San Marco district. It was very comfortable, quiet and convenient .

Florian - on St Mark's Square and  the oldest cafe in Venice

The four horses on facade of St Mark's - the originals are made of copper and were looted from Constantinople in 1204 by the christians during the fourth crusade. Considering that Constantinople was a christian city, this wasn't a good omen for the crusade.

letterbox at the Doge's palace ....... for denunciations !

We walked as much as possible and enjoyed the little laneways, canals and bridges and the beautiful vignettes these provided. 

the narrowest house in Venice ?

watch your step

Bridge of Sighs - leading into the old prison

With a good map it wasn’t difficult to find our way around. We must have chosen the perfect time to visit  - no cruise ships, not too many tourists ( despite the tour groups), no long queues thanks to our museum pass and the sun shone every day.

there seems to be towers everywhere

The Danieli  - isn't this the most glorious colour ?

bouquets of chillis and artichokes at the Rialto market

It’s true that venetian food isn’t anything special, but the local wine was good – pinot grigio, soave, prosecco - and we did enjoy the occasional aperol spritz.

delivering a load of cement to a building site

La Fenice, the opera house, was amazing. It has burned down three times during it’s life of over 200 years and been rebuilt each time.  “The phoenix’  is an appropriate name.

cornered the market in chandeliers and gold leaf 

the royal box

the ceiling looks domed due to paint effects but is actually flat

mermaids - another link to Venice's connection with the sea

hoping there won't be anymore fires ?

The most perfect day for me was the one spent island hopping on the lagoon. The water sparkled in the sunshine, the ride was always smooth , and the sight of little boats pottering about always interesting.

at the Burano jetty

have you ever seen a house this pink ?

Burano has fabulously coloured houses and shops full of lace and other beautiful things. Even at this time of year there were plenty of tourists and the restaurants were doing well.

Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in it's rural setting

Torcello was a much quieter spot. The sound of birds chirping was just about all we heard as we walked along the canal path to the hamlet around the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. This was the first island in the lagoon to be populated around 450 AD before Venice was created. It is very rural with orchards, and vineyards producing a local prosecco.

the canal side walk and the The Devil's Bridge which only leads across into a field

Gold mosaic and still strongly coloured frescoes

lots of statues like this in the garden - don't know if she is threatening, or just shortsighted

watching over the vineyard - note how high the vines are grown....
very different to here in France

Apparently , Ernest Hemingway stayed here and wrote parts of Across the River and Into the Trees using Torcello for inspiration, so I've since bought the book to read his impressions. Daphne du Maurier’s story Don’t Look Now is also set here. I can certainly understand their love of the place.  

And Graham’s final comment as we sat in the sunshine in the campo with our last doppio ?  ”When we come back, we should……”

The charm of Venice captures us all

jusqu'à la prochaine fois

(until the next time)

Is this really Spring ?

After three weeks of glorious sunshine, we now have clouds, wind, showers and sunshine all in the same day. Surely that means that spring has arrived.

What we know as wattle is called mimosa here

Daffodils are popping up, the cherry and apple trees are in blossom , the wild violets are scattered through the garden, and the grass has been cut for the first time this year…..ahh, the sound of lawnmowers on a sunny day.  Did you know that, in many parts of France, it is not permissable to use noisy equipment (like lawnmowers) on a sunday or between 12 and 2 on any day. Disturbing a frenchman's lunch, or his sunday off is just going too far. 

wild violets pop up every year scattered through the grass

This is a good time to sit inside and plan the work to be done in the garden when the weather improves.  Daylight Saving Time starts at the end of the month. The plant markets start appearing in the local villages soon and before we know it there will be the usual range of barbecues and outdoor furniture on display at the hardware stores and hypermarkets. That will be a sure sign  that spring has truly arrived.

not a great photo, but this is the lighting above
the reception desk at our local bank (closed at the time) - yes, those are glasses.
Another sign that this is wine country

Horrified at the news from Christchurch.

Keep safe

Limeuil et Trémolat

yellow stone and high pitched roofs

The sun came out on Sunday morning, not something that happens often at this time of year here, so why not make the most of the day while it lasts and take a drive in the country. Sundays are always quiet on the roads as nothing much is open and  french families get together for lunch, either at home or in one of  the few local restaurants to open on a Sunday. So we had the roads pretty much to ourselves.

the confluence of the two waterways

the things some men will do to get out of the house

there's always someone on a bicycle on a sunday

We decided to visit two villages that are off the main road up toward the Vézère valley. We’ve often driven along the main road and noticed the signposts , but never taken the time to turn off and explore. As is so often the case, big mistake as we discovered these little gems.

steep little passageways

can't get lost

one of the four original gateways into the village

Haven't seen many of these -  €1.00 each
for a freshly baked baguette

Limeuil is at the confluence of the Vézère and Dordogne rivers. Actually, the Vézère is a river and the Dordogne is a fleuve. A fleuve is a waterway that flows into the sea, and a river flows into a fleuve ( thus the Musée du Fleuve in our town on the Dordogne).  As these two waterways have been the major highways of the area for hundreds of years, this village has been of major importance, especially in medieval times.

At the top of the promontory overlooking the town is the ruins of the chateau that once protected the villagers,  especially during the Hundred Years’ War with England. Beneath is a cave with over 200 carvings in the limestone  suggesting that this site has been inhabited for perhaps 15,000 years. The Vézère valley is famous for it’s prehistoric sites including Lascaux, so it’s no surprise to think that this spot was important to early man. The hills around the area are now thickly forested, but once they were covered with vineyards and the wine was shipped down the Dordogne to Bordeaux. The phylloxera infestation around 1880 killed off the vines and devastated the local economy.

La Rèze rushing through the centre of Trémolat

some wonderful old stonework in a garden

and more...

Further down the road is the village of Trémolat. There is a fast flowing stream, La Rèze,  running through the centre of town and eventually joining the Dordogne nearby. In the centre of town is a fabulous looking four star hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant. Definitely somewhere for a return visit.

Le Vieux Logis

rear view of the hotel

and the garden

I do love the old gates

These are villages of the “périgordine” style house, local yellow stone and high pitched roofs. The area is known as Périgord Noir because of the forests of dark green oaks. It is also world famous  for black truffles. While this Sunday was cool and the sunshine didn’t last long, I can see why this area is  so popular in the summer. This region is stunning and the villages charming and worth the visit.

Now where to next ?

amour à tous