Day 23 Sunday 7th July Lugano - Lake Como - Venice

The only hope I will have for the next few days of writing any sort of a blog is to do some on the bus. There will be no time to waste otherwise.

We farewelled the beautiful Swiss Diamond Hotel and boarded our coach for our destination of Venice. With only 17 passengers plus Gigi and Mario our driver, there is plenty of room to spread out. The legroom on the coach is massive anyway.  All Insight coaches are the same – they have 40 seats instead of the normal 56. We drove all around the beautiful lakes and marvelled at the thousands of houses built on steep hills coming right down to the water’s edge. The roads around the lake are tiny. We would hate to try to negotiate them.  There was only just room for a car to pass our coach (the cars had to fold in their mirrors) One car double parked on the road right at the time we met another bus so we just had to sit and wait for the driver to return. Then the other bus had to pull off the edge of the road so we could pass it!!! There are tunnels, bridges, overpasses everywhere and all build on the sides of very steep hills. In some places tunnels come out of a mountain on each side of a valley and then the bridge across the valley may have support pillars 80 metres high down to the valley floor.

 We stopped at Lake Como and took a private boat trip on the lake to see all the houses of the rich and famous.  George Clooney has his house on the lake. Sophia Loren, Versace, Bill Gates, anyone who is/was anyone has a holiday house here. 40 million euros is nothing if you want to buy a waterfront villla here.  Some even have their own private funicular rail to get from the house to their garages way up the hill.  We even saw one with a huge private lift!!!

We drove through vineyards and orchards to Verona to see Juliet’s balcony (Romeo & Juliet) It was SOOO hot after the weather we had been used to. (30⁰+) We walked along the old town wall and passed a colosseum which had an opera on.  All the massive sets were out the front.  We had to walk for ages to get to Juliet’s balcony and the crowds were huge.  We had to watch out for pickpockets.

Back on the bus and more countryside. Very relaxing and pretty.  We finally arrived in Venice. It was so exciting.  Our luggage went on one boat and we went on another (water taxi)  We sped through the water as if we were in a speedboat and gazing in awe at the wonder of it all.  Our hotel, The Bauer, (Elton John is supposed to stay here!!!)  was right on the corner of the Grand Canal and very close to St Mark’s square.  What a location!  By this time it was 6.30 so we went for a quick bite to eat.  I had gnocchi.  The best gnocchi I have ever tasted. Back to the hotel (we didn’t get lost) and then we were picked up at 8.30 in another private boat and went on the “Magical Venice” night.  12 of us went (We still haven’t met the family as they don’t do many of the activities)  OMG. Where do I begin?  We sailed through the Grand Canal and the minor canals as daylight turned to dusk and then night.  We watched the lights slowly come on.  It truly was magical. I flattened one battery I took so many photos.  The ride lasted 40 mins then we went to a café in St Marks Square where we sat at tables by an orchestra and soaked in the atmosphere.

What a day!!!  PS  I cannot get the internet at all here so by the time you finally get this we will probably have left Venice unless I can find a computer in the lobby

Houses along Lake Como

Tiny roads

so pretty

car double parked

this boat cleans the rubblish out of the Lake!!

A private speedboat 

private funicular to get from villa to garage

scaffolding on left is actually a private lift for this house.
I wonder how much it cost!!

Villa belonging to an opera singer (I can't remember who)

George Clooneys house

road built between cliffs

Part of the most expensive hotel in Europe

the other part

cogwheel train

we must eat lunch

Colosseum remains at Verona

props for an opera

Juliet's balcony

Our luggage waiting to go by boat to our hotel in Venice

Our fist view of Venice

Our hotel (The Bauer) in prime position

having a bite to eat (past of course)

Venice is so clean and the water is too

A water taxi station (just like a train station or a bus stop)

Gigi on right helping Lorraine & Murray from boat

There are hundreds of these souvenir stands everywhere

St Mark's (Marco's) square

The cathedral

My 9 euro coke