Sunday 5^th October, 2014……Prague……Walked the streets exploring but again a cool day……when we checked out of our hotel the reception lady said why didn’t we get a taxi to the station instead of using the Metro as it was 110 Koruna for a taxi whilst the Metro was 48 Koruna and you had to pay for your  bags…..oh we said, we didn’t know about the bags when we caught the Metro to our hotel but she said we could have been fined and so we opted for a taxi as we are both still struggling with this ‘bot’……

Reflecting on Budapest and Prague we were amazed at the number of restaurants and a lot of the locals seem to eat out…no veiled women in either city…….sadly lots of beggars…..lots of people smoking…..obviously the lung cancer message is not talked about in this part of the world…..lots of derelict buildings in both Hungary and the Czech Republic, no money to do maintenance and no money to pull them down, all a hangover from the communist days….for me the change in Budapest and Prague incredible since I was there in the communist times……on the train journey from Budapest to Prague we passed what looked like acres of discarded army tanks and army trucks just sitting rusting…it was incredible, as far as the eye could see……Prague has many Casinos and they can’t all be for the tourists so we concluded that the Czechs must like gambling!  The handbag and shoe shops in Prague just fabulous, one could really go mad!! I kept mentioning what is known as Budapest’s Champs Eleyses….. the street is actually called Andrassy Avenue…..

And so our train on Sunday to Munich at 1700 arriving Munich 2300….the train was full to start with but people kept getting off and for the final hour Michael and I realised we had the compartment to ourselves…..oh no, people were still getting on so Michael began to sing out loud like a crazy drunk….the first guy that came along opened the compartment door and if one could have captured on film the look on this guy’s face….he thought this guy is mad or drunk and so he went and sat in the corridor…then came another guy so Michael coughed and coughed and this guy didn’t even open the door, he didn’t want our bugs, then came a lady and Michael sang out loud again like a drunk and so she walked on by……a bit naughty of us but it was hilarious needless to say we didn’t get much rest as we couldn’t stop laughing……arriving in Munich Station there were all these people dressed in costumes, Bavarian style but of course Munich is in the middle of October Beer fest……oh boy, was the train full when we left Munich Station at 2300 for our 9 hour journey to Venice……our compartment was full, 6 bodies so no sleep for that 9 hours……the toilet on the train, well I will leave that to your imagination but you can imagine having picked up the drunks from the Beer fest it was pretty bad!!!! About an hour into the journey they announced that they were splitting the train in Salzburg and part of the train was going to Budapest and part of the train to Venice, we just hoped we were on the right bit of the train….but it got better as in the night, one minute I was going backwards and then a little later I would  be going forwards and I hadn’t changed my seat……Michael and I were so confused and amused that it was no wonder we got no sleep…that night we went from the Czech Republic into Germany then into Austria then into Italy…..at one point in the night police got on the train and checked passports but we don’t know what country we were in at the point in time!!!

Monday 6^th October, 2014……

Interesting coming into Venice by train though, we’ve been here twice before but always come in by road……we were surprised at the number of vineyards, acres and acres of them…… arrived at Venice Station and the next thing was to find the water buses but first we had to get our train tickets for Friday 10^th October to Bonossola…..we stood in the queue for an hour so after that opted for a coffee and sandwich in the station before taking the water bus to our hotel….on the water bus the conductor made me take off my back back…not a problem, but getting off the water bus which was packed with people, what a mission trying to pick up and carry our bags whilst fighting our way through the people to get off the boat……Michael’s directions worked well as once off the water bus we had about a 5 minute walk to our hotel on Venice Island  ………couldn’t get our room until 1400 so off we went exploring the streets even though we were pretty shattered after our night on the train…..found a nice little restaurant to eat at that evening, enjoying some Valpolicella wine with our meal……M & F

Tuesday 7th October, 2014……Venice Island…….Beautiful sunny morning eating breki in the outside courtyard of our hotel……then exploring Venice Island before meeting for our boat tour to the islands of Burano,  Murano and Torcello…….Michael and I had never been to the island of Torcello before but we had both been to the other islands…..we really enjoyed Torcello, a hidden gem and Burano is still pretty special……we had great weather making it a most enjoyable afternoon tour…..we were in San Marco Square at around midday which coincided with high tide….we were here in 2005 and with high tide all that was needed was duck boards to keep your feet try but 9 years later they have these platforms that have legs that are about  60 cms high to keep you out of the water….Venice is surely sinking!!!!  We had to laugh at one restaurant the waiter was wearing gumboots….we noted that the price of a beer in San Marco Square is 12 Euros!!!!!  And guess what, it was mostly Asians sitting there enjoying the view and the music whilst partaking of a beer……lots of Asians here and young Japanese youth (we talked to 3 Japanese youth and they said they were exchange students)….we had an interesting chat with one of the Italian stall holders and he said how so many folk from Bangladesh and India are coming into Italy, being stall holders for a few months, paying no taxes and then taking off…….we have noticed lots of these folk peddling their wares…….Venice has certainly changed in just the 9 years since we were here……found another good restaurant again tonight and enjoyed another bottle of Valpolicella wine with our meal……M & F

Wednesday 8^th October, 2014……Venice Island……Lazy morning, cooler today but walked and walked exploring more of Venice Island……oh the people, we would hate to be here in high season….I don’t ever remember this amount of tourists in these places, I must be showing my age……we will find another restaurant tonight and probably more Valpolicella wine as that seems to be our wine of choice here in Venice and oh so many restaurants to choose from……M & F

Wenceslas Square...Prague

As above.....

Venice Island...

San Marco Square....the platoforms at high tide.....

Doges Palace....San Marco Square...Venice.....

The Bridge of Sighs......Venice Island.....

The P & O Cruise Liner, Ventura was in Venice too....... 

Yours truly holding up the leaning tower!!

Two women in training for the Venice Regatta....en route to Torcello Island... if the grass had been higher, it reminded us of the Okavanga Delta in Botswana......

Coming into Torcello Island wharf......a 10 minute walk to the Basilica and village area.....first  inhabitants arrived on Torcello Island  in 5th century......

The Basilica....Torcello Island.....

Restaurant/Bar on Torcello Island with Pomegranate tree in foreground....

Burano Island.....

The leaning Tower on Burano Island...we were told it is leaning 1.8 metres!!

Burano Island....

As above.....

Burano fishermen getting the bait ready to go fishing.....

Burano Island

Police boat and voluntary Ambulance boats and note the locals in conversation on the other side of the water.....

That leaning tower again.....leaving Burano Island.....

Burano Island.....

Loco Boats in Venice....brought back memories of our Loco Boat experience in France......

San Marco Square at night.....

As above.....

The Grand Canal...Venice Island.....

As above......and the restaurant chairs in the waters of the Grand Canal!!!!

Grand Canal... Venice Island......

And we discovered the fruit, vege and fish market.......wonderful fresh produce and cheaper than NZ prices!!

The Grand Canal......

Rialto Bridge on the Grand Canal.....

San Marco Square and oh the people!!!!