Five Go Mad

A couple of days in Venice before the overnight train to Paris so not much time to check too much out but just getting lost walking around or riding the vaperettos to their end stops is fun. Happened on a day when much of the arty stuff I wanted to see was off limits and was still in the throes of museum sickness from Austria so I had to make to with the old oar making workshop of the ships pavilion at the naval stockade. At the cork sniffing end of things boaty but pretty fascinating I’d have to say.

Venice and Paris are obviously (and for good reason) geared up well for Johnny tourist and, like it or not, you can’t avoid going along for some of the pre-purchased and cellophane wrapped ride if you want to get at the bits that make those places interesting (or at least famous).  Sadly all the clamour from distracted masses, lines shuffling between ropes, a hundred staged selfie poses per metre and checklists of the must see sometimes renders the attraction fairly unattractive and the essence awe that once was has run for the hills looking for a quiet life. Some days it’s just the myth everyone’s there for.

Keeping the myth alive for Venice it would seem is a video game called Assassin’s Creed which is set in the 14^th century and involves running around Venice and its rooftops doing a lot assassinating with various stabby instruments.  It turns out Nicole is very familiar with said game so was the perfect tour guide for the 14^th century bits and was great for pointing out the best positions to throw knives from. Also which types of roof tiles are easiest to run on (the ones outside Megan’s hotel window not so much) and which church domes are best for getting your bearings. There were no assassinations carried out while we were there.

Taxi Boat- good knife throwing platform

St Marks in the sun- yes it did come out

Boaty paradise at sunset

At The Oar Making Workshop from the days when oars were more important