Venezia

Melting heat, day after day. Meandering. The word was made for this city - through streets, lanes, calle, campi, over bridges, alongside canals, past yet another stunning church, ruined ca' or palatial edifice. I could wander endlessly through the streets for days, though my feet are sore and tired. Yet another bridge, another alley, another corner and another neighbourhood, world opens up. Our hotel, la Caneva is a bit of a dive, though a well-located dive, between the Rialto Bridge and a short walk from San Marco. some disappointment when we arrived because we are in a dfifferent building from Kath and Jodie, there was a shared bathroom, and no air conditioning in the heat, but we are in Venice. Our room overlooks a canal, it is close to all, and cheap! We are getting to know the characters around here: at night we hear the gondoliers  on the steps that disappear into the water across from us, chatting, waiting, having a break; in the morning it is the men loading the garbage boat, waving up at us; and there is the scuzzy manager who will do anything to eke another euro out of us. And there are the bells, bells, bells, from all over, chiming, gonging, more times than the hour.

The garbage boat just went by. It's name? Veritas: Truth.

Again we are in a place that has been painted by images - from books, from films, from photos. The girls and I explored the work of Cornelia Funke's The Thief Lord (read it before you go to Venice!) on Tuesday night. We didn't find the Stella, the theatre where the kids are hiding out, but we did find the Calle de Paradiso, where it should be. No palazzo where Scipio lives, but there was a beautiful building on where it should have been on the Fondamente Bolani, just past the Accademia Bridge.

Such a photogenic city too - every canal, derelict or gorgeous building and church, courtyards, and, off the main dragsd of tourists, the people of the city are there, real, living out their lives. We walked past the locals having their evening drinks and ceccine (hors d'oeuvres) on ther street and beside the canal, chatting like in any other town, shopkeepers visiting with each other, sharing a laugh. Sure it is mostly overpriced, but you can still find a slice of pizza for 1.50 E or a gelato for less than 2E.

We have been to some of the sights - San Marco, the Doge's Palace, through the Grand Canal, to the islands of Murano and Burano, to see the glass and lace respectively, and today we go to the Peggy Guggenheim Museum (modern art: Picasso, Pollock, Miro and Peggy's other friends) the Jewish Ghetto, and will sneak into the Basilico San Marco when the others siesta. More exploring. Soon we'll head off for our breakfast of brioches and capuccino by the Rialto fish and fruit market, and then on to the rest of the giornata.