Good afternoon,
This is just a quick update to let you know it's very unlikely that I'll be posting anything for the next week as I am off to sunny Palma where I'm not going to have my laptop. I will have WiFi and my phone but writing on that small screen is not the same- and plus, I think I'd like to spend the time outside on the deck rather than inside where I can see my laptop screen. I'll be taking a small travel notebook to write down anything I want to say when I'm back and of course, I'll have my camera so expect plenty of photos when I'm back!
Currently I am sitting in my mum's office at work in Southampton. Today, she's had me sending out samples and doing some filing... I don't mind though as she does have to take time out of work to take me to the airport- and she did just take me to Venice..!
Talking of Venice, I haven't updated since we left, and of course I need to update you on the last gelato flavour I had ;). MELON- OMG (you know what that stands for from my other post!), I had never had melon ice cream before but that was the first of many times to come. Maybe I should try and make ice cream this summer? If it was even half as good as Italy's then I'd be darn impressed.
There was only one minor hiccup on the way back to the airport from our hotel... I sort of made us miss the vaporetto... It was an accident though- and only happened because I was trying to do the right thing. We walked the 20metres to the vaporetto stop and asked the lady in the ticket booth which floating platform stop we needed (as there were two), she said 'go left'. Well... we went left and the sign above the floating platform said nothing about the airport. We asked someone else with an 'Alilaguna' tag around his neck, he said 'go right'. Brilliant. Don't you just love mixed messages when you have a deadline of a flight leaving in several hours?! We decided to go to the right and the sign above this platform did say it was going to the airport- but there were other people there panicking they were in the wrong place as they had also been told to go to the left... In the end as the 12:25 waterbus time arrived and the boat did not, I decided I would go and ask someone behind us if they were going to the airport. This sounds like such a tiny thing but is quite big for me as I am super-shy. I was slightly worried the boat might come and I'd miss it (oh isn't hindsight 20:20!), but Mum convinced me it wouldn't as it was already ten minutes after the time the boat was allegedly supposed to arrive. Anyway, I went and asked these people with suitcases and they told me they were going to the cruise terminal - which was definitely not where we were going... They suggested I go back to the ticket booth and ask someone else, so I did. As I was waiting to speak to someone, I kept checking around and peering down to the platform to see if the queue was moving- it wasn't. Unfortunately, this did not mean the boat wasn't there, as Mum came running down to get me I realised the boat was in fact there....... We ran back, but we got there just as it was leaving. :/
Luckily for us we had left plenty of time and the boat that we missed was an earlier one to the one we had originally planned, so we still had enough time. The missed boat was also very late so we figured it was a bad omen anyway..! The next vaporetto was only 15 minutes later and we arrived at Marco Polo airport in plenty of time.
To my great surprise it actually wasn't raining when we landed back in Gatwick- a little bit grey, but no rain! There was however rubbish traffic on the M3 and M25 so we did get home later than planned- but after such a fantastic holiday we couldn't complain too much. Although, I was a little miffed when my large vanilla milkshake (yep, vanilla- back in England!) turned out to be filled with ice cream- and it was nothing compared to the dreaminess of Italian gelato.. oh well! My sister enjoyed it when we eventually got home.
Right, only twenty minutes until we leave for the airport and I get to go on my first holiday with my friends and the first one without my 'mumma or my dada' as my Mum so elegantly put it. It will be a new experience, but one I already know is going to be incredible- I just can't wait to swim in the sea!
So, I will leave you with what I have learnt- although it wasn't today, it still counts.
"Today" the Big Wide World has taught me: To leave plenty of time when making important plans as you never know what might happen. As my father says, 'prior planning and preparation prevents piss poor performance'. Yet more good advice from my dad there!
I'll update you when I can but don't expect anything until I'm back from Palma. I'll have a couple of weeks of doing not a lot, so plenty of time to write all about Spain. :D
Until then,
L
xxx
Tuesday, 23 June 2015
Saturday, 20 June 2015
Fugly Fish
Hi there,
I hope you're all having a good weekend so far. We're on our usual mid-afternoon hotel room break to give our feet a chance to recover before this evening, so I thought I would take the opportunity to write about what we have done today. We walked to Rialto and saw the Rialto Market and then we walked to Piazzale Roma, which is at the end of the Grand Canal. We then took the Vaporetto (water-bus) all the way down the Grand Canal, back to San Marco. It was a great opportunity to see Venice from the water and of course, take plenty of photos.
It was absolutely stunning- the sky was completely clear and the sun shining. The water sparkled in the light. I wanted to go down every narrow water way that led off from the Grand Canal; explore all of them. Venice is a little bit like a maze, paths leading in all directions, taking you to yet another picturesque bridge. But the beauty of Venice is that you can't really get lost. Even with so many paths and routes, you can pretty much take any route in roughly the right direction and you'll eventually see a sign for where you're headed. Although, be warned- the signs do frequently disappear, but if you just walk around a bit and soon enough another one appears. Even I managed to guide us back to our hotel today- and I'm awful at map directions!
On the way to Piazzale Roma we walked past many gelato shops and counters- there's certainly no shortage over here, but one in particular caught my attention. The rows of tubs looked amazing- there were pieces of fruit in the different flavours and there were sauces drizzled all over them. If I had thought about it I would have taken a picture, but I was too engrossed in choosing a flavour. Peach! OMG- Oh My Gelato, it was so good! (I feel this is a common trend when I describe the ice cream of the day). And while we're on the topic of gelato, last night after I posted 'Going, Going Gon-dola', we went out for dinner and afterwards we walked to a gelato place just along from our hotel. I had a scoop of mango and one of raspberry. Once again, they were amazing, the mango in particular. I was hoping not to repeat flavours and therefore try as many different ones as possible, but I think I might have to double up on the mango. I've noticed they do a lot of fruity flavours here, along with the classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. I've also seen coconut, but don't fancy that. My mum has enjoyed coffee a couple of times... I've tried it but I'm not convinced, probably because I don't drink coffee!
Just as we were coming up to the Vaporetto stop we needed, we walked over a bridge and underneath was a boat parked along the side of a canal. There was a funeral car parked next to it (there were a few cars around this area as it's where a lot of tourists come from, there's a train station nearby I think). We realised the boat was a special funeral transport boat as there was a box on the back- presumably where the coffin is placed. Much like the TNT delivery boat- I hadn't thought about how things like coffins were moved around. I suppose it would be weirder to say I HAD thought about that. I didn't take any pictures as the coffin was in the funeral car and I didn't want to be disrespectful.
After riding the Vaporetto down the Grand Canal we decided it was lunch time. We both really fancied some more bruschetta, so we went on a hunt for a small restaurant with it on the menu. We've learnt that you have to take a very quick glance at the menus outisde because if you stand there for more than a minute the waiters swoop over and try to sit you down. Do they not understand that the outside menu they put up is so we can see if we want to eat there?! We have however cracked the quick 'menu sweep' to check the dishes.
We found a quaint little place that did bruschetta, so we found a table and sat down. We ordered some bruschetta pomodoro and a margarita pizza with artichokes. Just as we had taken our seats, we noticed a rather ominous black cloud overhead. Nothing prepared us for the storm that followed.... All rather suddenly the heavens opened and there was an incredible downpour coupled with very load thunder and the odd flash of lightning. Luckily our table was under an umbrella, we did feel very sorry for the people caught in the downpour though. Even under the restaurant cover there was rain coming down and the elderly man on the table next to us narrowly missed having a bucket load of water come down on his head as the water suddenly became too heavy for the umbrella above his table. By the end of it I found I was sitting in a puddle of water. Although it was so sudden and very heavy rain, it was quite nice to be sitting undercover (that was actually keeping us dry!) and feeling snuggly whilst the world seemed to be storming around us. And although I shouldn't say it, it was quite funny to see everyone's reactions, some putting on their coloured ponchos that make them look like walking bin bags.. (I admit I do partake in the wearing of rain bin bags- but only for rides at theme parks where I know I'll be soaked down to my pants for the rest of the day!).
After lunch we walked back to the hotel, luckily just as we finished eating the rain abruptly stopped and the sun came back out. We wandered slowly in and out among the canals, stopping every so often to look in shops selling beautiful Murano glass and other potential souvenirs.
That's a brief overview of our day so far, we're going out for dinner a bit later (hopefully I can persuade Mum to let me try another gelato flavour- I've seen an intriguing 'Green Apple' that I feel needs to be tried...).
As for our last full day, I'd say it was a success- certainly from the point of view of my camera lens. I wish it wasn't our last full day, but I think that we've had just the right amount of time as we've convered the sights we wanted to see and still had plenty of lazy wandering, which is just the way I think Venice should be done. And of course- it gives me the perfect opportunity to say I need to come back sometime!
Today, the Big Wide World has taught me: Not to be afraid of getting lost every now and again. Sometimes straying from the planned path means you see so much more than you would have had you followed the 'beaten track'. More often than not you'll be pleasantly surprised with what you find. (And it's hard to get 'properly lost' in this day and age anyway!).
I'm not sure when I'll write again as tomorrow is a travelling day, but if anything eventful happens- although let's hope not(!)- I'll see if I can find some WiFi and write about it.
Until then, enjoy your Saturday evenings,
L
xxx
I hope you're all having a good weekend so far. We're on our usual mid-afternoon hotel room break to give our feet a chance to recover before this evening, so I thought I would take the opportunity to write about what we have done today. We walked to Rialto and saw the Rialto Market and then we walked to Piazzale Roma, which is at the end of the Grand Canal. We then took the Vaporetto (water-bus) all the way down the Grand Canal, back to San Marco. It was a great opportunity to see Venice from the water and of course, take plenty of photos.
It was absolutely stunning- the sky was completely clear and the sun shining. The water sparkled in the light. I wanted to go down every narrow water way that led off from the Grand Canal; explore all of them. Venice is a little bit like a maze, paths leading in all directions, taking you to yet another picturesque bridge. But the beauty of Venice is that you can't really get lost. Even with so many paths and routes, you can pretty much take any route in roughly the right direction and you'll eventually see a sign for where you're headed. Although, be warned- the signs do frequently disappear, but if you just walk around a bit and soon enough another one appears. Even I managed to guide us back to our hotel today- and I'm awful at map directions!
 |
| View of the Grand Canal |
The Rialto Market was impressive, Mum wanted to see the fish market as it's known for having a weird selection of fish. Even though I hate fish I thought it might be interesting. There were loads of types of fish and sea creatures that apparently other humans enjoy eating... Personally I don't enjoy fish- a battered cod from the chippie is my limit, and occasionally the odd tuna salad with sweetcorn, tomato and houmous. The market was quite stinky- as I'm sure you can imagine. The most impressive fish there was a sword fish, even though there was only the head and a little bit of body, it was still huge. I had no idea they were so big! There were plenty of octopi, inky squid and things with shells and funny looking whiskers- lobster-y looking creatures. Although I felt slighty nauseous from the smell, it was quite cool, especially with the man playing his violin and singing. It all felt very 'classic' and cultural.
 |
| Swordfish at the Rialto Market |
On the way to Piazzale Roma we walked past many gelato shops and counters- there's certainly no shortage over here, but one in particular caught my attention. The rows of tubs looked amazing- there were pieces of fruit in the different flavours and there were sauces drizzled all over them. If I had thought about it I would have taken a picture, but I was too engrossed in choosing a flavour. Peach! OMG- Oh My Gelato, it was so good! (I feel this is a common trend when I describe the ice cream of the day). And while we're on the topic of gelato, last night after I posted 'Going, Going Gon-dola', we went out for dinner and afterwards we walked to a gelato place just along from our hotel. I had a scoop of mango and one of raspberry. Once again, they were amazing, the mango in particular. I was hoping not to repeat flavours and therefore try as many different ones as possible, but I think I might have to double up on the mango. I've noticed they do a lot of fruity flavours here, along with the classic vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. I've also seen coconut, but don't fancy that. My mum has enjoyed coffee a couple of times... I've tried it but I'm not convinced, probably because I don't drink coffee!
Just as we were coming up to the Vaporetto stop we needed, we walked over a bridge and underneath was a boat parked along the side of a canal. There was a funeral car parked next to it (there were a few cars around this area as it's where a lot of tourists come from, there's a train station nearby I think). We realised the boat was a special funeral transport boat as there was a box on the back- presumably where the coffin is placed. Much like the TNT delivery boat- I hadn't thought about how things like coffins were moved around. I suppose it would be weirder to say I HAD thought about that. I didn't take any pictures as the coffin was in the funeral car and I didn't want to be disrespectful.
 |
| Photo taken from Vaporetto on the Grand Canal |
 |
| Traffic jam: Venice-style! |
After riding the Vaporetto down the Grand Canal we decided it was lunch time. We both really fancied some more bruschetta, so we went on a hunt for a small restaurant with it on the menu. We've learnt that you have to take a very quick glance at the menus outisde because if you stand there for more than a minute the waiters swoop over and try to sit you down. Do they not understand that the outside menu they put up is so we can see if we want to eat there?! We have however cracked the quick 'menu sweep' to check the dishes.
We found a quaint little place that did bruschetta, so we found a table and sat down. We ordered some bruschetta pomodoro and a margarita pizza with artichokes. Just as we had taken our seats, we noticed a rather ominous black cloud overhead. Nothing prepared us for the storm that followed.... All rather suddenly the heavens opened and there was an incredible downpour coupled with very load thunder and the odd flash of lightning. Luckily our table was under an umbrella, we did feel very sorry for the people caught in the downpour though. Even under the restaurant cover there was rain coming down and the elderly man on the table next to us narrowly missed having a bucket load of water come down on his head as the water suddenly became too heavy for the umbrella above his table. By the end of it I found I was sitting in a puddle of water. Although it was so sudden and very heavy rain, it was quite nice to be sitting undercover (that was actually keeping us dry!) and feeling snuggly whilst the world seemed to be storming around us. And although I shouldn't say it, it was quite funny to see everyone's reactions, some putting on their coloured ponchos that make them look like walking bin bags.. (I admit I do partake in the wearing of rain bin bags- but only for rides at theme parks where I know I'll be soaked down to my pants for the rest of the day!).
After lunch we walked back to the hotel, luckily just as we finished eating the rain abruptly stopped and the sun came back out. We wandered slowly in and out among the canals, stopping every so often to look in shops selling beautiful Murano glass and other potential souvenirs.
 |
| View from one of the many Venice bridges |
 |
| View from under one of the many Venice bridges |
As for our last full day, I'd say it was a success- certainly from the point of view of my camera lens. I wish it wasn't our last full day, but I think that we've had just the right amount of time as we've convered the sights we wanted to see and still had plenty of lazy wandering, which is just the way I think Venice should be done. And of course- it gives me the perfect opportunity to say I need to come back sometime!
Today, the Big Wide World has taught me: Not to be afraid of getting lost every now and again. Sometimes straying from the planned path means you see so much more than you would have had you followed the 'beaten track'. More often than not you'll be pleasantly surprised with what you find. (And it's hard to get 'properly lost' in this day and age anyway!).
I'm not sure when I'll write again as tomorrow is a travelling day, but if anything eventful happens- although let's hope not(!)- I'll see if I can find some WiFi and write about it.
Until then, enjoy your Saturday evenings,
L
xxx
Friday, 19 June 2015
Going, Going, Gon-dola
Afternoon,
We've just come back to our hotel room to give our feet a rest. I've got a few things to write about today- we did a trip to Murano, had a trip on a gondola and managed to find our way to a bookshop called 'Acqua Alta Libra'. But first, we went for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. There was all sorts of lovely things, but we just had a croissant and some jam each. There was a pesky pigeon that wasn't getting the message that no-one wanted it there... It was jumping around all over the place, even up on to people's plates when they went inside to get more food! We avoided it, but as we walked away I turned around and saw it had wasted no-time in jumping on to Mum's plate. Have I mentioned before that I HATE PIGEONS?
After breakfast we went to Murano. It's an island famed for ornate glass making. Our hotel had told us yesterday that today they would take us over free on their private boat- an offer we couldn't resist as we wanted to go anyway and thought we'd be taking the water bus which we'd have to pay for. We weren't expecting the private boat to be one of the water taxis I mentioned in one of my posts- the ones that easily cost a hundred euros to get from the airport to our hotel. It was amazing, it was just us, the driver and one other couple- who were lovely. I felt quite special riding along on one of the speedy boats.
Unfortunately what we'd only just read after we had booked our place on the hotel's private boat- was that the guide book had a warning about accepting private tours to Murano- great! It said, 'You could accept a free boat ride from the factory reps who invite tourists to visit a glass showroom or furnace. Remember, however, that you are expected to make a purchase.' Ahh...'expected to make a purchase'... We were taken straight from the boat to a room with a furnace where we could watch the men roll and shape the glass- it was very impressive. This horse was made before my eyes in less than five minutes!
After watching the glass-blowing we were taken upstairs to a room full of beautiful pieces of handmade glass sculptures and ornaments. Understandably there were photo restrictions. I think this is where they expected us to 'make a purchase', but at thousands of euros that was not going to happen! Once we had wondered around and made it clear we were only looking, the guide told us there was a small gift shop downstairs- perfect, we thought we would manage to buy a few souvenirs. We were quite shocked to turn over a tiny 10cm x 20cm jug to find it was ninety euros! It was pretty but not ninety euros pretty. I did manage to find a lotus-style bowl which I settled on- it was considerably cheaper- don't worry! Mum also found a small plate for someone and an ornate wine stopper.
Once we left the factory, we decided to walk along Murano for a bit until the taxi was due to be back. And of course, the first thing we saw- another glass shop- this one selling practically the same things we had just bought... but for more than half the price. We were certainly a little frustrated- especially as we thought we'd got away lightly considering they offered to ship home chandeliers worth about ten thousand euros.
We did however stop to consider the benefits of the trip. We managed to go on a private water taxi- which was quite fancy (and free!). We also got to see how the glass was made and we also thought about the fact the place needed to fund running the boat for free, so we decided it was okay to have spent a little more than we needed to. We sheepishly fell into the tourist trap with that one! Oh well- we're over it!
The water taxi on the way back dropped us off in a completely different place- but it gave us the opportunity to do some more exploring and taking photos. We found our way back to the Rialto bridge and decided we would have a slice of pizza for lunch. When I say 'slice' it was enormous, packed with vegetables- my favourite kind of pizza: Big and veggie.
After lunch we came back to the hotel room for a quick sit down and to decide on what to do next. A gondola ride!
Before that, I must quickly add that this next picture made us chuckle a little. If anyone has ever had a late delivery from TNT- this might be why! It never occurred to me how deliveries arrived- I'm keeping my eyes peeled for an Amazon boat- do they operate in Italy?!
After a half hour break we headed back out on the search for a place to hop on a gondola. We had a place in mind to get on, but when we got there we found them all tied up and gondolier-less, we figured they were on a lunch break. We continued walking and found ourselves on the Grand Canal, where the Rialto Bridge crosses. We came across one gondolier waiting for a set of passengers- so we got on. If you've heard the rumour that a ride on a gondoler is expensive- it is fairly, but absolutely worth it. You can't come to Venice and not do the thing most associated with it. It gives a fantastic opportunity for photographs and a chance to see some of the 'back routes' where there are no pavements and only water. It was much quieter and very relaxing. I think it's been one of my favourite things so far.
Next up was of course GELATO! It had been far too many hours since the last one. We walked straight off the gondoler and to the ice-cream place five metres in front. This time I tried a scoop of cream caramel and a scoop of forest fruits- which was very refreshing. You'll be glad to hear I haven't had vanilla! ;)
The next place on the list of things we wanted to do was visit the Acqua Alta Libra Bookshop. We discovered it when we were first looking up places to visit when we came to Venice- it popped up as a quirky thing people said we should do. So we did. We navigated our way through many tiny lanes, at one point it did feel like a bit of a maze as we found ourselves faced with several 'dead ends' of canals, but we found it in the end.
It was certainly 'quirky'. We had seen some photos so sort of knew what to expect, but it was still wonderfully weird. It was very narrow and stacked completely full with all sorts of books. They were stacked in gondolas, in boats, in bath tubs, all of which were inside the shop! Some books were even stacked under several cats which were just chilling inside. They were reading Italian so I didn't strike up a conversation.
Out the back of the shop was a small courtyard area with hundreds of books piled up to form a staircase and viewing platform. It looked a little bit risky but I climbed up anyway- it gave an amazing view down one of the canals.
We took a slow walk and wander back towards San Marco and our hotel. We didn't fancy coming in straight away as the sun was still shining, so we decided to have a drink along the water front. It was very relaxing as we watched endless boats and gondolas go past us down the canal.
And now I'm trying to co-ordinate uploading photos and writing this. That's the only problem with a good camera- the photos are so big they take ages to upload on here. Can't complain though when it takes such lovely photos.
For now, I'll leave you with what I've learnt from the world and the exciting news that it is only a month until Florida! My phone very kindly alerted me to that fact this morning.
Today, the Big Wide World has taught me: To be careful and remember that as tourists, many merchants have clever ways of enticing you in and getting you to spend more money that you need to. I need to be more wary of common 'tourist traps'. But equally, to count the losses against the gains, because as we did today, we fell into the trap, but out of it we got to see the glass being made and a free trip on a water taxi which was very nice. So, sometimes, things can seem much better when you step back and look at the whole picture.
I'm getting hungry now... dinner soon?
Until next time,
L
xxx
P.S Here is the link to the live cams as someone requested on the last post. This is the one outside our hotel, but the website is easy to navigate around and there are a few more Venice ones: Skyline WebCam: Venice - St. Mark's Basin, Riva degli Schiavoni
There are loads of other places too- take a trip around the whole world from the comfort of your own sofa!
P.P.S Congratulations to two of my best friends who had their last GCSE today and said it went well! Happy for you guys- and can't wait to spend a week with you in Palma! To my other bestie- by Monday yours will all be over too- I'm looking forward to celebrating with all of us together. Xx
We've just come back to our hotel room to give our feet a rest. I've got a few things to write about today- we did a trip to Murano, had a trip on a gondola and managed to find our way to a bookshop called 'Acqua Alta Libra'. But first, we went for breakfast in the hotel restaurant. There was all sorts of lovely things, but we just had a croissant and some jam each. There was a pesky pigeon that wasn't getting the message that no-one wanted it there... It was jumping around all over the place, even up on to people's plates when they went inside to get more food! We avoided it, but as we walked away I turned around and saw it had wasted no-time in jumping on to Mum's plate. Have I mentioned before that I HATE PIGEONS?
After breakfast we went to Murano. It's an island famed for ornate glass making. Our hotel had told us yesterday that today they would take us over free on their private boat- an offer we couldn't resist as we wanted to go anyway and thought we'd be taking the water bus which we'd have to pay for. We weren't expecting the private boat to be one of the water taxis I mentioned in one of my posts- the ones that easily cost a hundred euros to get from the airport to our hotel. It was amazing, it was just us, the driver and one other couple- who were lovely. I felt quite special riding along on one of the speedy boats.
 |
After watching the glass-blowing we were taken upstairs to a room full of beautiful pieces of handmade glass sculptures and ornaments. Understandably there were photo restrictions. I think this is where they expected us to 'make a purchase', but at thousands of euros that was not going to happen! Once we had wondered around and made it clear we were only looking, the guide told us there was a small gift shop downstairs- perfect, we thought we would manage to buy a few souvenirs. We were quite shocked to turn over a tiny 10cm x 20cm jug to find it was ninety euros! It was pretty but not ninety euros pretty. I did manage to find a lotus-style bowl which I settled on- it was considerably cheaper- don't worry! Mum also found a small plate for someone and an ornate wine stopper.
 |
| The bowl I bought from Murano - I love it! |
Once we left the factory, we decided to walk along Murano for a bit until the taxi was due to be back. And of course, the first thing we saw- another glass shop- this one selling practically the same things we had just bought... but for more than half the price. We were certainly a little frustrated- especially as we thought we'd got away lightly considering they offered to ship home chandeliers worth about ten thousand euros.
We did however stop to consider the benefits of the trip. We managed to go on a private water taxi- which was quite fancy (and free!). We also got to see how the glass was made and we also thought about the fact the place needed to fund running the boat for free, so we decided it was okay to have spent a little more than we needed to. We sheepishly fell into the tourist trap with that one! Oh well- we're over it!
The water taxi on the way back dropped us off in a completely different place- but it gave us the opportunity to do some more exploring and taking photos. We found our way back to the Rialto bridge and decided we would have a slice of pizza for lunch. When I say 'slice' it was enormous, packed with vegetables- my favourite kind of pizza: Big and veggie.
After lunch we came back to the hotel room for a quick sit down and to decide on what to do next. A gondola ride!
Before that, I must quickly add that this next picture made us chuckle a little. If anyone has ever had a late delivery from TNT- this might be why! It never occurred to me how deliveries arrived- I'm keeping my eyes peeled for an Amazon boat- do they operate in Italy?!
 |
| A TNT delivery boat on the Grand Canal |
After a half hour break we headed back out on the search for a place to hop on a gondola. We had a place in mind to get on, but when we got there we found them all tied up and gondolier-less, we figured they were on a lunch break. We continued walking and found ourselves on the Grand Canal, where the Rialto Bridge crosses. We came across one gondolier waiting for a set of passengers- so we got on. If you've heard the rumour that a ride on a gondoler is expensive- it is fairly, but absolutely worth it. You can't come to Venice and not do the thing most associated with it. It gives a fantastic opportunity for photographs and a chance to see some of the 'back routes' where there are no pavements and only water. It was much quieter and very relaxing. I think it's been one of my favourite things so far.
 |
| On the gondola |
Next up was of course GELATO! It had been far too many hours since the last one. We walked straight off the gondoler and to the ice-cream place five metres in front. This time I tried a scoop of cream caramel and a scoop of forest fruits- which was very refreshing. You'll be glad to hear I haven't had vanilla! ;)
The next place on the list of things we wanted to do was visit the Acqua Alta Libra Bookshop. We discovered it when we were first looking up places to visit when we came to Venice- it popped up as a quirky thing people said we should do. So we did. We navigated our way through many tiny lanes, at one point it did feel like a bit of a maze as we found ourselves faced with several 'dead ends' of canals, but we found it in the end.
 |
| The entrance to the bookshop |
It was certainly 'quirky'. We had seen some photos so sort of knew what to expect, but it was still wonderfully weird. It was very narrow and stacked completely full with all sorts of books. They were stacked in gondolas, in boats, in bath tubs, all of which were inside the shop! Some books were even stacked under several cats which were just chilling inside. They were reading Italian so I didn't strike up a conversation.
 |
| Books stacked in a boat |
 |
| Books stacked in a gondola |
 |
| Books stacked in a bath tub |
 |
| One of the bookshop cats |
Out the back of the shop was a small courtyard area with hundreds of books piled up to form a staircase and viewing platform. It looked a little bit risky but I climbed up anyway- it gave an amazing view down one of the canals.
 |
| The book steps |
And now I'm trying to co-ordinate uploading photos and writing this. That's the only problem with a good camera- the photos are so big they take ages to upload on here. Can't complain though when it takes such lovely photos.
For now, I'll leave you with what I've learnt from the world and the exciting news that it is only a month until Florida! My phone very kindly alerted me to that fact this morning.
Today, the Big Wide World has taught me: To be careful and remember that as tourists, many merchants have clever ways of enticing you in and getting you to spend more money that you need to. I need to be more wary of common 'tourist traps'. But equally, to count the losses against the gains, because as we did today, we fell into the trap, but out of it we got to see the glass being made and a free trip on a water taxi which was very nice. So, sometimes, things can seem much better when you step back and look at the whole picture.
I'm getting hungry now... dinner soon?
Until next time,
L
xxx
P.S Here is the link to the live cams as someone requested on the last post. This is the one outside our hotel, but the website is easy to navigate around and there are a few more Venice ones: Skyline WebCam: Venice - St. Mark's Basin, Riva degli Schiavoni
There are loads of other places too- take a trip around the whole world from the comfort of your own sofa!
P.P.S Congratulations to two of my best friends who had their last GCSE today and said it went well! Happy for you guys- and can't wait to spend a week with you in Palma! To my other bestie- by Monday yours will all be over too- I'm looking forward to celebrating with all of us together. Xx
Thursday, 18 June 2015
Being A Good Ol' Fashioned Tourist (and trying not to choke and die!)
Buona sera, (that's 'good evening' I think...)
As I mentioned, I'm updating with the rest of today's events.
We've just been out for dinner to a small restaurant a short walk down from our hotel. We originally walked past it- down to take photos of the great yacht 'Limitless' that I mentioned in my previous post. As you can probably imagine, up close (although not that close as they had a guard at the base of the walkway), it looked even more magnificent and of course mind-bogglingly expensive. Here's a photo of the super-yacht:
This is another stunning looking yacht right next to Limitless:
I also took this photo facing back towards our hotel and the sunset:
We decided that after our lunch, we would just have starters- I fancied some more bruschetta- can't get enough of the stuff! So we headed back in the direction of the hotel and kept our eyes peeled for a restaurant with a view across the Venetian Lagoon, although as it happened we were sort of enticed into a restaurant by a couple of waiters speaking at us in Italian, or rather me, but I left it to Mum to tell them we were English. At that point the waiter had decided for us that we would be having dinner there- a good choice though as it was delicious. I had tomato and mozzarella on a bed of rocket with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Unluckily for me, my mother decided to have mussels... She seemed to enjoy them though, so I put up with the smell ;). Afterwards we had our second gelato (incredible Italian ice-cream) of the day, this time I had mint-choc-chip, the two ice-creams I've had today have potentially been the best I've ever had- they were that good! Italy can REALLY do ice-cream.
I've realised this is my first real 'grown-up' holiday, which is both scary and exciting, much how I feel about growing-up. I'm loving the no-agenda feel to this trip, just walking and stopping to take photos, looking in small shops or eating gelato(!) is so relaxing. I'm pretty sure being a grown-up doesn't mean I'm completely free to do as I please, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts :).
I did say I was going to write about today and what we did, so I should probably do that. I owe you the weird lunch story where I almost choked to death.
So, after changing into more comfortable clothes for the outside Venice world- a.k.a shorts and a tee, we ventured out. First of all, I should explain that there are live-cams around Venice (and other parts of the world) that you can watch, my mum discovered these and so on occasion we've been letting people know we're going to wave at the camera and see if they can see us back home. So we did this first and much to their delight and ours, my nanny and sister could see us waving at them all the way from Italy :). We then took some photos of gondolas, because 'when in Venice, take pictures of gondolas'. Yes, I did just make that up, but it works. You can't not take pictures of gondolas, they're everywhere after all!
We decided to start walking and just see where we ended up. First of all we crossed a bridge that gave us a perfect view of the Bridge of Sighs:
Then we wandered around some more, walking along the waterfront until we turned down a narrow lane- no short supply of these in Venice. We kept on wandering, across bridges and taking photos and stopping to admire stripy gondoliers and their lucky passengers. After a while we found a small pizza place, it was perfect as we had both said we were craving an Italian pizza on the plane, just a few hours ago. It was small with little square table with chequered cloths, it looked every bit the cute Venetian restaurant tucked away in a narrow lane.
Mum pointed out the bruschetta on the menu, so we HAD to order it. It was so yummy. For anyone that isn't familiar, it's toasted or grilled Italian bread, rubbed with garlic and served with tomatoes and a hint of basil on top- for anyone that likes those things but hasn't had them together- what are you waiting for?! I could have eaten it over and over, but unfortunately, my final mouthful I was savouring was ruined. I should mention first that the waitress that had been serving us was... either not very good at English (understandable) or just had very bad service skills. All she said when we ordered an item was 'yes'. Then we'd ask for something else and we'd get 'yes.' Then when we got to the final, 'that's everything, thank you', all we got was her walking off. No other form of communication.
Let me set the scene, a large plate that had the bruschetta on before Mum and I split it in half and moved it onto our own smaller plates. There were just a couple of tomatoes on the large plate- I intended to eat those because they were sweet and generally too good to waste. But I didn't get a chance. The waitress quickly came and swiped up the plate, which for a second I was annoyed about- because I could have eaten those, but then the feeling passed as I still had a mouthful on my plate and that brought happy thoughts. What I didn't expect was the waitress to grab my plate, as my cutlery was still on it, scooping up my last mouthful. I barely got it off the plate in time before the plate was gone. I was just left with my cutlery in the air and a full mouthful of barely-saved bruschetta. It was the weirdest thing. It was the same waitress that only said 'yes' to us. I thought she must have not noticed I was still eating, so I thought it was funny and Mum was looking at me wide-eyed trying not to laugh, until the waitress did the same to her!! She clearly saw we were still scooping up our food, but she grabbed the plates anyway. And then just walked off. We were left with full mouths and our cutlery in the air. If it wasn't so bizarre and funny I would have been embarrassed. We couldn't stop laughing though and that's how I almost choked on my last few tomatoes and piece of bread...I'm glad that didn't happen as it would probably have come 'back up'- and that would be a waste.
After the traumatic bruschetta experience we did enjoy a really delicious pizza with yummy vegetables, so that made up for it I suppose.
Afterwards we just did a lot more wandering around and of course taking more photos. We went to the Rialto Bridge and found a gelato shop that had been recommended to us- we also waved again at another live-cam that happens to be on the Grand Canal. I had my first taste of gelato at this shop- I had a scoop of lemon and a scoop of banana and it was delicious, words don't do it justice. And now I'm successfully hooked on gelato and make a point of pointing out every shop we go past that sells it.
This is a photo taken from the Rialto Bridge:
On our way back towards St. Mark's Square we stumbled upon a gondoler park (what I mean is where people get on and off- is that a 'park'?!), and of course there were lots of gondolers around the area. It made for a good photo opportunity for me, I think the first photo may be my favourite one I've taken so far- it just sums Venice up completely:
Upon reaching St. Mark's Square, to say I was overwhelmed by the number of pigeons is an understatement! I've been to London so I know what a lot of pigeons looks like- but this was extraordinary- and not helped by the people giving out birdseed so people could get the pigeons to fly onto their arms and hands... Safe to say I rejected that offer- and gave the man a look of death when he went to pour the birdseed on my head... I HATE PIGEONS.
(When I get a chance I will upload a video of people being swarmed by the pigeons...)
After taking some classic tourist photos we decided to head back to the hotel room, which is when I wrote my first Venice post.
I know these posts were a bit topsy-turvy, I'll try and be more organised with the format next time!
But for now, its quarter to midnight here and I've been up since 4:00am, so I am going to sleep now. I'll let you know if the bed is as comfy as it is stylish :)
Today, the Big Wide World taught me: To expect the unexpected - you never know when your plate might be swiped from underneath you! And of course, that I am absolutely, completely obsessed with GELATO! More, more, more!
I'll leave you with this panoramic I took:
Night!
L
xxx
P.S If anyone has any recommendations of places we can't afford to miss- please let me know in the comments. Thanks :) x
As I mentioned, I'm updating with the rest of today's events.
We've just been out for dinner to a small restaurant a short walk down from our hotel. We originally walked past it- down to take photos of the great yacht 'Limitless' that I mentioned in my previous post. As you can probably imagine, up close (although not that close as they had a guard at the base of the walkway), it looked even more magnificent and of course mind-bogglingly expensive. Here's a photo of the super-yacht:
This is another stunning looking yacht right next to Limitless:
I also took this photo facing back towards our hotel and the sunset:
We decided that after our lunch, we would just have starters- I fancied some more bruschetta- can't get enough of the stuff! So we headed back in the direction of the hotel and kept our eyes peeled for a restaurant with a view across the Venetian Lagoon, although as it happened we were sort of enticed into a restaurant by a couple of waiters speaking at us in Italian, or rather me, but I left it to Mum to tell them we were English. At that point the waiter had decided for us that we would be having dinner there- a good choice though as it was delicious. I had tomato and mozzarella on a bed of rocket with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Unluckily for me, my mother decided to have mussels... She seemed to enjoy them though, so I put up with the smell ;). Afterwards we had our second gelato (incredible Italian ice-cream) of the day, this time I had mint-choc-chip, the two ice-creams I've had today have potentially been the best I've ever had- they were that good! Italy can REALLY do ice-cream.
I've realised this is my first real 'grown-up' holiday, which is both scary and exciting, much how I feel about growing-up. I'm loving the no-agenda feel to this trip, just walking and stopping to take photos, looking in small shops or eating gelato(!) is so relaxing. I'm pretty sure being a grown-up doesn't mean I'm completely free to do as I please, but I'll enjoy it while it lasts :).
I did say I was going to write about today and what we did, so I should probably do that. I owe you the weird lunch story where I almost choked to death.
So, after changing into more comfortable clothes for the outside Venice world- a.k.a shorts and a tee, we ventured out. First of all, I should explain that there are live-cams around Venice (and other parts of the world) that you can watch, my mum discovered these and so on occasion we've been letting people know we're going to wave at the camera and see if they can see us back home. So we did this first and much to their delight and ours, my nanny and sister could see us waving at them all the way from Italy :). We then took some photos of gondolas, because 'when in Venice, take pictures of gondolas'. Yes, I did just make that up, but it works. You can't not take pictures of gondolas, they're everywhere after all!
We decided to start walking and just see where we ended up. First of all we crossed a bridge that gave us a perfect view of the Bridge of Sighs:
Then we wandered around some more, walking along the waterfront until we turned down a narrow lane- no short supply of these in Venice. We kept on wandering, across bridges and taking photos and stopping to admire stripy gondoliers and their lucky passengers. After a while we found a small pizza place, it was perfect as we had both said we were craving an Italian pizza on the plane, just a few hours ago. It was small with little square table with chequered cloths, it looked every bit the cute Venetian restaurant tucked away in a narrow lane.
Mum pointed out the bruschetta on the menu, so we HAD to order it. It was so yummy. For anyone that isn't familiar, it's toasted or grilled Italian bread, rubbed with garlic and served with tomatoes and a hint of basil on top- for anyone that likes those things but hasn't had them together- what are you waiting for?! I could have eaten it over and over, but unfortunately, my final mouthful I was savouring was ruined. I should mention first that the waitress that had been serving us was... either not very good at English (understandable) or just had very bad service skills. All she said when we ordered an item was 'yes'. Then we'd ask for something else and we'd get 'yes.' Then when we got to the final, 'that's everything, thank you', all we got was her walking off. No other form of communication.
Let me set the scene, a large plate that had the bruschetta on before Mum and I split it in half and moved it onto our own smaller plates. There were just a couple of tomatoes on the large plate- I intended to eat those because they were sweet and generally too good to waste. But I didn't get a chance. The waitress quickly came and swiped up the plate, which for a second I was annoyed about- because I could have eaten those, but then the feeling passed as I still had a mouthful on my plate and that brought happy thoughts. What I didn't expect was the waitress to grab my plate, as my cutlery was still on it, scooping up my last mouthful. I barely got it off the plate in time before the plate was gone. I was just left with my cutlery in the air and a full mouthful of barely-saved bruschetta. It was the weirdest thing. It was the same waitress that only said 'yes' to us. I thought she must have not noticed I was still eating, so I thought it was funny and Mum was looking at me wide-eyed trying not to laugh, until the waitress did the same to her!! She clearly saw we were still scooping up our food, but she grabbed the plates anyway. And then just walked off. We were left with full mouths and our cutlery in the air. If it wasn't so bizarre and funny I would have been embarrassed. We couldn't stop laughing though and that's how I almost choked on my last few tomatoes and piece of bread...I'm glad that didn't happen as it would probably have come 'back up'- and that would be a waste.
After the traumatic bruschetta experience we did enjoy a really delicious pizza with yummy vegetables, so that made up for it I suppose.
Afterwards we just did a lot more wandering around and of course taking more photos. We went to the Rialto Bridge and found a gelato shop that had been recommended to us- we also waved again at another live-cam that happens to be on the Grand Canal. I had my first taste of gelato at this shop- I had a scoop of lemon and a scoop of banana and it was delicious, words don't do it justice. And now I'm successfully hooked on gelato and make a point of pointing out every shop we go past that sells it.
This is a photo taken from the Rialto Bridge:
On our way back towards St. Mark's Square we stumbled upon a gondoler park (what I mean is where people get on and off- is that a 'park'?!), and of course there were lots of gondolers around the area. It made for a good photo opportunity for me, I think the first photo may be my favourite one I've taken so far- it just sums Venice up completely:
Upon reaching St. Mark's Square, to say I was overwhelmed by the number of pigeons is an understatement! I've been to London so I know what a lot of pigeons looks like- but this was extraordinary- and not helped by the people giving out birdseed so people could get the pigeons to fly onto their arms and hands... Safe to say I rejected that offer- and gave the man a look of death when he went to pour the birdseed on my head... I HATE PIGEONS.
(When I get a chance I will upload a video of people being swarmed by the pigeons...)
I know these posts were a bit topsy-turvy, I'll try and be more organised with the format next time!
But for now, its quarter to midnight here and I've been up since 4:00am, so I am going to sleep now. I'll let you know if the bed is as comfy as it is stylish :)
Today, the Big Wide World taught me: To expect the unexpected - you never know when your plate might be swiped from underneath you! And of course, that I am absolutely, completely obsessed with GELATO! More, more, more!
I'll leave you with this panoramic I took:
Night!
L
xxx
P.S If anyone has any recommendations of places we can't afford to miss- please let me know in the comments. Thanks :) x
Travelling, Arriving and Getting Locked In The Bathroom
Buon giorno!
In case you hadn't guessed- I am in Venice, Italy and it's AMAZING! I can't quite believe how beautiful it is. I've been here less than a day and I can sincerely say that it's one of those places you just HAVE to visit. It's stunning.
The day started early as we had to wake up at 4:00am to leave the house at 4:30am. The drive to Gatwick went smoothly and we didn't go wrong... until we actually arrived at the airport... we ended up in the wrong car park- oops! I blame the TomTom, although my mum blames me. We laughed it off though- we're counting on that being the only minor hiccup of the whole journey!
Once we dropped off our one hold bag- we were feeling quite smug that we travelled so lightly (one hold bag between us and then one handbag each) when we saw people struggling with their huge suitcases- especially once arriving in Marco Polo Airport where you have to walk for just over five minutes to reach the water taxi. Also, the baggage reclaim belt was unusually fast so having a light bag to pull off was a plus. I highly recommend that if travelling to Venice- try and pack lightly- especially as there are so many beautiful Venetian masks and gorgeous jewellery pieces you'll probably want to take home with you. I know I'm going to be buying some jewellery.
Before we went to the gate to board the plane- we had breakfast in Pret-A-Manger. I thought I'd better have fruit, to cancel out all the gelato I plan on having. Does it work that way?!
After breakfast and buying a magazine, we ended up having to rush to the gate, we'd left ourselves fifteen minutes before the gate closed which was a bit stressful as we didn't know our way around- but luckily it was only gate 22 and only about a five minute walk. I did make use of all the available travalators- note to travellers- if you're not walking on the travalator, please stand to one side. The unorganised people like us sometimes have to walk on the travalator for extra speed!
We made it to the gate in time and on to the small easyjet plane. The flight was as you'd hope- uneventful. I had a mini power-nap and munched through a pack of spearmint polos whilst catching up on the latest royal family news in OK! magazine. Prince George is so cute!
The flight was shorter than we expected- we were thinking it would take just over two hours, but instead it was only an hour and forty-five minutes and before I knew it, I was en Italia. This is the first time I've ever been to Italy and I can definitely say that monetary funds providing- I'm definitely coming back!
This was my first view of Venice as we came in to land:
We climbed down the stairs of the aircraft onto the tarmac and headed on to a very crowded bus. Unfortunately, being 'petite', I couldn't reach any poles to hold on to, so I ended up 'bus surfing' trying desperately not to fall over and make a fool of myself as I clung desperately on to my mum. We were both laughing as she tried to encourage me to reach high enough and just swing from the bar above...!
After collecting our bags we walked the five or so minutes to the water taxi- passing all the very chic private boats- ones very much like the one George and Amal Clooney were seen arriving in to Venice on- very nice- but far too overpriced. We decided that we'd avoid the 110 euros for a one way trip and instead pay 25 euros for a round trip. More money for pizza that way ;). Although the private boats were super speedy, it was lovely to arrive in to Venice the scenic way, stopping at various different places before reaching our stop at San Zaccharia.
Just before we reached our stop we passed a HUGE yacht, it was insanely massive! It was called 'Limitless' and as soon as we got into our hotel room and I'd just about calmed after seeing how awesome it is- I googled it. Here's the link for anyone that wants to see what being the CEO of a company that owns 'Victoria's Secret' can buy you when your net worth is around $7.7 billion. Rather impressive! Wikipedia Page: Limitless Yacht
The stop was perfect for our hotel, we literally stepped off the boat and walked straight towards our hotel about twenty metres away. I know appearance isn't everything- but as soon as I saw the hotel front I knew it was going to be rather nice. We're staying at the Savoia Jolanda Hotel, it's gorgeous.
I was blown away by the room, I don't think I could ask for a more Venetian-style bedroom!
Before I round up this post about travelling to and arriving in Venice- I just have to add that something or someone has had it in for me today...first of all the car parking went wrong (which I still maintain wasn't my fault!) and then when I went to the bathroom in our hotel room- as soon as I closed the door- the handle fell off and I thought I might be stuck in there forever or have to go through the excruciating embarrassment of having one of the hotel-dudes come rescue me.... thankfully mum could open it from the other side! And then later on when we went for lunch I had the funniest and weirdest lunch experience of my life. It was so bizarre my mum and I almost choked on our Bruschetta.
You'll have to wait for my next instalment to find out what happened during our lunch escapade and see all the stunning pictures of Venice I've taken so far.... The next post will be about what we've done today and hopefully I'll write it tonight after we've been for dinner.
So far today, the Big Wide World has taught me: I LOVE VENICE! And also that packing light is a must for a city break like Venice- still thanking my 'past-self' (and Mum!) for making me pack light. Good job, L! And one final tip for the moment, to avoid the stress and panic- don't leave it until last call to go to your departure gate... Definitely going to remember that one when I have to navigate the airport on my own in July.
So, for now, I'll say 'arrivederci' and I'll try and add more later- that will be a more exciting and visually pleasing post- I can't wait to share some of the photos I've taken.
I really hope anybody that wants to visit Venice can- because it really is beautiful.
L
xxx
In case you hadn't guessed- I am in Venice, Italy and it's AMAZING! I can't quite believe how beautiful it is. I've been here less than a day and I can sincerely say that it's one of those places you just HAVE to visit. It's stunning.
The day started early as we had to wake up at 4:00am to leave the house at 4:30am. The drive to Gatwick went smoothly and we didn't go wrong... until we actually arrived at the airport... we ended up in the wrong car park- oops! I blame the TomTom, although my mum blames me. We laughed it off though- we're counting on that being the only minor hiccup of the whole journey!
Once we dropped off our one hold bag- we were feeling quite smug that we travelled so lightly (one hold bag between us and then one handbag each) when we saw people struggling with their huge suitcases- especially once arriving in Marco Polo Airport where you have to walk for just over five minutes to reach the water taxi. Also, the baggage reclaim belt was unusually fast so having a light bag to pull off was a plus. I highly recommend that if travelling to Venice- try and pack lightly- especially as there are so many beautiful Venetian masks and gorgeous jewellery pieces you'll probably want to take home with you. I know I'm going to be buying some jewellery.
Before we went to the gate to board the plane- we had breakfast in Pret-A-Manger. I thought I'd better have fruit, to cancel out all the gelato I plan on having. Does it work that way?!
We made it to the gate in time and on to the small easyjet plane. The flight was as you'd hope- uneventful. I had a mini power-nap and munched through a pack of spearmint polos whilst catching up on the latest royal family news in OK! magazine. Prince George is so cute!
The flight was shorter than we expected- we were thinking it would take just over two hours, but instead it was only an hour and forty-five minutes and before I knew it, I was en Italia. This is the first time I've ever been to Italy and I can definitely say that monetary funds providing- I'm definitely coming back!
This was my first view of Venice as we came in to land:
We climbed down the stairs of the aircraft onto the tarmac and headed on to a very crowded bus. Unfortunately, being 'petite', I couldn't reach any poles to hold on to, so I ended up 'bus surfing' trying desperately not to fall over and make a fool of myself as I clung desperately on to my mum. We were both laughing as she tried to encourage me to reach high enough and just swing from the bar above...!
After collecting our bags we walked the five or so minutes to the water taxi- passing all the very chic private boats- ones very much like the one George and Amal Clooney were seen arriving in to Venice on- very nice- but far too overpriced. We decided that we'd avoid the 110 euros for a one way trip and instead pay 25 euros for a round trip. More money for pizza that way ;). Although the private boats were super speedy, it was lovely to arrive in to Venice the scenic way, stopping at various different places before reaching our stop at San Zaccharia.
Just before we reached our stop we passed a HUGE yacht, it was insanely massive! It was called 'Limitless' and as soon as we got into our hotel room and I'd just about calmed after seeing how awesome it is- I googled it. Here's the link for anyone that wants to see what being the CEO of a company that owns 'Victoria's Secret' can buy you when your net worth is around $7.7 billion. Rather impressive! Wikipedia Page: Limitless Yacht
The stop was perfect for our hotel, we literally stepped off the boat and walked straight towards our hotel about twenty metres away. I know appearance isn't everything- but as soon as I saw the hotel front I knew it was going to be rather nice. We're staying at the Savoia Jolanda Hotel, it's gorgeous.
I was blown away by the room, I don't think I could ask for a more Venetian-style bedroom!
You'll have to wait for my next instalment to find out what happened during our lunch escapade and see all the stunning pictures of Venice I've taken so far.... The next post will be about what we've done today and hopefully I'll write it tonight after we've been for dinner.
So far today, the Big Wide World has taught me: I LOVE VENICE! And also that packing light is a must for a city break like Venice- still thanking my 'past-self' (and Mum!) for making me pack light. Good job, L! And one final tip for the moment, to avoid the stress and panic- don't leave it until last call to go to your departure gate... Definitely going to remember that one when I have to navigate the airport on my own in July.
So, for now, I'll say 'arrivederci' and I'll try and add more later- that will be a more exciting and visually pleasing post- I can't wait to share some of the photos I've taken.
I really hope anybody that wants to visit Venice can- because it really is beautiful.
L
xxx
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Bondi and Bras
Happy Wednesday!
Aside from a less than desirable physics exam, I'm having a good day. Today was my last official day in school uniform as I finished my last GCSE at 10:32. As I mentioned, it wasn't great- but I've accepted that I'm not doing it next year so the grade doesn't matter that much. Who needs physics, anyway?!
I have officially finished my GCSE's and my summer has started! Unfortunately the sun isn't playing today so I can't celebrate the end of school and the start of summer outside- but I'm not feeling too hard done by as we do leave for Venice tomorrow morning. This time tomorrow we'll be there :) I should probably be packing as I've still got to find some underwear and shoes to take with me... I usually pack essentials first, but the underwear seems to have missed the case so far...
I'm still debating whether to take my laptop so I can write each evening, or whether I leave my beloved behind and write when I get back... The only problem with that is I'm going to Palma the next day and so I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to fill you in. I don't want to get behind with writing already- before I've even left! I'll think about that while I hunt down some underwear. Should probably do that before I forget.
It feels very weird that I've finished school, not quite how I imagined. I'm still very excited (and so relieved exams are over!) but it doesn't feel like it's over. I don't know if that's because I'm still wearing my uniform, or because my sister is still at school until mid-July, or because my friends don't finish until Friday and one on Monday (Sorry guys!). Or it could just be that I've been looking forward to this for so long and now that its happened I'm at a bit of a loose end. Things often seem to feel less significant when you've been building up to them for months or even years! At least I can safely say I haven't got long to wait or a lack of incredible plans to keep me going. It feels wrong to be a little underwhelmed with the end of school, like I'm being ungrateful about all my lovely trips- but they're two different things. Because lets face it- how could I not be looking forward to summer- I think I've mentioned it in every post?! And how could I not be grateful?! (Refer to previous post for lengthy rant!).
In other news: My dad has started looking at flights for Christmas so we can have a sunny Christmas with him and my step-mum in Florida. Mum is going to Antigua with my neighbour/"Fairy Godmother" for two weeks, so my sister and I will go 'State-side' and see if we can rack up a total of 7 weeks over there this year! Although I love the sun and wearing shorts and dresses- going from cold December to hot December takes some getting used to- not sure I could cope if I went to Australia. Although I would have to go to Bondi Beach (one of my favourite TV shows from a channel no-one's heard of and probably never scrolls down to). Every year they get about 40000 on the beach for Christmas- I'd love to see how Santa arrives one time, *SPOILER ALERT* one of the lifeguards dresses up as a Santa and finds a unique way to arrive on the beach- one of my favourites was the water-skiing Santa.
Before I distracted myself what I was trying to say was--hopefully some flights will be booked soon!
I've been trying to write this post for far too long and realising that trying to watch Holby and write this wasn't going to happen- so I really need to go and pack some things now!
Finally...
The Big Wide World has taught me: I'm not as good at multi-tasking as I thought. When Holby City is on- that's it! (One day I'll do a reminiscing post and explain how my relationship with Holby came to be). And also- when packing- pack ALL the essentials first- or risk going underwear-less.... Thanks Big Wide World, those things will really help me in life. But to be fair, I haven't done much today. I'll try and learn better things for next time ;)
I'm not sure when I'll write again- but hopefully it will be soon. Maybe the next one will be from VENICE!!! (I've gone caps-lock...can you tell I'm EXCITED?!!)
L
xxx
Aside from a less than desirable physics exam, I'm having a good day. Today was my last official day in school uniform as I finished my last GCSE at 10:32. As I mentioned, it wasn't great- but I've accepted that I'm not doing it next year so the grade doesn't matter that much. Who needs physics, anyway?!
I have officially finished my GCSE's and my summer has started! Unfortunately the sun isn't playing today so I can't celebrate the end of school and the start of summer outside- but I'm not feeling too hard done by as we do leave for Venice tomorrow morning. This time tomorrow we'll be there :) I should probably be packing as I've still got to find some underwear and shoes to take with me... I usually pack essentials first, but the underwear seems to have missed the case so far...
I'm still debating whether to take my laptop so I can write each evening, or whether I leave my beloved behind and write when I get back... The only problem with that is I'm going to Palma the next day and so I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to fill you in. I don't want to get behind with writing already- before I've even left! I'll think about that while I hunt down some underwear. Should probably do that before I forget.
It feels very weird that I've finished school, not quite how I imagined. I'm still very excited (and so relieved exams are over!) but it doesn't feel like it's over. I don't know if that's because I'm still wearing my uniform, or because my sister is still at school until mid-July, or because my friends don't finish until Friday and one on Monday (Sorry guys!). Or it could just be that I've been looking forward to this for so long and now that its happened I'm at a bit of a loose end. Things often seem to feel less significant when you've been building up to them for months or even years! At least I can safely say I haven't got long to wait or a lack of incredible plans to keep me going. It feels wrong to be a little underwhelmed with the end of school, like I'm being ungrateful about all my lovely trips- but they're two different things. Because lets face it- how could I not be looking forward to summer- I think I've mentioned it in every post?! And how could I not be grateful?! (Refer to previous post for lengthy rant!).
In other news: My dad has started looking at flights for Christmas so we can have a sunny Christmas with him and my step-mum in Florida. Mum is going to Antigua with my neighbour/"Fairy Godmother" for two weeks, so my sister and I will go 'State-side' and see if we can rack up a total of 7 weeks over there this year! Although I love the sun and wearing shorts and dresses- going from cold December to hot December takes some getting used to- not sure I could cope if I went to Australia. Although I would have to go to Bondi Beach (one of my favourite TV shows from a channel no-one's heard of and probably never scrolls down to). Every year they get about 40000 on the beach for Christmas- I'd love to see how Santa arrives one time, *SPOILER ALERT* one of the lifeguards dresses up as a Santa and finds a unique way to arrive on the beach- one of my favourites was the water-skiing Santa.
Before I distracted myself what I was trying to say was--hopefully some flights will be booked soon!
I've been trying to write this post for far too long and realising that trying to watch Holby and write this wasn't going to happen- so I really need to go and pack some things now!
Finally...
The Big Wide World has taught me: I'm not as good at multi-tasking as I thought. When Holby City is on- that's it! (One day I'll do a reminiscing post and explain how my relationship with Holby came to be). And also- when packing- pack ALL the essentials first- or risk going underwear-less.... Thanks Big Wide World, those things will really help me in life. But to be fair, I haven't done much today. I'll try and learn better things for next time ;)
I'm not sure when I'll write again- but hopefully it will be soon. Maybe the next one will be from VENICE!!! (I've gone caps-lock...can you tell I'm EXCITED?!!)
L
xxx
Monday, 8 June 2015
That Pesky "Personal Pressure"...
Hello and Happy National Best Friend Day!
Today I had the delightful experience of sitting through a maths exam I knew I was failing... Suffering each question, one by one folding down the corners of the page to remind me to come back and try and answer at least one part of the question. It was horrendous, the panicky feeling was rising and the horrible knowing I was writing complete rubbish filled me up.
A couple of hours after the exam and a few messages from my best friend and a "pep-talk" email from my dad- I finally calmed down a little and realised that this one maths GCSE grade is not the 'be all and end all', there is life beyond this potential failure. I never planned on taking maths any further than the required GCSE level anyway, it's never been part of my Grand Life Plan that I'm sure will take me on many different paths and end up a million miles away from what I actually thought might happen- fingers crossed it turns out well... But the 'Grand Life Plan and Other Exciting Things' will have to wait for another post as I'm getting off track.
What I really wanted to talk about was 'pressure'. It comes in many different forms, many of which make us feel quite uncomfortable, peer-pressure being one particular example. But the kind I'm referring to is something I've recently discovered to be quite a big thing for me- I'm not sure what to call it- perhaps 'personal pressure' would be a suitable title. I'm talking about the pressure we put on ourselves to try to achieve a set goal, of course, personal targets are a brilliant thing that push us to our limits to be the best version of ourselves, but when we have such high expectations of ourselves, perhaps realistically 'unrealistic' ones, it can be a bit of a bummer. And yes, this does have everything to do with my recent failure of a maths exam. I sooo wanted to prove my 'target grade' wrong, I worked so hard to surprise my family when I open my results in August, but now I think that because I built myself up so much, the disappointment means I only have further to fall. I was never going to be an ace maths whiz- my forte and passion is words, the creativity and freedom, something that a one figure answer doesn't give me with maths...But I tried, I wanted for myself to be able to prove that even though I pretty much hate maths, I could do well in it. And of course, as I've been reminded, I don't know the result and won't until August so I shouldn't worry about it. But this is my way of learning from my mistake and putting the exam behind me.
In a messy sort of way what I'm trying to say, to myself, is that I don't have to be the perfect student in everything. As my parents constantly remind me, my best is all I, and they can ask for. Of course I want to do my best and they want me to as well, but part of that is me understanding that I'm not going to achieve top grades in everything, and I don't have to. I'm not taking on every subject next year, I'm not pursuing a career in any sciences and definitely not maths!
The pressure I put on myself is unnecessary and makes the stress of exams that tiny bit more. When I find the balance between 'good pressure' pushing me to my best and 'bad pressure' adding too much unnecessary stress, I'll be good to go. I think it might take a bit of time though as once I'm set in my ways it takes a while to change them. As long as I've got this under control for my A-Levels I should be okay...!
I realise this post seems a little bit like I'm saying, 'lower your expectations of yourself and you're less likely to be disappointed', that is I suppose a condensed version of the post, but with the complete opposite meaning! What I was really trying to say was 'be realistic'. Have goals and targets and never stop until you reach them, fight for your dreams, but be accepting of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. Not everyone can be a maths whiz like me! ;) Give yourself some credit, acknowledge what you're great at and accept that we're all different and don't all have to be perfect. I know the sooner I accept this, the better.
(And to finish off this post, I'm going to start something new! Crazy I know, but I like to keep things fresh and interesting. I've had an ace suggestion to add a little bit to the end of my posts, a little note about what I've learned, most of the time it will be light hearted and probably not the most useful of life advice- but it will tie into my blog title and maybe help me in the future when I'm having a mid-life crisis and I've forgotten all these things I'm writing down and learning from this Big Wide World!- So to a faithful reader, thank you for that suggestion! X)
And so, today The Big Wide World has taught me: I don't have to be perfect, just as I have my strengths, I'm allowed my weaknesses, and by recognising them I am a stronger person for it. I can play my strengths to my advantage.
That's all for now, it's late and I should go to bed! I have two exams tomorrow, geography and physics... wonderful. But I am down to just 7 more exams and then Venice, so I can't complain too much...
Until next time,
L
xxx
Monday, 1 June 2015
It's June (and I'm a snob...)
Yep- that's right, it's June and the month in which I set off for trip numero uno (wow- I really sound like a snobby rich kid...)
Actually, that's the point I want to make. Even though I may be the only one to read this, and in that way it is sort of like my diary, a travel diary type, I want to make it clear that I am not a snobby rich kid. I'm not snobby. I'm not rich. I am fortunate. I'm fortunate to have a mum that has saved up to treat me by taking me to Venice. I am fortunate to have friends that are perhaps well-off, but more importantly kind-hearted, down-to-earth, lovely people who have offered to take me and my friends to Palma to stay on their yacht. And then whether you call having a dad that lives on another continent fortunate or not, well, that's up to you. I, personally, think that we make the most of the situations we find ourselves in. What else can we really do? I am fortunate that I get to spend 5 weeks with my dad in sunny Florida, I am fortunate that I get to see him at Christmas and at various other points in the year. But then again, the flip-side of that, there are perhaps 30 or so weeks in a year where I don't see my dad. In my family we recognise that perhaps things could be different, but we also recognise each and every opportunity we have, I think one of the most important lessons I've learnt from my dad is that these circumstances make the time we have together that much more valuable. He once told me that I shouldn't ask the 'what if' question, I should just make the most of what I have at the moment and the good that came out of a less-than-desirable situation. (Thank you for that advice, Daddy, I try to live by it.)
There are plenty of kids out there who don't see their dad's at all, so even though mine lives thousands of miles away, I count myself lucky. You can always find a positive in what seems like the darkest, murkiest of situations.
As for the one person who asked 'are you rich?' when they asked me what I was doing this summer, I gave you my long, slightly irritated answer, a shorter version of this you'll be glad to hear(!), and I hope you think twice next time before calling someone out. You may not have called me 'snobby', but that's what it felt like. When all I said was 'yes' when you asked if I had plans, it was because I knew I would get that sort of reaction, but equally, if you ask me what I'm doing, I'll tell you. I'm looking forward to the summer and my plans and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I recognise that I may not be super-rich, but I recognise I'm probably far luckier than some and for that I am eternally grateful. I am always grateful for what I have and to take it for granted or make somebody think I'm stuck-up and snobby is one of the last things I want to do. I hope you understand.
I'm not a snob and I never want to be. (And neither am I rich, although one day that would be nice!) . If at all I've come across like a snobby, stuck-up brat in my previous posts, it was unintentional. Completely unintentional. I'm just very excited about my summer, my biggest most exciting one yet and I just can't wait for these exams to be over so I can enjoy my time off. 9 down, 12 to go...
I hope you all have something to look forward to as well.
L
XXX
Actually, that's the point I want to make. Even though I may be the only one to read this, and in that way it is sort of like my diary, a travel diary type, I want to make it clear that I am not a snobby rich kid. I'm not snobby. I'm not rich. I am fortunate. I'm fortunate to have a mum that has saved up to treat me by taking me to Venice. I am fortunate to have friends that are perhaps well-off, but more importantly kind-hearted, down-to-earth, lovely people who have offered to take me and my friends to Palma to stay on their yacht. And then whether you call having a dad that lives on another continent fortunate or not, well, that's up to you. I, personally, think that we make the most of the situations we find ourselves in. What else can we really do? I am fortunate that I get to spend 5 weeks with my dad in sunny Florida, I am fortunate that I get to see him at Christmas and at various other points in the year. But then again, the flip-side of that, there are perhaps 30 or so weeks in a year where I don't see my dad. In my family we recognise that perhaps things could be different, but we also recognise each and every opportunity we have, I think one of the most important lessons I've learnt from my dad is that these circumstances make the time we have together that much more valuable. He once told me that I shouldn't ask the 'what if' question, I should just make the most of what I have at the moment and the good that came out of a less-than-desirable situation. (Thank you for that advice, Daddy, I try to live by it.)
There are plenty of kids out there who don't see their dad's at all, so even though mine lives thousands of miles away, I count myself lucky. You can always find a positive in what seems like the darkest, murkiest of situations.
As for the one person who asked 'are you rich?' when they asked me what I was doing this summer, I gave you my long, slightly irritated answer, a shorter version of this you'll be glad to hear(!), and I hope you think twice next time before calling someone out. You may not have called me 'snobby', but that's what it felt like. When all I said was 'yes' when you asked if I had plans, it was because I knew I would get that sort of reaction, but equally, if you ask me what I'm doing, I'll tell you. I'm looking forward to the summer and my plans and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I recognise that I may not be super-rich, but I recognise I'm probably far luckier than some and for that I am eternally grateful. I am always grateful for what I have and to take it for granted or make somebody think I'm stuck-up and snobby is one of the last things I want to do. I hope you understand.
I'm not a snob and I never want to be. (And neither am I rich, although one day that would be nice!) . If at all I've come across like a snobby, stuck-up brat in my previous posts, it was unintentional. Completely unintentional. I'm just very excited about my summer, my biggest most exciting one yet and I just can't wait for these exams to be over so I can enjoy my time off. 9 down, 12 to go...
I hope you all have something to look forward to as well.
L
XXX
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