I've just looked back at my last post. Do much has happened since we were last on the bus to Venice.
If you are following Taylor's blog. He has got do far behind he doesn't know where to start again.
Anyway we arrived in Venice and went straight to the waterside where we got a water taxi to take us down the grand canal. The views were breathtaking! Then we had a magical gondola ride around the smaller waterways. Once finished we bused back to the mainland of Venice to check into our hotel. Our tour guide warned the kids that the pool was the size if a hanky compared to the pool in Rome. That didn't stop 20 kids taking over the pool after a group dinner.
The next day we went back to Venice to a Murano glass factory. After a demo using cheap chip glass (their words) they took the kids upstairs to paint masks while the adults went into the glass shop (with the expensive Murano glass) for a quick explanation and show of dome of their products (this is the hard sell area!) we hot to walk around but if you got interested in something (even just looking) the staff jumped on you. (Hence the hard sell comment!)
After we went back to main wharf area of Venice for free time and lunch. We got told a easier way to get into St Marks church and avoid the queues. Just go to back door and say you have come to pray (cameras hidden of course).
After lunch we had a local expert tour thru a palace and views the prison cells.
Then we got a water bus out to Burani island for dinner. This is the only island in Venice that can paint their houses whatever colour they want. It was stunning!
On return to the hotel after a quick dip in pool (kids and dads) we boarded the bus for a movie night! The movie was about a bus tour through Greece. I can't remember the name of it. We had soft drinks, wine and chippies during movie.
The next day we went back to Venice for another local expert tour around the alleys of Venice. The guy explained how to find your way around without a map, (maps guarantee you will get lost!) how they built Venice, how they got a fresh water supply etc.
after free time we went to Lido island for a final group farewell lunch then an afternoon at the beach! We hired an umbrella and 2 long sun chairs and sun bathed and swam in the Adriatic Sea! It was so warm! Like bath water!!!
Once back to the hotel we stayed on the bus for a final presentation of the winners of the kids drawing competition. On the trip from Rome to Florence, our tour director, Federica, announced a competition in which she gave the kids crayons and paper. They were to do a picture on something they did or saw in each city. In the end every kid got something. The boys got a copy of the story "the little prince" and as we had 2 boys Jordan also got a glow in the dark pen as the youngest boy in the comp. the girls all got a bead necklace.
No comments:
Post a Comment