Venice!

It's only been a few days since my last blog, but it feels like a very long time. I've just had three days in Venice, three exhausting, exciting, extremely interesting days and predictably more art than you would believe possible to look at. The train trip from Innsbruck was lovely, going through green mountain valleys and lots of wine growing areas.

I arrived in Venice early evening and headed for Mestre, where I'm staying, on the mainland end of the causeway to Venice. My first visit in the morning was to the NZ pavilion to see Michael Parekowhai's installation. It was really hard to find, but I was to find all the pavilions were hard to find and the NZ one was certainly one of the nicest ones, with a lovely garden. I was pleased to stumble across some signage after about an hour of being lost. Venice is totally frustrating to negotiate on foot.

The building sits on the edge of a canal. The work consists of three grand pianos - two with bulls on top and one carved with Maori designs, this one being played by a concert pianist, plus a man standing in the garden. I am partisan, but I thought it was fantastic.

I came across the canalside view of it while looking at another pavilion

I got a day pass for the waterbuses and went out to some islands - The Lido (more like the mainland with wider streets and traffic) and Murano (known for it's glass). It was paralysingly hot. I also went across to San Giorgio Maggiori, just across from St Mark's Square to see a sculpture by Anish Kapoor and stumbled over an excellent tapestry exhibition, Penelope's Labour. There much stumbling over amazing things to be done.

While Venice is heaving with tourists at all times, it's not hard to get off the tourist streets and find a quiet cafe in a lovely square. Life goes on for the locals in spite of the tourists, although I wouldn't want hoards of strangers looking at my knickers drying.

The view from the Rialto Bridge is stunning, just like looking a contemporary Canaletto painting. It is so busy though, although it was in his time too - just not motor boats buzzing everywhere.

St Mark's Square was under a lot of reconstruction with huge queues everywhere and people sitting wherever they can. It's just unpleasant.

Saturday morning means the fruit and vege market here too - they take place on the canals or beside them though

I took a short gondola trip to save my aching legs from a long detour