A Room with a View

[Nigel Watts]

Last minute online booking of a family room in an annex of a mid range hotel in Venice approached via a very dingy alley (no view mentioned). Opened the shutters, leaned out, and saw this:

And I now feel better about my crumbling stucco:

 

[LadyArowana]

Dreadfully sorry Nigel, that must have been very disappointing, but if you wanted majestic herds of animals roaming across grassy plains then honestly Venice wasn't the best choice. You only have yourself to blame :lol: Glad it made you happy with your own house though.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Oh, that's splendid, what a wonderful surprise. Have a lovely time Nigel. Favourite buildings/ art in Venice? I have fond memories of the city as Chris popped me on a plane and took me there for our first date. ( he had known me ten years already)

By the way, I was chatting about you to a lady you havent met yesterday. She read your posts on the sewing forum, and followed your blog, and then found mine ( now abandoned), and was amazed to discover she is my neighbour. Anyway, she was excessively impressed by your curtains ( she is a professional curtain maker) and she wondered how your trousers were getting along.

 

[LadyArowana]

and she wondered how your trousers were getting along.

:shock: someone wake Mr P for goodness sake.

 

[Penners]

I daren't.... just daren't.....

Nigel - throwing that window open must have been a huge WOW! moment. We've never been to Venice, but it's high on our list. If you have a moment, once you're home, please could you PM me the details of the hotel?

I remember a similar moment when Mrs P and I rented a little hillside house in Tuscany. We arrived and threw open the shutters to see an uninterrupted view through a fold in the hills to the hilltop town of Orvieto. At night the garden was full of fireflies and glow-worms. Magical!

Have a great time!

 

[Nigel Watts]

Favourite buildings/ art in Venice?

When I first went to Venice some 20+ years ago I did the sights but this time I just wanted to wander the streets and eat some authentic food. Reading Ruskin it's difficult not to be swayed by his preference for the gothic and byzantine over the renaissance. The Ca' Doro is probably the best of the gothic palaces after the Doge's but an almost greater pleasure comes from seeing some crumbling pile glancing by chance down a narrow canal as one crosses a bridge. Titian has long been a favourite painter but in Venice itself Bellini comes out on top for me although I cant help being seduced by Veronese and Tiepolo.

We managed to eat quite well largely by avoiding the main tourist spots. One Trattoria near the Rialto (which my wife had read about previously) was particularly good. Prices were hideous however. Murano was nice (not been before). Interesting how the glassware sellers cordon off their best rooms to keep the masses of tourists out but then pick out people they think might be serious buyers and invite them in. My shabby linen jacket for some reason had the right effect although I can't think why. One even prolonged their opening hours for us as they closed the deal on a rather fine Venetian mirror which I am hoping will arrive in as many pieces as it was originally made of.

As for the trousers they are still unfinished as I am on a three line whip to complete the bathroom.

 

[CatherineB]

Penners, you need Nigel's room number as well, otherwise you might get one on the other side, facing the aforementioned alley way

What a fantastic view, though, it looks like a Canaletto-kodak moment!

 

[Penners]

Penners, you need Nigel's room number as well

You're right, Catherine. I just thought it might look a bit stalker-ish to ask!

 

[Nigel Watts]

It was the Rialto Hotel annex we stayed in. Our room, number 501, was on the grand canal and was big enough to have two extra beds brought in. One other room seemed to have a balcony from which the canal could be seen but several of the annex rooms were only facing the alley. Breakfast was not included and we didnt eat in the hotel.

For a short city break I think a central location is more important than the quality of the room/hotel, which is why we chose the Rialto. Only downside was that it was next to the vaporetto stop and generally quite busy and noisy.

 

[Penners]

Many thanks, Nigel. Duly noted and added to the wish-list.