day 52 beauty to beauty!

Mostly it's hard leaving a beautiful town, today's different, I have high expectations for the next few days no it won't be cheap my hostel bill for the next three nights could cover ten nights in a ropey hostel!

Tonight I sleep in Venice! 

I'm excited for this! 

But first I have the usual train journey, only a few hours and the first stage follows the route of the last break to Bologna through the mountain tunnels! From here it's back over Italy's northern plains very flat here probably used to be marsh land here? 

I don't know

But land reclamation is in process leaving new town Venice to the old town across the thin strip of land the railway and roads have been built uponto the west of the strip are nets hung out in lines presumably fishing if so they're much like the salmon traps I've seen at Annan in Scotland

Quickly the archipelago of the old Venice islands comes into view .. Well the buildings do next to none of the land is visible here!eagerly through the station and on such a sunny day the waterways and ancient buildings are stunning! I'm not wasting time today, straight to the hostel signed in and kit stored there's wandering to do!!!

Southwards through piazza and twisting tiny roads and over little bridges crossing the canals I'm in my element!soon reaching the banks of the Rio de Carmini a stretch of water between the southernmost islands and the main landfinding a supermarket I load my pack for the next day and snacks for tonight, further along as I head east there's canal with gondola boat yard...a picture opportunity if ever there was one! following the waterline to its extreme east point where the Basilica Santa Maria Salute stands proudly more beauty as I encounter a group photographing a girl for presumably a nobody hobbyist endeavour, asking permission first I take a few snaps.my favourite tho is when she's smiling to herself between poses on the Basilica steps.... Can't beat natural! heading back west along the Rio Orseolo the perfect gondala picture presented itself....

away from the Rio I wander along those twisting ally's and little bridges back to the hostel and the end of a beautiful day!

Day 51 Great planning fails!

Breaking fast in the hostel dining room with the roar of a hundred or so kids on their school trip really motivated me to get out quick! 

I'm heading for the farthest point in today's wandering and for once taking a bus.... Why not! 

It really worked out well for me the cashless payment system in the bus had failed meaning I got my trip for free!!! 

straight up to the Piazzale Michaelangelo a broad viewpoint as you can see showing the delights of Florence! With hazy distant snow capped mountains looking out of place on a day as hot as today nearly 20°C!!

You can smell spring in the air here! Descending through what I'm sure will be a beautiful rose garden I met Robert Burns an old Canadian with Scottish roots from America... we stood around complaining about society in true old man style! 

Eventually having not put the world to rights at all but satisfied with our dissection of the times I head down hill again, there's the old town wall just below with the Porta San miniato entrance into Florence

nice it's still in regular use.... Arrow slits above perhaps? It's quite a formidable wall! 

through and on to the banks of the Arne again and my route is towards the ponte Vechio, literally 'Old Bridge'

and under the rendered facade and rows of modern jewellery shops lies a medieval bridge, the oldest in Florence.

picture taken from the open mid point of the bridge... With a nice view westward ...... 

back into the old town and following my nose as usual find a rather beautiful statue a man and woman as the trunks of the world tree! Probably my favourite statue so far!

taking liberties with my viewing angle I rather enjoyed a play...

and already it's lunch! so I grab a nice snack and a nasty bottle of cheap wine.... That went straight in the bin...

enjoying the heat beating down on Piazza Della Signoria before heading towards the museum in front of me in the picture..... Which was closed!  every museum I tried today was closed! 

But with weather like a good English summer I couldn't care less, more than happy to plod alon here and there stopping once to plan my next few days in the sun another to pick up some light walking trousers keeping my usual trousers clean and dry enough to wear is  difficult! .... With that problem solved I head through the plaza Santa Maria Novella with it's twin obelisks resting on bronze tortoises.....🤔

Beyond the plaza a ragtag street blues band were playing King of the jungle funny to hear in Italian! 

I stood and listened chatting to a lady called Florentine both using Google to adequate effect... Nice lady I could have talked for hours but she was away to meet her fella so I'm off back to the hostel, I need to pack and grab some food. 

What else to do on my last night in Florence? Yep an Irish pub!!