A taste of Italy: Venezia

A wild man and his gondola.

My family and I went to Lido de Jesolo, in the province of Venice in August. I am a aware it is now December, just 4 months late! We went travelling around the Venetian islands on couple of days but spent the majority sunbathing and swimming.

The busy lanes of Venice in the midday heat.

The Grand Canal had almost no shade and in the hot midday sun it was hard to compose your thoughts, especially because it was hard to comprehend being in such an amazing and historic spot in the first place. 

Resting boats.

A market on water.

What a place. Everywhere was so different to what I am used to, it felt like a new world. 

The marketplace was a place to breathe and take in the surroundings. I saw people playing cards, eating fruit and resting in the shade. It was nice to stop and think about the history of Venice while boats sped past and people were at peace.

Endless people.

Gondola, after gondola, after gondola. People queuing around the lanes to get a quick ride on one. However, even though most people were eager to travel by boat there were thousands on foot. 

When the ferries meet the gondolas.

To get to the islands and Venice from the Lido de Jesolo we had to take a small journey by ferry, which was exciting in itself. Seeing the water system and being part of it was interesting, it was weird how easy it was to adjust to travelling over water rather than road.

An antique place.

The hot sun, water and tourists.

Paddle-boaters in the sea.

The lighthouse.

Silhouettes.

Feet.

Derbyshire- was it summer or winter?

Derbyshire: the land of sheep, cows, pubs and hills. 

Last week I spent my time walking, cycling and playing board games with family and friends. It wasn't a great week for weather nor a rubbish one but we managed by taking shelter under an abundance of trees. 

Although Derbyshire is known for it's hills and valleys it also has many flat walking and cycling tracks that can easily be as long or as short as you like as you can't move a metre without seeing something stunning, so there is no feeling of missing out. 

We followed old train line tracks the majority of the time as it was easier for us all to potter along and  enjoy the magnificent landscapes.

One day, after a short walk, we stopped off at Bakewell as we were desperate to see where the Bakewell tarts had originated and also what the original Bakewell pudding tasted like. None of us knew what to expect as it's appearance was not very enticing and to be very honest I'm not completely sure now, it was a very odd texture, like butter, and had much less pastry, very different to the Bakewell tarts sold in shops.

Around the area we kept bumping into these tree trunks which had become more metal than wood, with coins hammered and bent into them. It is signifying 'trees are made of money'. I enjoyed discovering new customs and traditions from this new area of England, it meant that I was constantly learning something new.

 

Everywhere around us was suited for the outdoors, with an opportunity to do almost anything involving outside there was no reason not to join in. We went out rain or shine and embraced the wintry summer that Derbyshire showed us.

The house we were staying in was situated on quite high ground which meant it was very chilly, however it did mean we really experienced the country. We woke up with cows at our windows and sheep by the front door.