My Venetian Palazzo

After nine days of travelling through Italy we arrived at our final destination, the legendary city of Venice. I’d been here once before and was deluged by rain so I had high hopes for this visit. Under sunny skies we said farewell to our motor coach and boarded a water taxi. Then we cruised through scenic canals to the grand palazzo that, for the next two nights, would be my home.

Arrival in Venice

The 6 Neighbourhoods of Venice

From this old map of Venice you can see that the city is shaped like a fish with the Grand Canal winding through its centre. The city is composed of 118 islands, more than 400 bridges and a complex network of canals. And the whole is divided into six neighbourhoods, or sestieri.

Map of Venice, Vatican Museums

Opera and Shakespeare in Verona

This week I’m back to my posts about Italy, picking up in the north as we journey from Lake Maggiore towards the Adriatic coast. At mid-day we stopped for lunch in  the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Verona, a city best known as the setting for Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet as well as its Roman ruins and summer opera festival.

The Verona Arena

Beach Therapy

Like water

which can clearly mirror the sky and the trees

only so long as its surface is undisturbed

the mind can only reflect

the true image of the self

when it is tranquil and wholly relaxed.

~ Indra Devi

The Beach, Toronto

AWOL in Niagara

I missed my regular post last week as I was doing some travelling, playing tourist in my home province of Ontario. Niagara Falls is one of our country's top attractions and my last visit was over thirty years ago. So when I got the chance to see this natural wonder again I couldn't pass it up.

Niagara Falls, Ontario