Hi PERCY,

Are you feeling better? Hope so...

standing up is the only way travel, having spent a lot of time on boats it felt very safe, though Mrs Bilbo felt a liitle unsure

I admit to sitting down on the traghetto. Felt very safe, no life jacket required.

I think the traghetto is the world's most expensive journey, E1.50 for about 15 metres, the next is the Shard at £25 or so for the whole km.

Hi BILBOBURGLER,

" ...the Shard at £25 or so for the whole km." True, and I am glad I visited it.

But I think that a better London "experience" for the money is the EYE.

latedaytraveler

Very slowly getting better, ways to go yet.
Thank You for asking.

Your right about that 1950's movie Summertime.

Great photography of Venice.

It could have been filmed a year ago.!

PERCY & DUKEY,

The part I like best in SUMMERTIME is the "morning after" scene when the ecstatic Katherine Hepburn (an American spinster) is running across St. Mark's Square at dawn after her first encounter with Rossani Brassi.

David Lean's (he of "Ryan's Daughter" and "Lawrence of Arabia") photography is stunning.

I am recovered as it were from a very long day of travel yesterday to include two plane changes, two security adventures, turbulent weather, etc. Our luggage came all the way and all the flights were on time so no complaints.

In order to close out I will try to answer as best I can any questions raised in the last few replies above.

Thanks for the information re the traghetto. As I recall the passengers were actually sitting down on a couple of long benches rather than standing up.

IMO the Vivaldi (and others) concert was well worth the time, money, etc., We got discounts for being age 65 or older. The doors opened at 8PM for a start time of 8:30; no reserved seats; no bad seats and good sightlines. When we arrived at the door about 7:50 Pm there was a fairly long line waiting for the doors to open; we got seats about 1/3rd of the way back from the stage.

I would do it again.

Re The Savoy: a lovely hotel and the interior is in great shape; staff were uniformly friendly and helpful. In our case we decided that for our return to London next August we would go back to the Covent Garden Hotel which is somewhat cheaper. A matter of staying on one side of Covent Garden or the other I suppose. I will say that being on The Strand has advantages in terms of proximity to restaurants, etc., so next year when we DO stay at the CG Hotel I'll be looking at all of that mentally.

Re the Liebestod; it occurs in Act III

Re the costs in Venice as mentioned above: quite frankly when are traveling with someone who might possibly not LIVE to see Venice again in his lifetime, NOTHING was "too expensive."

Enjoyed your Report v. much, Dukey. You just mentioned going to London in August and somewhere above making another trip this month or next. So, where will you guys be going ? Looking forward to more reports.

Thank you, Bedar.

The upcoming trip will be to Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich; next year will again be Munich, Verona (for opera performances), five nights in Yorkshire followed by three in Edinburgh (for the Fringe) and the final four nights in London.

This is a really brilliant trip report. I envy your operas in Berlin and admire your energy in getting ready to go back to Europe again so soon.

In particular, you gave the "flavor" of Venice in a way that is very real for those who have been there and is accurate for those who wonder what it will be like. Go back, see more, write more!

Department store dining: one of the best views of Barcelona IMO is from the cafeteria atop El Corte Ingles in the Placa Catalunya. My wife loves breakfast at Fortnum and Mason, and I enjoy both the cafeteria at BHV and the very different restaurant under the dome at Printemps.

Anyway, a real pleasure!

I have to agree about that view from the El Corte Ingles cafeteria since, as I recall, you can see those spires from Sagrada Familia poking their way to the heavens as it were.

In terms of Venice, I believe I may have said earlier that in some ways I enjoyed this time around more than I did our visits to Florence and Rome the last couple of years. I suppose that comes from the fact there are many more places and venues in Venice which we have yet to see vs the other two cities.

I enjoyed your trip report very much, Dukey; thanks for taking the time to write it as you went.

Wishing you and your partner good health and many future trips together!

Excellent report Dukey. Sending best health wishes for future travel.

Thanks for your report, Dukey; it was a most enjoyable read. I look forward to following your adventures in Austria and Germany.

Hi DUKEY,

Sounds like a good travel plan for next year "... five nights in Yorkshire followed by three in Edinburgh..."

In case you missed it, here is a link to great pics of Yorkshire which MORGANA (I think) shared recently. They are beautiful.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/danieldalton/nowt-like-it

Latedaytraveler,

Thanks very much for the link.

But I do question that assertion that York Minster is Europe's "largest" gothic cathedral although I realize it all depends on exactly what is actually being measured.

DUKEY,

I am not sure if Yorkshire Cathedral is "the biggest," but what makes the interior seem so huge (IMO) is that it is so spacious and uncluttered.

Many of the great cathedrals in southern Europe, Seville and Toledo for example, have so many choirs, altars, memorials, confessionals - usually underwritten by members of the nobility to ensure their salvation - which seem to obstruct an open view of these churches. I thought that the Yorkminster was stunning.

Late, I am not only sure that it is stunning but I am even more sure that we will make the attempt to visit in when we stay in York next year and I appreciate your advice about it.