YvonneT

Happy travels, Peter, Lou and Lou's mom. We look forward to another truly unique report!

I hope someone responds to your request for a meet-up.

quinnsmom

Hi Peter,

We arrive Thanksgiving morning. We will be staying at the Locanda Sturion and will certainly be in your neighborhood looking for that violin maker. I'll have my laptop so will drop you a line next week-end.

BTW, I pulled up the labor of love which is your old Venice trip report and enjoyed reading. I do feel compelled tho to chime in in Miss Manners defense. I was reading No Vulgar Hotel at the same time I was reading your report. I didn't find her patronizing or condescending at all. Rather, I felt she had her tongue firmly in cheek and was mocking herself and other "Venetophiles". I confess to finding her self-deprecating manner charming. Perhaps that's because she reminds me of a quirky, eccentric old lit professor I loved back in the day. Maybe it's just because I love to read other peoples perceptions of Venice.

Anyway, bon voyage and we and our Wellies will hope to see you next week. Chime in and let us know how goes it if you can!

annhig

are you there yet?

quinnsmom

I love the anecdote from the National Geographic article about the two little Tuscan kids who ran away to Venice.

Peter_S_Aus

Well, we're here, arriving on Saturday 21st, festivaling at the Salute on Sunday with most of the Venetian population. A lot of rain, a little acqua alta, and we're going OK.

More words to come - I can feel a trip report of sorts in my waters!

Ann,hi, and Quinnsmom, looking forward to meeting you.

Cheers

Peter

quinnsmom

Glad to hear that you arrived safely Peter. I'll pack an umbrella!

Brazilnut

Too bad, I will be there on the second week of February (10-15).

Katie2

I enjoyed the National Geographic article on Venice. I envy you being there right now. My husband and I have visited Venice many times. It's such a magical place. Our last visit was in Sept. '09.

Enjoy your visit!

annhig

appropos another thread, perhaps you need some winter boots!

quinnsmom

I know! I saw the recent weather reports. Brrr!

Peter_S_Aus

Today has been clear, sunny, about 9 deg C. Not too bad.
Acqua alta not causing too much grief, except in San Marco, where it always floods anyway.

annhig

floods here too, I'm afraid, and without the compensation of being in Venice.

do you think that the acqua alta is higher/more frequent this time?

Peter_S_Aus

Ann, the high tides are running around 100cm (or that was the tide this morning), and it is forecast for 115cm tomorrow, Friday which will cause some problems. A tide of 100 cm puts a puddle in front of our door, and puts San Marco under about ten inches. But 115cm will be a hazard to pedestrian navigation – a couple of centimetres changes the aquatic landscape in a big way.


I’m not sure if the tides are more frequent or higher than in other years. It’s a full moon, and that does bring the water up.


It’s funny – I do a bit of bush walking in Aus, and the contour maps have something like a 10 metre contour interval. But in Venice, a contour map would need a contour interval of say 3 cm to be useful. Once the water is up, one can easily realise that while Venice seems flat, it is far from level.


It’s all part of the fun.

YvonneT

I just remembered something from your 2008 report: have you got the dodgy compass with you? I read somewhere that the magnetic poles are due to shift places (how do they do that!), so then your compass would be 100% accurate.