Our Special Holiday

So glad you are having a lovely time,Julia and Richard,and the Hotel is living up to your expectations..it looks fabulous :o) sending you a PM x

Happy Birthday Richard and early wishes on to your ruby anniversary.

1975 a great year to get married .

40 is a "milestone." Congratulations! You picked the perfect place to celebrate. Venice! wow. Will you see St. Mark's Basilica or take a gondola ride? Enjoy your holiday Julia, happy birthday Richard!

Belated Birthday Greetings to Richard, I bet you are having a fabulous time, it looks a lovely hotel, enjoy your special holiday and keep taking the photo's, doesn't matter if we have to stand on our heads to see them, they still look smashing and exercise is good for us, lol...

It looks stunning and you must be really enjoying yourselves in such a beautiful place.

Two very special occasions deserve to be celebrated in style!

Cheers!

Congratulations! And what a beautiful way to celbrate :) Love the stone work, especially in the penultimate pic. Venice is magical......:)) My OH and I went there for one day on our first holiday together, so it is special for me too. I couldn't get over how beautiful everything is. :)

Happy Anniversary Julia & Richard, belated birthday wishes to Richard.Your hotel looks lovely.

Have a great time...such a lovely place to celebrate.
I love Venice although it was 32 yrs ago I went. But, I suspect it is still much the same. that hotel looks fantastic...the balconies look like lots of royal boxes at a theatre!!

Congratulations in advance for December Waddy,it will be your Ruby Anni. then :o) you chose a lovely way to celebrate both ,Happy belated birthday to Richard ! I love the way they've patterned the brick work on the walls , will they miss one to start your stone collection Waddy ? x

The hotel looks fabulous, happy birthday to Richard and congratulations on your forthcoming Ruby Wedding, enjoy the rest of your holidays ;0))

?Congratulations ?

wonderful holiday xxx

Thank you so much everyone for your kind wishes.

Bloomer: Will reply to your PM soon.

Scotkat: It was for us :))

Bathgate: Yes, we will see San Marco and all the other sites. We've been here before and absolutely love the place, but our last visit was approx 14 years ago, so some memory refreshing is called for. We did the Gondola ride before and found it a rip-off, so we won't be repeating that.

Lincslass : Thank you...I try to get future ones the right way up!

Congratulations to you both ... looks wonderful. We honeymooned in Lido de Jesolo back in 1978 and went to Venice for a day. Fascinating city. :o)

Wildrose: Many thanks...Salute!

Cottagekaren : Thank you. We think it's beautiful too. Perhaps it's time you payed a return visit?

Gralew : Thank you :)

Paulspatch : Thank you, and like Karen, I think you're overdue a return visit.

Amy: Thank you, yes it will be our Ruby Wedding Anniversary, on Christmas Eve actually. As for one of the stones, I wouldn't dream of it. Anyway, they're well cemented in. I'm looking everywhere for a suitable stone but so far no luck. Shells aren't a problem, but not the same at all.

Pansypotter : Thank you, we'll certainly do our best :))

Pamg: Thank you :)

Shirley -Tulip: Thank you. You really can't do Venice justice in a day, so you need to go bacK. Perhaps taking Karen and Paul along with you.

Ha ha Julia, perhaps we should start saving now for our Ruby anniversary in 2018!!! Karen and Paul could be our chaperones ... :o)

That sounds like a plan! :)))

How's the food over there Julia? I hear Italians are vary passionate about their food. I can speak for the ones in Brooklyn, but how about Venice? Also, has the water level risen since your last visit?

I would love to go back to Italy. I would go to Italy every year if I could....alternating with France.

Our favourite country too..just something so special about it.especially the history.and Architecture....not that we haven't got that here,but it's just a different laid back atmosphere,with sunshine :o)

The food here is fantastic, Paul. Lots of seafood, as you would expect. We've chosen half-board in our hotel and the food is out of this world. At lunchtime. ..if we have room, following a more than filling breakfast, we are spoilt for choice there are so many good restaurants around. I will have no doubt have gained pounds in weight!

P's. No sign of raised water levels as yet, thank goodness.

I like the sound of that Karen...especially the south of France. Now how does that song go?..."it's so much nicer in nice" lol!

Sandra, you're so right...now you know why I'd love to live in Italy, just need to persuade my OH!

...and the ART as well...and the beautiful gardens....and the handsome men.....oops, got carried away!

You missed out the Icecream and Bellini's Karen :o)

Haven't done Bellini's Sandra, but have done the coffee latte in San Maro Piazza. .. €30! Richard is still reeling from the shock bless him. We seem to be having an icecream most days. They are totally yummy, far better than anything we can get at home. It's the same for their yogurt...why is that do you think?

Sunshine I expect Waddy!

That's probably true Karen. :))

Gee Whizz,Julia ! Can't believe how much they are charging now! It was a fiver when we were there,and we thought that was dear enough..we didn't partake :o) ..Was the music playing ? usually doubles the price..you mad impetuous woman ! Lol ..but you did say you wanted to,if possible..:o)..I loved their yoghurt for breakfast,with fruit.. nothing here can compare....

It's probably also their attitude to food. Here I think most people will settle for really poor food if the price is low. I'm guessing that in Italy and France they are rather more discerning and still go for local fresh produce. Which is now very difficult to get in Scotland. My nearest farm shop is about 8 miles away. Thankfully though, my local butcher is absolutely first class and buys locally produced meat. :) There are very few food markets in Scotland....now this IS probably a weather thing...whereas in England you still the get the local fayre on market days. You have me intrigued now, and I shall be on the lookout for good local yoghurt. There is an excellent farm shop just outside St.Andrews which is lovely to visit as they have a terrific cafe as well. I must admit, I do love Greek-style yoghurt with honey and a handful of whole scottish oats over it! YUM! :)

Belated birthday wishes to Richard and early congrats on your 40th wedding anniversary ! What a lovely place to visit for this ! I've never been to Venice !
Have a lovely relaxing holiday !

Sandra, the €30 was for two coffee lattes served on a silver tray, with coffee in a silver coffee pot and hot milk in another...there was even a little, and I do mean little chocolate covered hazelnut to go with it. I've saved that, it must be the most expensive chocolate covered nut in Christendom. Yes the orchestra was playing.
I have the yogurt and fresh fruit every morning for breakfast, which as you know is pretty much what I have at home, but here it tastes a million times better.

Karen, I think you're right. We don't seem to refuse the second rate food the same as the do on the Continent. I've always found such as fruit, veggies and especially natural (can't stand the fruit stuff) yogurts and cream far superior to much on sale in the UK. As for the fruit and veggies, I believe a lot has to do with the fact that over here they usually shop daily like we used to do, because things don't keep the same in the heat. Their produce are also less likely to be sprayed with chemicals to help 'keep' them. As for their dairy products butter, milk yogurts and of course icecream, I'm not so sure. Could they perhaps feed their cows, etc different fodder? I've only ever found one yogurt which comes anywhere near and that was French brand who name I've forgotten, but it doesn't matter because I can't find it any more. Only Lidl's now sells a yogurt and other dairy products which are to my mind tasty.

Rose; Many thanks we're both getting totally chilled out!

Hmmm...I should try Lidl. We have an Aldi fairly near..I shall check theirs out too. And the farm shop. I mean, you'd think our grass would be just as good as theirs...better in fact, because of the lushness. I have just been to see the cows on the hill in front of us and was pondering....you know....they only eat grass ( I know they get supplements, but even so) and yet there's not a skinny one amongst em! lol!

It's just not going to be the same for you,when we meet up at Coffee Cali,is it?? I'll try and get Andre Rieu to pop by..will that help ? Lol..as for the Chocolate covered nut..I'm sure Richard would appreciate it wrapped up for your Christmas Anniversary,as a reminder of your holiday..what's not to like ? :o) x

I'm more of a Lidl's fan myself, but hey you decide for yourself. It's perhaps worth noting that cows etc here don't graze, the land is considered too valuable and is mainly used to grow things and no, not just grapes. The animals are usually kept in large barns, with freedom to move around and open sides to let in the fresh air.I assume they are fed on silage and cattle nuts. I'm going to Google that.

Sandra, you could be right, I'll be judging their latte coffees. As for Richard's Anniversary present, I'm as organised as usual, so I've already got that..but it's an idea for Christmas lol!

At least it is on a Piazza,Julia,so you can dream,but don't expect a carbon copy re the coffee..:o) it's 'pleasant and drinkable' Lol

:))

Nice holiday. Great place to celebrate. No Gondola in the pool xx