Sandown Races 29th August 2008

Special treat for the boys at the end of the summer holidays a day at Sandown races. The first photo is most unusual, a photograph of my horse crossing the line first. Anwar ridden by Frankie Dettori actually won me some money!

Number 13 is unlucky for some?? Particularly this horse which narrowly lost out in the first race. . .

and yet another close finish, where my horse did not figure at all!!

Please humour me, My favourite photographs of Venice

I have decided to indulge myself and post some of my favourite pictures of Venice . . the ones that I am particularly pleased with. . Some of them are repeated in the earlier posts, but mostly they are only found here. I loved taking pictures of Venice, I took well over 500. I wanted to chose my favourite ten, and so here they are. I don't pretend that they are the best (if indeed any deserve that title) but they are the ones I like the best!


Number 1 Venice taken from the aeroplane, courtesy of Easyjet's almost clean windows. This shows clearly that Venice is not an island, rather a group of 200+ islands seperated by canals. The Grand Canal is like the river Thames and winds around with exceptionally large cambers. In the distance you can see the enormous Ocean Liners at Tronchetta, and the causeway attaching Venice to mainland Italy.


Number 2. . . . Taken from my hotel window, I waited hours (or maybe minutes) to take a picture of a gondola from directly overhead. The trouble was our hotel backed onto a very quiet canal, and the gondolas kept to the other side of the wall, so it is not a direct capture. However I do really like it, and it reminds me of my lovely hotel room.

Number 3 is the dancing on St Mark's Square as we sat sipping our Pinot Grigio and listening to the nand playing. It may have been the most expensive bottle of wine ever bought but it was worth every penny to be so richly entertained in such a magnificent setting. . .

Number 4 was taken on our first eveing, and the sky seemed so stormy I could not believe that we would not have thunder and lightening galore. . . .

but a few hours later the same place delivered another photograph that I like . . . and photo number 5 . . .

Photographs numbers 6 and 7 were taken from the top of the Campanile on St Mark's Square. The Campanile is open during the summer between 9am and 9pm and I can thoroughly recommend a trip up in both daylight and at dusk. The view is magical. If you already feel as though you are in a film set, this view only enhances that feeling. I have chosen the same shot because I just love the rooves of the Basilica. . . . .

Photograph number 8 is included for the memory of taking it.. It is so busy by the Rialto bridge that I failed on very many occasions to take a picture of the Rialto to my stisfaction. There are always people hanging over the edge, a pesky vaporetta getting in the way and as for that Vaporetta stop. . . . However after a bottle of wine, I was brave enough to venure out onto a pontton to take this shot.. and actually I quite like it!!

Photo number 9 is the view from the back of the Rialto bridge. At night much of Venice is totally still, and actually quite dark and silent. I felt that this picture captured that quite well. . .

and last but not least photograph number 10 . . . . I like photographing SanGiogio Maggiore although I am ashamed to say that I have never been there. I was trying to capture a picture like he one taken in the daytimein a different post (Gondola, gondola, gondola) with the gondolas in the forground and San Giogio as the backdrop, but the wind was blowing and the gondolas would not stay remotely still. However I do like the shot because it is just like I think Venice is... The stillness of the buildings, that have stood exactly the same for centuries, with all the movement and bustle that goes on inside the city. . . there I did ask you to indulge me didn't I??

There you go, no more posts or photographs about Venice, I promise. . . although I misht just have my fingers crossed behind my back!!

My weekend in Venice

The hotel Ala, well what can I say about this little hotel. Initially I chose it because it was very reasonable. . . and I am pretty good at searching out good value hotels. This is a Best Western Hotel, so I knew it would be clean. I didn't know however that it would be charming, have friendly, helpful staff (who didn't even mind when I locked myself out of my room at 6am (long story)), have lovely breakfast, comfy bed, immaculate cleanliness and wonderful cool rooms on a very hot weekend. I would recommend this hotel to anyone! and a reflection of the hotel . . .

. . . . and the birthday girl with her husband on the Rialto bridge. Thanks for coming with me Jen and Edward, It wasn't the same when you weren't there!

I love this about Venice, always glimpses of the canal in the background and other interesting buildings just peeking out!

and the large numbers of bars and restaurants wasn't all bad either!

I wondered why the buildings look in such a state of disrepair. Apparantly there is a very high salt content in the air, and any new plaster put up begins to disintegrate after a very few weeks. Sheets of stuff are not allowed as they have a tendancy to fall down onto unsuspecting tourists after a short time too... However it only adds to the charm of the place. . . .

The Rialto bridge was originally the only bridge across the Grand Canal. This incarnation was built in 1588. It is busy whatever time of day we visited, either with swarms of bargain hunters at the market and souvenir stalls, or at the canalside bars in the evening. Even a few middle-aged women with cameras were littering the place!!


The view ofver the Grand Canal can hardly have changed since 1588 apart from the Vaporetta stops I guess . . . and maybe the outboard engines would have been a little ahead of their time back then . . .

but from the back the view cannot have changed at all . . .
and back again at night! . . .

When we were on them the vaporettas hardly seemed to move, but here it looks like it is travelling at lightening speed!

This was found in a church near our hotel, It tickled me, what exactly do they think we British are likely to get up to in there???

Gondola, Gondola, Gondola - Venice (where else?)

What do you immediately think of when you think of Venice... Gondolas, with their gondoliers romantically leading you through the waterways of Venice, singing O Sole Mio.. and maybe nicking a Cornetto for you??? Certainly 'Gondola, gondola, gondola ' is what you'll hear the most in Venice, with Gondoliers on every street corner touting for custom. Luckily we looked far too poor to be able to afford the 100 euros, and so did not attract too much interest from the Gondoliers. They were utterly fantstic to watch, admire and photograph. In New York you buy calendars of fireman, here in Venice the heros are the Gondoliers.

I do believe that most of the fun of Gondolas is watching them, the rides are terribly expensive, and Gondoliers spend most of their time on their mobile phone, or talking to their friends.. not very romantic... However if everyone felt like me then there would be nothing to photograph!!

This first was taken from my hotel window... not a bad view eh?? The gondolas at St Mark's Square are all beatifully kept and have their uniform blue livery. San Giorgio in the background completes the magic.

This gondola ride looks dreamily wonderful... but notice the spare gondolier at the side, he spent most of the time running alongside his mate shouting to him.. I'd have asked for my money back!!

This lot never talked back... but I don't think much of their biceps!

I was fascinated by the 'ferro' used to counterbalance the weight. I tried to take so many shots like this and irritatingly none of them really worked!

This was almost my favourite shot apart from the car ferry in the background....

Carry on up the Campanile - Venice again!!

A trip up the Campanile is a must in Venice.. A bird's eye view of the city is as breathtaking as the views from the ground. . .

A Campanile means Bell Tower, I didn't realise that it meant 'active' bell tower.. but at 11.15 the bells swang into action. I risked deafness to take this photo, . . . . but was it worth it??


The same evening I spotted the Tower was still open at 8.30... so up we hopped again! It was magical... I am so glad I acted on impulse. Sadly I did not have my big tripod, and had also forgotten my remote control, so it was impossible to hold the camera steady. . . These are my favourites. . .

Around St Mark's Square - Venice

St Mark's is the centre of Venice, a wonderful square dominated by the Basilica and the Campanile (views of that in a different Post..) This first photo is not really much good, BUT is possibly my favourite photo of Venice. On our second and last evening we enjoyed the luxury of a bottle of wine on the square, listening to the various bands playing. Around us people were drinking, chatting and dancing, in the wonderful surroundings. I hope this photo sort of sums that up for you!

and this taken on the way home after the aforementionned bottle of wine!

What can I say about the Basilica, it dominates St Mark's Square and is simply wonderful. I cannot do it justice really.. If you have never seen it.. just go, that's what I can say. . . Don't look at these second rate pictures, go yourselves and see it!

It was with great excitement that I finally saw the clock tower. . . this has always been covered with cladding and scaffolding when I have visited in the past. The bell is struck perfectly on the hour and the building is delicious!

I feel sure that many of the rooms behind this facade are empty. The retsaurants below are vibrant and busy, yet the windows above seem bare and unlit, whenever I visit. . . .

The Doge's Palace was yet another site we did not visit. The exterior looks marvellous and one day I will spend a week in Venice and visit all the places I photograph!!

The next three photographs were taken at 6am as we hurried to the Vaporetta to allow Jen and Edward to catch a flight home. The square is almost deserted, and finally I could get a clear shot.. but somehow the Sqare looks better full of people.. am I ever happy?

The horses at the Basilica are wonderful. I feel sad that these are replicas, as the originals are now kept indoors due to their fragility.

The daytime equivalent of the next shot. San Giorgio Maggiore looks wonderful, but sadly we did not manage to visit it. . . .

Another of my favourite shots, San Giorgi Maggiore in the distance with the sleeping gondolas in front of me. The wind was a bit nippy and the gondolas were rocking away, far too much for a good photograph, but somehow I like the crazy movement, it sums up Venice, the tranquility of the scene that has remained the same for centuries, yet hustle na dbustle all around!

and later at night. . . .
and finally waiting for an early morning vaporetta to whisk Jen and edward back to Piazza Le Roma to take them back to the reality that is the mainland. . .