A Day in Venice: not sinking but wearing away and being bought up by tourists so the Venetian population is falling fast. These could be the last precious years where it retains some of its authentic charm. Joe and I visited the last squero where the gondolas are made by hand, saw the very final gondola being made in the traditional method, and visited an ancient fort on a deserted island in the lagoon.

www.friendsofveniceclub.com has links to the great B&B we stayed in (Ca’della Corte), run by Annarosa who knows all the out of the way treats of Venice, and to Christina who took us out on her converted Venetian sailing boat (brogosso), along with a horse whisperer and an HR wizard.

My son Joseph and I can’t wait to go back again – even if he did get a nose bleed from all the excitement!

A quick quiz (answers at the bottom of the posting)

1: What is the name of the Venetian boat that is famous for its romantic tour along the canals?

2:What vehicles are not to be seen in Venice?

3: Name a Famous venetian painter who worked exclusively in Venice.

4: Name the Venetian composer who wrote the Four Seasons.

5: What shape is the areal view of the city?

6: What was the ruler of Venice called?

7: What region of Italy is Venice in?

8: What is the region’s largest agricultural product?

9: What would be the benefit of a trip to Venice for someone who is attending the Starting Over Show Brighton October 11th 2008?

Answer 1: Gondola

Answer 2: Cars

Answer 3: Tintoretto

Answer 4: Vivaldi

Answer 5 : the shape of a fish!

Answer 6: Doge

Answer 7: Veneto

Answer 8: Wine

Answer 9: Break to enjoy doing something new and getting a new perspective…. (learning how to cook, how to do Venetian rowing, have a divorce party!)