#piazetta san marco | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fific7 · 3 years

Text

Ticket to Ride - Part 4

Billy Russo x Reader

A/N: Inspired by The Beatles song of the same name. This takes place in my S1 Punisher AU with Arrogant!Billy in attendance, in which he gets a taste of his own medicine.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including oral and unprotected, between consenting adults* in some chapters. Drinking and swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My Photo Edit)

𝔹𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕘𝕖𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕤𝕒𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕓𝕪𝕖

𝕊𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕜 𝕥𝕨𝕚𝕔𝕖, 𝕤𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕠 𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕓𝕪 𝕞𝕖

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy woke up really early due to light streaming into his room. The sun was coming up. He couldn’t bring himself to close the curtains the previous night - after all, the view was the big thing in this hotel, wasn’t it? He rearranged his pillows so that he could still lie in bed but also tipped his head up enough so he could see the view.

It was too early to go along to her room yet, so he’d laze a little, shower and then he’d go. He hoped that her anger had cooled overnight, as the two of them really had to have a conversation. Not that he was looking forward to that conversation, but he realised that if he wanted to have even an outside chance of getting her back, he had to man up and tell her the truth. He had the distinct feeling that If he only told her part of it - a sanitised version of what had happened - she’d see right through him and that would be that.

He laughed out loud.... god he hadn’t even slept with the woman, but if he’d known the shitstorm that was going to be stirred up by all of this, maybe he should’ve just damn well done it!

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Meanwhile, you sat at the departure gate waiting for the boarding call. You’d always wanted to visit your next destination so while you were sad to leave Barcelona, you felt excited to be on your way.

With a little smile, you thought that the only real regret you had was you wouldn’t be there to see the expression on Billy’s face when he realised you’d skipped town again.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

As soon as he’d had that thought a little voice inside his head had said, if you had then you’d never ever get her back and you know it. Yeah, he did know it. So it was just as well I didn’t, he acknowledged to himself. Some no-strings sex with Madani wasn’t worth wrecking what he’d had with her.

Now he just had to hope that he wasn’t already too late to salvage that.

Billy stepped out onto the 20th floor landing then began walking up the red corridor to her room. He spotted a cleaning cart in the corridor - wait, that wasn’t outside her room, was it? No, it couldn’t be. But he felt a sinking feeling in his stomach the nearer he got.

He came to a halt next to the cart, and looked at the room number on the door for confirmation but he knew it before he even saw it.

She’d run out on him again.

Billy cursed loudly then swung round on his heel and headed back to the lifts. He took his phone out as he walked, hitting a starred number. It rang for a while then a grouchy voice said, “Yeah, what?”

“Micro? Got another job for you.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

After clearing Customs and Passport Control you walked briskly out of the terminal building, following a sign indicating where you needed to go. You were getting more and more impatient to get to the city by the minute, but you knew you had to make sure you picked the correct coloured route, as they went to different destinations.

Standing on the jetty at Marco Polo Airport, you waited patiently along with other passengers for the Alilaguna airport boat to moor alongside it and which would then take you to Venice.

La Serenissima. The city which floats on a lagoon.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Frank listened to what Micro had to say, then exploded. “Oh for fuck’s sake!!! This is gettin’ out of control. Yeah okay, do his search then let me know - not him - what you find out.”

He ended the call and threw his phone onto the bedside table. He’d have to speak to Bill, this was too much.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy was in a temper. He threw his clothes and toiletries into his duffel bag and zipped it up viciously. Nothing from Micro yet and he had to check out of his room now. He’d just have to sit in the bar/lounge downstairs and have a drink or two until he did hear back.

An hour and two whiskies later (yes, he’d thought as the barman’s eyebrows raised up at his request, it is damn early for a whisky but you have no idea what I’m going through), Billy was getting more and more impatient. Then his phone buzzed, but hope sank like a stone when he saw it was Frank.

“I guess he called you, then?” Billy said as soon as he answered the call. “Yep,” said Frank, “...he did. And this is the last one, Bill, you hear me?” “It’s not my fault she keeps flyin’ off t’different places!” whined Billy. “It’s your damn fault she took off in the first place, dumbass!” growled Frank and Billy said nothing as he couldn’t argue with that.

“Where’s she gone, Frankie?” he asked after a short silence. “Venice.” “Ah shit!!! Back to the States? Didn’t see that coming.” “Not Venice Beach, Bill... Venice, Italy.”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You settled yourself onto the wooden bench inside the vaporetto which would take you on the short hop across the wide Giudecca Canal from Palanca to Zattere. Vaporetti were the Venetian equivalent of public transport but a hugely more pleasurable experience. What would you rather hop on - a bus or a ferry? Yeah, definitely a ferry! You’d decided to stay on Giudecca instead of the main islands as it had a calmer, more relaxed vibe and tourists were much less in evidence.

Karen had texted you as you were getting unpacked in your small but cute room. Your hotel was surrounded by residential gardens and a narrow canal on one side; when you went out onto the large balcony, all you could hear was birdsong and the church bells of Venice. It was heavenly.

But Karen’s text had brought you down somewhat; Billy was on your track again. He’d been told by Frank that they weren’t going to help him out any longer, but you weren’t convinced that would put him off. Billy was the most stubborn sonuvabitch you’d ever met. Looking out the vaporetto windows, you saw a majestic tall ship making its way imperiously up the canal followed by a small tug like a lady in waiting, and wondered where it was sailing off to.

Sighing, you gathered up your bag as the vaporetto docked at Zattere and prepared to disembark. Maybe it was time to just sit down and have ‘that talk’ with him.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Billy, meanwhile, was waiting impatiently for his flight to start boarding in Barcelona airport. He just had to pin her down this time. No more escaping him and the talk they had to have.

He marvelled at the fact that in Europe, you were never really that far from your next destination. Here he was in Spain and in less than two hours’ time, he’d be in Italy. He’d bought a travel guide to Venice in one of the airport stores and settled down to read it.

Frank had given him the name and location of her hotel, somewhere called Giudecca. He didn’t have the first fucking clue as to where that was, so he’d better find out and quickly. Okay…. here was a map. Venice seemed to be divided into six sestiere or areas… hmmm no mention of Giudecca. Oh right, here it was, a large island out on its own across the Giudecca Canal from Venice.

He pinpointed the hotel on the map and felt a lot more relaxed.

I know where you are now, kitten.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Escaping from the crowd of tourists in Piazza San Marco into the relative peace of Caffé Florian, you sat down and ordered a horribly expensive cappuccino and pastry from the impassive waiter. But it was worth it just to soak up the historical atmosphere. You looked round the opulently decorated and gilded interior and opened up your guide book; it had opened in 1720 and scores of famous faces had passed through its doors or listened to its musicians outside. Wow - Casanova, Lord Byron, Charles Dickens, Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Clark Gable, Andy Warhol. The list went on and on.

Coffee finished, you wandered out of Florian’s and back along the Piazetta next to the Doge’s Palace. There was an arched bridge - the Ponte della Paglia - on the waterfront from which you could see the world-famous Bridge of Sighs, and you joined the huddle of tourists at the top of the bridge to eventually make it to the front and take a picture of it. Your guide book told you the bridge was so called because after their trials, condemned prisoners would be taken from the Doge’s Palace over the small canal at its side to the prison, and their last sight of Venice would be from the bridge. Hence the ‘sighs’.

Next, you walked along to the Arsenale, the huge historical shipyard where Venice had built her vast number of ships which had enabled her to have a huge trading empire. It had been said that they’d been able to construct a fully equipped warship in one day. But that was long in the past, you thought as you looked at an array of stone lion statues outside its main entrance and a bust of Dante set onto the wall.

Turning away, you headed to the vaporetto stop of the same name and waited for the Line 1 vaporetto to arrive and take you on a sail up the Grand Canal.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Yet again, Billy was in a bad mood. After a couple of false starts, he’d eventually managed to make his way onto the correct Alilaguna boat at Marco Polo and had alighted at Zitelle on Giudecca.

But now here he was - walking backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards - along the waterfront, trying to find out where this damn fucking hotel was. He just couldn’t find it! Where the hell was it?

Billy spotted a guy around his own age walking towards him and stepped in front of him, asking politely in English if he could help him find this hotel. A stream of Italian burst forth and the guy must’ve realised that Billy didn’t understand one word, as he then took his arm and pulled him along the waterfront a little. He stopped and gestured towards one of the narrowest damn alleyways Billy had ever seen, quite near the vaporetto stop.

He thanked the guy effusively and set off up the alleyway. There were peoples’ houses on each side of it and he tried not to be too nosy as he walked past them. But echoing within the walls of the alley he could hear voices, children’s laughter, a football match on a TV, a dog barking… talk about living on top of each other. He wasn’t sure he could live like that but then it just depended on what you were used to, he supposed.

Arriving in a small open area leading to a canal and a bridge over it - Corte Ferrando, he saw on a sign - he found the Giudecca Hotel right on the corner next to the canal. At last!!!

Walking in to the small but light and airy reception area, he dumped his bag next to reception and asked the guy behind the desk if he could book a room. “Certainly, signore, how many nights would that be for?” Billy shrugged, saying, “I’ll make it for two nights for now, but maybe I’ll need to extend that, I’m not sure.” “That is no problem. Can I have your passport please, signore?”

Billy handed it over, thinking as he did, going by her recent history it might be only the one night!

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You stepped off the vaporetto at Rialto. Well, you just had to walk over the famous bridge and be a total tourist didn’t you, stopping to take a picture looking back down the Grand Canal. You’d gazed at all the big palazzi lining the waterway as the vaporetto zig-zagged its way between all the stops on the canal. They were certainly impressive, but they also had a faded, melancholic air about them.

Some of them had been converted into museums, some rented out on long or short-term leases by their owners, or they were now owned by foreigners who only stayed in them for a handful of weeks each year. When the festivals were taking place… Carnevale, the Biennale, the Film Festival. The rest of the year they lay empty and lonely, no doubt steeped in dreams of the lavish masked balls and elegant dinner parties from centuries past, while the noble Venetian families who used to own them lived in modern condos in Mestre on the mainland, no longer in their beloved Venezia. How sad, you thought.

Heading back to the vaporetto stop, you decided you’d go to Accademia, have a look round the art gallery, visit the huge and famous church Santa Maria della Salute and then wander round the artisan shops in Dorsoduro, perhaps have a glass of vino in one of the cute little wine bars.

You were determined to make this afternoon and evening last for as long as you could. Billy would no doubt be waiting for you when you got back to Giudecca.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The man himself hadn’t even bothered unpacking this time, just in case. He’d had a quick shower and then had taken a short stroll around the local area. He noticed very few tourists and decided this was why she’d chosen it. He knew she’d prefer to sample the local life more than the tourist traps.

Not wanting to spend too much time away from the hotel, he made his way back and sat outside on the lone park bench in the courtyard area. He started running over in his mind what he was going to say to her, to be honest he still wasn’t sure how to frame it so that she wouldn’t go ballistic.

His stomach knotted. Who was he kidding? Of course she was going to go ballistic! He was about to admit he’d made out on more than one occasion with another woman. And irrespective of the fact that it had been strictly business from his point of view, his girl was not going to be the least bit impressed with him.

Fuck, I’ve really screwed this up, he allowed himself to think for the first time. He’d made his brain block out this uncomfortable thought what with all the chasing after her in the previous few days. He’d been telling himself over and over that everything would all be alright.

But now he thought… would it? Would it really?

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Returning on the vaporetto to Palanca, you felt yourself starting to tense up. You knew Billy would either have arrived by now or would very shortly.

Whatever he had to say to to you, you knew you weren’t going to like it. The evidence was too strong that he’d been cheating on you and you weren’t going to let him off the hook for that. The problem was, you loved the stupid douchebag. But how could you trust him now, after he’d been seeing another woman? In some ways, it was worse that it was just the one. And you were sure it was just one, if the perfume evidence was anything to go by. It would almost have been better if he’d gone back to his old tom-catting ways, quantity over quality to coin Frank’s phrase. Your stomach twisted as you remembered him saying to you that at last Billy had reversed that equation when he got with you. But if he was seeing just the one? That was bad.

You began walking up the alleyway and as you reached the open area, you saw a figure sitting on the park bench, the back of a dark head. Billy.

Squaring your shoulders and feeling as if you were about to go into battle, you walked steadily towards him.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Venice

(My Photos/video 3 & 7 / June 2012 & 2016)

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

@blackbirddaredevil23 @theshadowkingsqueen @omgrachwrites @behindmyeyes-insidemyhead @ourloveisforthelovely @swthxrry @odetostep @supernaturalcat7 @obscurilicious @strawb3rrydr3ss @bruxa0007 @aleksanderwh0r3 @bat-luna-cat

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

#billy russo #ben barnes #billy russo x reader #billy russo fanfiction #billy russo imagine #billy russo fanfic

101 notes · View notes

newloverofbeauty · 3 years

Photo

Piazetta San Marco, Venice

20 notes · View notes

yama-bato · 6 years

Photo

ANDERS PETERSEN, “Libreria Veccia, Piazetta di San Marco”, 1986

#Anders Petersen

54 notes · View notes

drprunesquallor · 4 years

Text

Thursday Doors - Love in the time of Corona 3

Thursday Doors – Love in the time of Corona 3

To get around in Venice, you need to know a bit of Italian to interpret the map. But it is complicated. For example, a piazza is a large, central open square, but the Piazzale Roma is a bus terminus. And there are two piazettas, either side of the Basilica San Marco. However, districts have squares, called a campo, which are urban and not close to canals. Not to be confused with a campiello and a

View On WordPress

#Basilica San Marco #Museo Correr #Napoleon #Piazza San Marco #Thursday Doors

0 notes

loffl · 7 years

Photo

#loffl Friedrich Paul Nerly (1807-1878), Piazetta San Marco in Moonlight

#loffl

1 note · View note

aroundtheworldin18years · 5 years

Text

ONE HOLIDAY, TWO PARKS, LOTS OF FUN

July 2018, and for the first time since 1995, temperatures have soared to 27°C across the tiny island of Ireland. As a direct result of the excessive heat there’s a hosepipe ban in place. Almost makes us want to stay home and camp in the garden, not! Knowing our tiny little country as we do, the weather could change in the blink of an eye. In all seriousness, you could get frostbite before brunch and sunburn by midday…very unpredictable indeed! I must point out, for Ireland, 27°C is excessively hot! Hot or not, we still booked a Eurocamp holiday to Marina Julia Camping Village in Monfalcone, Province of Gorizia, and Park Albatros Village in San Vincenzo, Province of Livorno, Italy.

A view of Lough Erne from the shores of Castle Archdale Country Park

MERAVIGLIOSA ITALIA

For the second time this year we are taking ourselves off to the country that we love so much, meravigliosa Italia. With sweeping coastlines, tranquil blue waters, beautifully crafted architecture and mouth-watering cuisine, what’s not to love about Italia? Italy is fast becoming one of our favourite European holiday destinations. For the very first time our holiday was split between two Eurocamp sites, hence our catchy heading; One Holiday, Two Parks, Lots of Fun.

Week 1 at Marina Julia Camping Village

Marina Julia Camping Village – in the Province of Gorizia; lies on the northeast coast where the rugged land meets with the warm clear waters of the Adriatic Sea.

Week 2 at Park Albatros Village (blog post coming very soon)

Park Albatros Village – in the Province of Livorno; is nestled along the Etruscan Coast where waves creep gently and silently onto the soft white sandy beaches.

Did you know? If a beach is white it means the sand consists almost entirely of fish poo and broken down coral….no, neither did we! Still…it feels nice underfoot doesn’t it! Thank you Wikipedia.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Another first in our holidaying history was that we didn’t begin this holiday as a family of four. I (Daddy) was away on a trip and once finished, would be flying from Prague to Milan to meet up with the ladies. The trip was planned so that the ladies would be arriving from Manchester at roughly the same time that I arrived from Prague. Unfortunately my flight was delayed for just under 3 hours! The girls used their time well and visited an exhibition within the airport and got free colouring books from AVIS. Daddy finally arrived at Malpensa Airport, Milan just after midnight. Exhausted and we still had a 5 hour drive to get to Marina Julia Camping Village…the joys (and pitfalls) of travel!

You’ve been framed…literally

Colouring…but not by numbers

IF YOUR NAME’S NOT DOWN

With three sleeping (snoring) ladies and just the radio for company, our arrival to Marina Julia Camping Village came just before 5.30am. Unfortunately the security barrier was down and we were unable to take the car through until 7am. So with just the bare essentials grabbed out of our LeanPac® JamPac travel holdall, the Security Guard kindly checked us in and handed over a key. A very quiet trundle (so as not to wake the natives) past lush green shrubs and tall trees to Eurocamp Classic Mobile #150. The only sound was from the dawn chorus of birds as they signalled the start of a brand new day. Peaceful!

Eurocamp Classic #150 with 2 bedrooms

BEAUTY SLEEP ISN’T NEEDED BUT DEFINITELY WELCOME

At 7am we made our way back to the Marina Julia Camping Village reception to check in properly. By ‘we’ I actually mean Mummy and the girls. Daddy was beat, so I flopped into the first bed I came across and slept for several hours. After all, it had been a very long two days of travelling. As I slept, the girls familiarised themselves with the facilities on camp. Then a chance to try out the play park before the sleeping holidaymakers roused from their slumber. As for me, I much prefer to find ‘things’ as I stumble upon them.

Don’t touch the floor, it’s lava

Fun in the sun

I love monkeying around

COSY ON CAMP

Marina Julia Camping Village, which is new to Eurocamp for 2018; had just been taken over by Club Del Sole, so we’re expecting to see a few changes made in the coming years. The small 36 acre site houses 138 masonry bungalows and 200 pitches for tents and caravans. Small certainly doesn’t mean lacking and the mobile was perfectly suited to our needs. Within, there was two bedrooms (double and one single bed + two bunks), shower, separate toilet (always a bonus), small kitchenette with essentials such as kettle, plates, cutlery etc and a lounge/dining area with a drop leaf table. Each mobile is fitted with a smoke detector and a fire blanket. Just to say that we always take our own Carbon Monoxide detector (and spare batteries) on trips. There was also a large decked area for chilling and BBQ’s. Mobile #150 was cosy and perfectly adequate for The Callaghan Posse.

Single bedroom

Double bedroom

CAMP EXPLORATION

At the very heart of Marina Julia Camping Village is the ‘small square’, or as it’s known locally, ‘il piazzetta’. This square is pretty much the hub of the park. The square gives you access to the restaurant, pizzeria, bar (with a small wall mounted TV), gelateria (ice cream), a well stocked supermarket and a video games room. For the sporty among you, there are plenty of activities available. To mention a few there’s volleyball, table tennis, mini golf, five-a-side football, tennis and basketball. Feeling lazy, no problem, simply relax at the pool area. Il piazzetta is also where you will find the entertainment staff and Kids Club, as well as the main stage for the evening entertainment which varies from day-to-day.

youtube

FINDING OUR FEET, IF WIFI WOULD LET US

It didn’t take us long to ‘find our feet‘ and figure out where everything was. But…it also didn’t take long to figure out that the WiFi at Marina Julia Camping Village is very poor. There is a WiFi ‘hotspot’ right at the heart of camp, but it’s packed with teens and speeds are sooooo slow. It doesn’t help that 3g/4g is really intermittent across the whole of the camp. A minor issue, but an issue nonetheless. In our opinion, the WiFi needs to be improved significantly.

LIFE’S A PEACH WHEN THE POOL’S IN REACH

Marina Julia Camping Village has 4 pools; olympic, diving, splash pool and slide pool. All of which are excellent. There’s also also a swirling Lazy River which was a firm favourite with The Callaghan Posse. If you’re not familiar with a Lazy River, I’ll enlighten you. Basically you sit on a large inflatable ring and allow the slow water current to drag you around effortlessly…bliss. Poolside you can hire sun loungers with shades for just €3 per day. If you’re not wishing to part with any cash there are a couple of grassy areas for you to lie out on beach towels. These areas have no shade but are free! Be warned, you need to be down at the pool early in the morning to ensure you secure your sunlounger or free spot.

Sunloungers don’t remain empty for long

BOMBS AWAY

Lily-Belle was a little adventurous and jumped off the first diving board. Day 1 was the one and only time Lily-Belle got the courage and jumped off the board! The older children on site were launching themselves off the high dive board…fearless or bonkers, make your own mind up! The pools weren’t too busy and the fact that the sun loungers are so close gives you a real peace of mind for allowing the children to go and gain their water-wings (all under a parents watchful eye). Lily-Belle and Matilda loved the smaller splash pool and the huge mound in the centre; great for sliding down into the shallow water.

Conquering fears with a splash

Perfect for slippy customers

Look out, ‘cos here I come

TRIESTE

Our second morning was spent by the pool but clouds soon began to form above Marina Julia Camping Village. The sky was overcast and and a few spots of rain had fallen. Perfect opportunity to leave camp and explore nearby Trieste. A short drive took us over the mountains and gave us astonishing views of the city and seaport of Trieste. The scenic drive led us right down to the waters edge which overlooked the Gulf of Trieste. Our parking space was within the shadow of Piazza Unità d’Italia which is the main square in Trieste. It didn’t take long for Lily-Belle and Matilda to spot a Gelateria. Ice cream before sightseeing…always!

City of Trieste overlooking the Gulf of Trieste in the Adriatic Sea

Trieste is brimming with little cafe’s, not surprising really as it is known as ‘la città del caffè’ (the city of coffee). This pleases Daddy…I love coffee! Gelato and coffee consumed…we are all happy! The main square faces the Adriatic Sea and, unlike Piazza San Marco Square in Venice; it’s relatively quiet which is perfect for taking a few snaps. Looking around at the opulent buildings it is very clear to see that Trieste is steeped in history. There are monuments of all shapes, sizes and the architecture is nothing short of majestic!

Piazza Unità d’Italia

Sculpture representing solders on the waterfront

Our afternoon trip to Trieste was cut short as the rain began to fall. No problem for Lily-Belle and Matilda as they had packable raincoats…Mummy and Daddy on the other hand didn’t! Back to the car and back to Marina Julia Camping Village. Upon our return the rain was coming down hard so we decided to stay indoors. DVD’s, board games and yummy snacks! The Animazione at ‘il piazetta‘ would have to wait for a dry night.

I spy with my little eye

POSTOJNA CAVES (day trip)

The following day and a quick look outside showed dark clouds on the horizon…rain clouds! Not wanting to waste a day indoors we took ourselves off for a day trip. First on the agenda was Park Postojnska Jama which was just over the border in Slovenia. Park Postojnska Jama is home to one of the most captivating caves in the world, Postojna Cave. Inside the magical underground labyrinth live baby dragons and the world’s most elusive troglobite; the slenderneck beetle. Our tour of the 24-kilometre-long cave system began with a one-of-a-kind ride on an underground train.

READ ALL ABOUT POSTOJNA CAVE, A MAGICAL SUBTERRANEAN LABYRINTH

PREDJAMA CASTLE (day trip)

Predjama Castle lies to the Northwest of Park Postojnska Jama and takes around 15 minutes to reach by car. From the Dragons of Postojna Cave to a fairytale of Knights and medieval conquests at Predjama Castle, and all in just one day! Predjama Castle is recognised by Guinness World Records as being the world’s largest Renaissance Castle built within a cave mouth. Located in the historical region of Inner Carniola; Predjama Castle is a striking piece of 12th century architecture. Overlooking the beautiful Slovenian countryside, Predjama Castle is one of the country’s largest tourist attractions and comes under the umbrella of Park Postojnska Jama.

READ ALL ABOUT PREDJAMA CASTLE, THE WORLD’S LARGEST CAVE CASTLE

DINING WITH THE LOCALS

And the rain did fall, and fall some more! The drive home from Predjama Castle encountered some of the worst rain we have ever seen on our travels, and we live in Northern Ireland! It was horrendous, visibility almost nil and flash floods on the mountain roads. Debris everywhere! A quick stop for a Google search to find nearby restaurants and cover was taken at Cuk Gostilna Pizzeria. A quiet venue and definitely a place where the locals themselves would dine. The staff were excellent and made us feel very, very welcome, and the food was exceptional. The girls were more than happy as our waitress gave them each a Unikatoy craft box to keep them entertained. Well worth a visit should you find yourself visiting Predjama Castle or Postojna Cave.

Making pen holders

Lots ad lots of chicken

Delicious mascarpone

SLIP SLOP SLAP

After such a long day in Postojna and Predjama yesterday, not to mention the long drive home; a relaxing day poolside at Marina Julia Camping Village was needed. As always, Mummy was up at the crack of dawn to purchase fresh croissants for breakfast. The sun was shining brightly and the temperature was already 23º C at 10am. Slip-slop-slap with Calypso Kids and the girls made their way to the pool to secure the sunloungers beside the splash pool. In the main pool there was a group of sychronised swimmers meticulously practicing their moves over and over! Poolside there was an exercise class being given by a member of the Animazione Team. As is normal in the Italian camp sites, there wasn’t many English speaking children. Language is no barrier when children and water come together; and the girls soon made friends with a little girl from Hungary.

Slip-Slop-Slap with Calypso Kids

The knobbly knees contest was a huge success

You put your left arm in

LIFE IS BETTER ON A BEACH

Although we loved that there was no siesta at Marina Julia Camping Village, our pale white skin does not bode well with the hot midday sun. The sun was harsh so we retreated back to the static for a spot of lunch and an ice lolly. We hadn’t really explored the local area so after lunch we took a short stroll to the shingle beach which is beside Marina Julia Camping Village. The beach was largely inhabited by locals, and as it was the weekend, as you can probably imagine; it was quite busy! On the beach there’s a little café which is the perfect spot for, you guessed it; Gelato! The girls also enjoyed the small but adequate play park located on the beach and away from the water.

Sun worship with the locals

STAYING PUT IS SOMETIMES THE BETTER OPTION

Last year we never missed an evening of entertainment at Spiaggia e Mare Holiday Park in Porto Garibaldi, Italy. So far we’ve spent a lot more time sightseeing than we normally would. Quite often it’s been a case of getting back late evening (or early hours of the morning) and going straight to bed. Not wanting to venture out of camp we decided to enjoy dinner at Marina Julia Camping Village. The restaurant on site offers both À La Carte and buffet; there is also a takeaway in the ‘il piazzetta. As is the norm when we dine Italian, mussels and pizza for Daddy and the girls, and spag-bol for Mummy. After our meal the girls enjoyed the children’s min-disco. Daddy and Mummy tortured ourselves by watching the MATCH, you know, the one where Croatia dumped England out of the World Cup! Shhhhhh, at least nobody mentioned ’66!

READ ALL ABOUT OUR 2017 HOLIDAY TO SPIAGGIA E MARE HOLIDAY PARK

Yummy mussels in my tummy

Fresher than fresh pizza

Munching on mussels

ROMANTIC OLD VENICE

The day we had been waiting for had finally arrived! Venice is famed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and who are we to disagree. Built on an archipelago (a cluster) of small islands which are all joined together by bridges; Venice is a real tourist hotspot. The resplendent buildings in the old town, many of which are in desperate need of repair; still have a desirable beauty whilst offering a huge amount of character to this romantic city. Sadly, romance wasn’t on the cards and our day trip to Venice was with a purpose, to experience one of the biggest firework displays in Europe, the Festa del Rendentore (Feast of the Redeemer).

READ ALL ABOUT THE FESTA DEL REDENTORE IN VENICE

THERE’S NOTHING MORE YUMMY THAN YUXI

It’s the penultimate day of our holiday at Marina Julia Camping Village and tomorrow will see us relocate to Park Albatros Village in Tuscany. Although Italian food is a firm favourite of ours, there are many other cuisines we like to eat and authentic Japanese is always desirable. During one of our excursions outside of camp, we noticed a sushi restaurant which wasn’t too far away in Monfalcone. Highly recommended by the Eurocamp Holiday Reps we knew we had to pay Yuxi a visit, and even more so when we learned of an afternoon special on offer…all you can eat for €11.90 each.

GREAT SERVICE, EVEN BETTER SUSHI

In typical fashion we arrived at Yuxi with less than 30 minutes until close. The staff were amazing and allowed us to sit. The decor is stylishly modern and the ambience is peaceful and tranquil. Yuxi is almost empty with just one other table with diners seated. Our waitress explained the afternoon special and gave us a few pointers. Basically order 10 dishes to begin with and then order more dishes as and when desired (which we did). The menu is extensive and thankfully in English. Knowing that we’d arrived late we didn’t take too long to make our sushi selections. From order to table was less than 10 minutes, and everything was made fresh to order. No point in taking you through each bite but the food is deliciously Japanese and every bite packed full of flavour and moreish. Probably the best Japanese food we’ve ever eaten!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

PENULTIMATE POOLSIDE PADDLES

After a taste of Yuxi we took a short stroll along the marina in Monfalcone and grabbed a gelato as our post-Japanese dessert. The girls wanted to go back to the pool. Back at Marina Julia Camping Village we spent the last few hours in the pool. In the evening we watched the final Animator show at the ‘il piazzetta’ until the rain halted proceedings. Bed time and the end of week 1 of our Italian adventure. Tomorrow would be a long day as we planned on visiting friends at Spiaggia e Mare Holiday Park before driving 6 hours south-west to Park Albatros Village in Tuscany.

EUROCAMP: ONE HOLIDAY, TWO PARKS, LOTS OF FUN Week 2 – PARK ALBATROS VILLAGE (blog post coming very soon)

The last gig on our last night

WOULD WE GO BACK

In all honesty we’re a tad unsure on this one. The facilities at Marina Julia Camping Village are excellent, but the poor WiFi and mediocre entertainment would possibly put us off returning. Should these improve, then yes, we would happily return. In favour we have to say the food at Marina Julia Camping Village is of a high quality. Pools are great and perfect for children of all ages, and the cleanliness on site was nothing short of exceptional.

LILY-BELLE (age 9) SAYS Marina Julia Camping Village is really good for children. The pools are brilliant and the lazy river was loads of fun. Matilda and I tried the kids club once but we didn’t really enjoy it. I really enjoyed visiting Postojna Cave and seeing the baby dragons, I even bought a baby dragon teddy to take home. Predjama Castle was amazing, and it was really funny when Daddy said that the knight died whilst doing a poo.

MATILDA (age 3) SAYS The pool with the big bird was my favourite because it wasn’t too deep, but I liked the big blue and white slide as well. I didn’t want to sit on the toilet in the castle but Daddy made me do it.

Travel Itinerary

Belfast to Manchester: Easyjet (mummy + 2 children) – flights £40.54 + 1 checked bag £16.99 Overnight stay at Holiday Inn Express: Booking.com – £80.00 Manchester to Milan: Easyjet (mummy + 2 children) – flights £34.48 + 1 checked bag £25.99 Car hire: Maggiore Car Rental – 15 days – Renault Megane Automatic – £328.55 (plus £2000 security deposit) Milan to Liverpool: Ryanair (2 adults + 2 children) + 1 checked bag €25.00 Liverpool to Dublin: Ryainair (2 adults + 2 children) + 1 checked bag £15.00

Marina Julia Camping Village: Eurocamp booked via Sun Holidays – £160.00 Marina Julia Camping Village: Website Tel: +39 0481 40561 Email: [email protected] Closest Aiport: Trieste Airport – 5.5 miles (8.8 km) Date of stay: 9th – 16th July 2018 (inclusive)

If you would like to:

Work With Us | Obtain Further Information | Receive Our Media Pack Please GET IN TOUCH

PIN IT

Information, currency and prices are correct at the time of publishing. Views, opinions and experiences are that of The Callaghan Posse and are correct at the time of publication. Photos, unless credited, taken by The Callaghan Posse for use and distribution by Around The World In 18 Years. Images and content may not be copied or used (commercial or private) without first obtaining permission.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Don’t miss out on our future BLOG posts, sign up to our FREE Newsletter or connect with us on:

SHARING IS CARING

If you enjoyed reading our BLOG post, please feel free to share it using the social media icons below.

EUROCAMP: MARINA JULIA CAMPING VILLAGE ONE HOLIDAY, TWO PARKS, LOTS OF FUN July 2018, and for the first time since 1995, temperatures have soared to 27°C across the tiny island of Ireland.

#eurocamp #italy #Marina Julia Camping Village #Park Albatros Village

0 notes

theperipateticelder · 6 years

Text

Day Two: Venice

We began with a nice breakfast at the hotel then met for our walking tour of Venice. The hotel was only a block from St. Marks Square, famous for its pigeons. We walked through the Square to the Campanile across from the 15thcentury bell tower. Then we saw the exterior of St. Mark’s Basilica. The tour guide explained that everything used to build the Basilica was “stolen” from somewhere else: various marbles and tiles. Adjacent to the Basilica was the Doge’s Palace, a 14thcentury Gothic masterpiece with a pink marble exterior and lacy stone arches. This was the seat of Venetian Government for 1,000 years. We had an extensive tour of the palace. The palace houses wonderful art by Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. There was the Golden Staircase and the Bridge of Sighs leading to the prison. Outside, along the piazetta, each column is different. Between the ninth and tenth column, death sentences were declared; executions were carried out between the freestanding columns in the piazetta next to the canal.

On the canal side gateway to the piazetta are two pinnacles, with two figures of the Cardinal Virtues; the gateway is crowned by a bust of St. Mark over which rises a statue of Justicewith her traditional symbols of a sword and scales. In the space above the cornice, there is a sculptural portrait of the Doge kneeling before the St. Mark’s Lion, symbol of Venice. Across the Square from the Palace were various buildings housing a library, shops, and three museums. They were built in the same 14thcentury Gothic style.

After the tour we returned to our hotel for a light lunch. Our afternoon was free, so we explored the museums on the plaza. The National Archaeological Museum was established in 1523 by Cardinal Domenico Grimani. This Museum has a great collection of Greek and Roman sculptures, ceramics, coins, and stones dating back as far as the 1st Century B.C. Ittells the story of a city of art and its collections donated over the years.

Next was the Correr Museum, one of the most important museums in the city of Venice. It houses works of great historical and artistic value in areas such as painting, sculpture, furniture, naval instruments and much more. Through these objects, this museum tells the history of Venice from its foundation to its union with Italy in the 19th century. Here you will find objects that reflect each of the aspects that have marked the life and history of the current Venice.

The third “museum” was theMarciana Library, one of the largest Italian libraries and the most important one in Venice. Inside are some of the best collections of Greek, Latin, and Oriental manuscripts in the world. It is located at the bottom of San Marco Square between the Belfry of San Marco and the Zecca Palace of Venice. After these explorations, we ate at the Marco Polo restaurant in the Square.

After dinner, we had a private tour of St. Mark’s Basilica. The church was built in 828 C.E. as a tomb for St. Mark. The story is that his body was snuck out of Alexandria in a casket of pork, so the Muslims wouldn’t find it. No one knows for sure whether St. Mark is actually buried there, but his tomb is there. After a fire in 976, the church was rebuilt and became the Doge’s private chapel. It is now the Cathedral of Venice. It has large bronze doors, above which are beautiful mosaics of the Life of Christ. There are also mosaics of the Life of St. Mark. On a balcony above the doors is a team of Bronze horses. The Basilica is in the shape of a Greek cross. The marble floor, which dates from the 12thcentury, has animal designs. The interior is completely covered with mosaics of Biblical scenes and people. At the front, behind the altar is a large reredos. On the side commonly facing out are pictures done in enamel. On high feast days it is turned to reveal a sculpted gold altar piece. Venice is built on mud. All the buildings are constructed on pylons several feet down. The cathedral is sinking and in many places the floor was uneven. It is also atilt.

After the tour we strolled the Piazza, stopped, for gelato and wine, and returned to the hotel to pack.

Basilica of San Marco

Doge’s Palace

Looking out from the Bridge of Sighs

Grand Canal from Piazza

0 notes