Venice - Sunday (23/9)

Sunday morning after breakfast we say goodbye to Ange and Paul who are heading off home and we take the hotel boat shuttle to St Marks square for some sight seeing and shopping.  Liz leaves Venice this afternoon for a desert camp in Muscat and Rachael and l leave in couple of days.  Rachael is off to Doha and then home and l Muscat and Dubai and then home.

We got the shuttle at 10.30am and on it we met 2 Canadian couples who have been traveling around Tuscany and Rome for the last couple of weeks as well. We exchange stories, battle the 30 minute ride to the square and am speaking at 100 miles per hour so l am not sick from the water.  It was rough and not expected at all.  The Canadians were hilarious and lovely and we exchanged travel stories.  People still get a shock when we tell them how long we have been traveling for and places we have been.  We arrived at St Marks and we start being tourists taking photos and battling the crowds...gee it is so busy always.  We then head off in search for a handbag for myself weaving through all the lane ways and ending up in the same place again and again.  Getting lost is fun and you always find interesting and different things along the way.  We visited Channel, Hermes, Prada, Louis Vuitton and others and l really didn't like anything and then we head into Gucci and l am going "l went into Gucci in Rome and there was nothing l liked...grumble, grumble cause l haven't found anything and really want to purchase something for my birthday with the money all my friends had given me and then all of a sudden l turn and Rachael is holding up a bag which l immediately fall in love with.  As l say, it had my name written all over it.  The sales assistant saw my excitement and came running over to explain the bag to me and l am just feeling how soft and beautiful it is.  I take one look at the price and need to sit down.  The sales assistant proceeds to explain that its 'deer' and l am thinking bloody oath its deer and omg l could go on another holiday at that price and l look over at Rachael and she is holding and rubbing her nose and giggling.....not sure why. So l let that go and then in the excitement l buy myself the matching purse, which l love as well and at this point l am thinking that's another holiday l have given up but you only turn 40 once and l deserve it and l skip out of the store practically in excitement with my beautiful purchases.

We spent hours walking around and going into stores, seeing The Rialto bridge and many canals and people taking gondola rides.  Venice is just so cute and surprising as you never know what you will find or see around the next corner you take.  We hit a makeup store again, god knows why and then our feet could not walk anymore and we were are starving.  So we sat down and had a late lunch near the hotel and Liz got ready to leave while Rachael and l sat around in the room resting.  I take out my purchases and eye them off and feel how soft the leather is and Rachael goes its a really nice bag and l am calling it Rudolf.  So l go "why?" and she goes the lady told you in the store it was made from deer, thats why l was rubbing and holding my nose cause l was thinking of Rudolf, so l am calling your bag Rudolf....lol.  I am beside myself as l thought she was referring to the price and Rachael is shacking her head at me and going you are such a goose.  I knew something was funny at the store but l was in love with the bag that l didn't pay attention.  Such a ding bat l am.

That evening Rachael and l had dinner at a restaurant over looking one of the canals and in bed early as tomorrow we have another big shopping day ahead of us and our last day in Venice so we want to make the most about of it.

Until next time Ciao Z xx