Kids super-excited to come to Italy. Dad came down with acute flu/chest-infection which kept him immobile for first week. It’s a long while since I felt that bad — couldn’t even read, I was so enfeebled. And coughing was miserably painful. And I couldn’t sleep. Made mistake of going out on one day when I felt a bit better (we went to Chioggia — odd, sub-Venetian small town with slightly pikey feel to population). Next day I was utterly awful; tried to go and see a doctor but they wouldn’t see me – were told to go to Pronto Soccorso, but sod that! Went to the pharmacist in Paderno and lady there was extremely helpful and gave me a course of Amoxycillin (+ clavulanic acid). That helped, and by Easter Sunday I was just about clear of it.
Monday kept it quiet at home. Giada and Samuele offered to take the kids to the beach for a “quick walk”. We said yes, having to make a quick decision, and then immediately regretted it. We should, in hindsight, have called them back but decided it would be OK as they had said “a quick walk”. They left around 11.30 and we reckoned they should be back by 4pm. We rang at 5, assuming they were nearly home, but they were only just leaving then. Not sensible, as they were at Punta Sabione — single-road access down a popular spit of land in the Venice lagoon. They got home at 10pm! Isa and I were complete wrecks; as, of course, were the kids…
Meanwhile that same afternoon, Marino and Duccio had come round to pick stiuppetti (or whatever they’re called) in the field. We went out for a walk around the fields with Bruna, Renzo, Morena and Claudio while we were waiting for Marino to arrive. Picked some bruscandoli (just enough for a risotto the next day). We saw Marino and Duccio from across the field and went to find them and then chatted while we helped pick. We left them picking: I think Marino put in another hour or two…
Then Tues, we went into Treviso for a bit of a wander around. Found a good wine shop near the wall carpark that sold wine into your own (or their) bottles. Next door was a bike shop full of highly desirable bits and bobs.
Weds Isa went in to Treviso for a hair cut. Thursday we went to Venice and spent nine hours wandering around. Bought all-day passes for vaporetti; went to Murano. Rialto, Zatteri,… good route, captured in ViewRanger.