Overall except no blue skies was a great birthday present and will be one to remember for a long time.
Day 2 Sat 2nd May 2015
The next day another early rise as the rest of family were leaving and it was time for me to move accommodation, I was moving to the heart of Venice and what a day to do it. After the wet night I scouted that I could leave luggage at the train station Ferrovia which was a great godsend so I did that and naturally went into explore mode. As was still a bank holiday the hordes of tourists were in every corner so I took a quick escape and went on a mini adventure exploring parts of Venice I had never really captured before. As the heat and people were too much I chilled out and 'inhaled' the life of Venice which was very interesting to take a view of local life. Taking my time round the Ghetto I then made tracks to my accommodation situated by one of the many famous landmarks in Venice, the Rialto bridge. This bridge is known for the markets which are built in the centre of the bridge and runs down either side.
Again with everything in a city major renovation was taking place round the area. After eventually finding my accommodation I was very impressed after walking countless flights of stairs but was rewarded for Venice a very large apartment. After a homemade meal by the amazing host Katerina I then headed back out to venture to the creme de la creme which is St Marcos Square.
Unfortunately the clouds blocked the sun for sunset but was still a very busy city and countless opportunities to capture. As 10 o'clock I started to pinch myself how beautiful the square was as the high tide had just come in and parts of the square had become flooded and to any photographer that is a dream shot as gives the iconic surrounding a new perspective. St. Marcos is not only know for the inspiring buildings and monuments, it is also re known for buying the most expensive coffee in the world, simply to the fact that not only do you have an intimate quartet to yourself but a view that never gets old. Surrounding the square are marble arches, which are home to the best designer shops in the world and is prime real estate. After getting a high from the reflections I then took a short walk round the canals which were thankfully much quieter than before giving me the opportunity to capture my iconic shots. Before I knew it not only had midnight had passed but I now found myself the power to shoot Venice by night with no tourists or bodies in my way which I was delighted about.
It then appeared I wasn't alone as in the distance I heard a kiwi accent I naturally introduced myself and it turned out to be world travel photographer Trey Ratcliff. I had only recently heard of this guy through his HDR technique on landscapes and travel but he's living the dream and was great that fame hadn't got to his head, was a very down to earth guy and had invited me to return tomorrow to join him on a photowalk around Venice.
Now 2am approached I think it was time for sleep as the next day I had arranged to meet a local Italian photographer Ugo Cei who lived nearby in Milan.
Day 3. Sun 3rd May 2015
After returning in the early hours I woke up at 11, rendezvoused with Ugo outside the apartment and later met up with two other local Italians Francesco and Nico who were so friendly and having local knowledge in this city was a delight and so we went fine dining in the local tavernas. Hey these guys were shooting Fuji and canon, I was so impressed that instead of carrying gear all Nico had was Fuji x100 with a fixed 35mm, no bag. I was very impressed. Ugo was shooting 10-20 Fuji xe-1 & Francesco on a canon 70-200 (400d)
Unfortunately one place which we ate was known for happy hour which served a buffet and two for ones on drinks, had not been on at the times we were there so we got a little robbed at the price but hey, still an unreal restaurant and one of the best places I've dined at in Venice. I had a gnocchi and was absolutely spectacular.
