Marathon Pics

Rob finished the marathon, which is the fourth time for Venice. I'm so proud, it is a huge achievement.
Sorry that it has taken so long to post Rob's marathon photos.  All sorts of excuses but here they are at long last:

 Running the last 100metres

 Rob managed to spot me in the crowd and we sorted out where to meet up -same place as usual :)

 Looking pretty tired after a long hard run. 

It was amazing that he finished with so little preparation

  The Venice Marathon medals are great. This year has Ca' Foscari which is at the 18km mark.

 In Piazza San Marco.

 It is quite a long walk back from the finish line to Dorsoduro with tired legs

A very tired Rob trying to smile :)

On my way to to meet Rob at the finish line someone stole 30euros from the pocket of my jacket.   I was in a very squashy crowd that was moving very slowly. I'm impressed with their skill - the money was in a pocket of my leather jacket which has a very stiff zip.  I was holding on tightly to my bag with one arm and carring a bag of stuff for Rob in the other.  The crowd was pushing and shoving and I didn't feel my pocket being picked.

Luckily it was only 30 euros.

Venezia

We're in an apartment in Venezia for 4 weeks -using it as a base and heading off to a few places that we haven't been.  We will probably go to Trieste or Udine this week because if we leave it too long we won't go.  Venezia is such a relaxing place that it is easy to settle in and do nothing.

Our apartment is in Dorsoduro, we are staying in the same place as last year as it is huge by Venice standards and very comfortable. It is also in the middle of everything. It is a good time of the year to be in Dorsoduro as it is graduation time for students and there are usually lots of parties and singing in the streets.

We have been to quite a few of our favourite places and had a few great meals. My favourite clothes shop has closed and so have a few other places which is sad.

Rob is running the Venice Marathon for the fourth time. Yesterday we tried to go to the marathon expo to pick up his marathon pack but couldn't because there was a transport strike. We knew about the strike but foolishly thought that we would be able to catch a taxi. There was a total traffic jam on the Ponte della Libertà and no one was going anywhere.

We went to the expo today, picked up the kit and bought a few things from the Venice Marathon shop -Rob has been there so many times that a few ladies there recognized him and one remembered that he was from Australia.

We're taking it quietly today, visiting family in Mestre and Rob is taking it easy.  We have been walking heaps since we arrived on Wednesday and it will be good for him to have a quiet day so that he is rested for the marathon tomorrow - 42km is too far for me to even think about.

There was a graffiti wall of signatures of participants, Rob added his

The 28th Venice Marathon

This is the third time that Rob has run the Venice Marathon. This time he found it hard because he had trouble with his legs and had a bad headache.  Still as always he persisted and finished around the middle of the field.

After a foggy start it was much warmer than usual and many runners seemed to be struggling with the heat and humidity.  Quite a contrast with last year when it was freezing cold, huge storms and there were 60km winds in the middle of the day.

Rob said that the people in all of the little towns along the route were very encouraging and lined the streets cheering people on. This support, as well as bands playing and volunteers handing out food and drinks made it a entertaining environment for the runners.

We made an early start from Venezia to Mestre

It was very foggy and we waited for a while for the bus to come -we were also directed to one spot and had to go back when the bus arrived where we were originally.

Rob didn't manage to get a seat on the bus to Stra

The runners were packed in like sardines for a long trip

It was difficult to see through the crowd to spot Rob

Happy to be finishing

The finish line is in sight

Michele brought along an Australian flag which Rob spotted in the crowd :)

Tired after a long run

Don't know how but Rob perked up pretty quickly

Rob with Francesca and Michele

Rob is happy and I still look worried - I knew that there was something wrong when he was much slower than he had intended

Three great Venice medals -he will have to run another 20 Venice marathon to get the San Marco medal -I don't think that is going to happen :)

Out and about and a visit to San Giorgio Maggiore

"The Garbage Patch State Venice" an installation by Maria Cristina Finucci At the Ca' Foscari University. It is an arm made of plastic lids creeping over the wall

Lids in onion bags

The Vigili del fuoco -the Fire Brigade Venice style

Vigili del fuoco. Fire fighting would be a nightmare here despite the water everywhere as access would be very difficult

There are a lot of scultures and other art works throughout Venezia from the Biennale. This one is near the Ca Rezzonico vaporetto stop

It was supposed to be a rainy day with lightning etc so we changed our plans to go to Torcello and went to S Giorgio Maggiore -the beautiful church across the canal in the background of all of those gondola shots taken from near S Marco.

S Giorgio Maggiore with a statue in front by British artist Marc Quinn:  "Alison Lapper Pregnant"

Alison Lapper Pregnant

Detail from statue

This photographer was fussing around posing these models in Carnevale type dress

We never tire of the beautiful mosaics

We went to the top of the campanile -our cameras don't do the view justice

Gardens in the S Giorgio Maggiore Monastery

Looking across Giudecca

Giudecca on the left and Zattere on the right

The bridge is being built across the canal for the Venice marathon on Sunday

No need for comment!

Later in the day we went to Parco San Giuliano and Rob picked up his pack for the marathon.  It will be the third time that he has run the Venice Marathon and this time it sounds as though the weather will be good.

After a slow start we're settled in.

We're in beautiful Venezia and settled into a beautiful apartment near Campo San Barnaba, one of our favourite locations in Venice. We've done lots of walking, caught up with lovely family and have started to work our way through the cakes and pastries at Pasticceria Tonolo - the best in Venice secondo noi :)

Rob is out running, getting ready for the Venice marathon on Sunday, while I'm sitting in the apartment eating Buranei biscuits from Tonolo. We hope that he will go ok but he has had a rotten lead up with injuries and the flu. No big storms predicted this year and it could be much warmer -it should be around 20C max.

We still haven't adjusted to the time difference though this morning slept in until around 5.00am so we're getting better.
The weather has been perfect for walking around and taking photos and we've only had one really rainy day so far.  I love Venice at this time of the year.

With doors like this you know you're in Venice

Even the corrosion has an artistic touch here

We're managing to have conversations in Italian and even though we know that we make heaps of mistakes, people are very patient and it is good to be able to talk about everyday stuff.

From Accademia bridge

Sculpture in garden next to the Accademia Bridge

A florist preparing his flowers in a campo

How it looks in the day light.  Will post more when I know more about it,

The Venice Marathon

Rob finished the Venice Marathon!! A huge achievement given the horrible weather which turned out to be as bad as predicted - Il Meteo got it right again,unfortunately.

The amazing thing is that Rob ran it faster than last year (4hrs 30 corrected time) and said that he would have done it faster but for  around 60kmh winds on the Mestre Venice bridge. 
Sarah and Paul cheered Rob on at Zattere, it was a nice surprise for him, and Jules and I were at the end with warm clothes etc.

At our apartment at 5.30am -we had to catch the train to Mestre so that Rob could catch the bus to Stra

The bus was packed, standing room only

The woman on the right must be from Alaska -it was really cold and windy

I think that every bin in Venice was full of umbrellas -we saw so many like this

This runner was doing everything he could to keep the rain off and stay warm -including running with a plastic bag on his head :)

It was exciting to see Rob coming over the last bridge at the end of the race.

Rob ran over to us and high fived Jules. We were all really happy

Nearly there

I don't know how he does it but Rob still has heaps of energy after a race. We walked back to our apartment in San Barnaba,

I was trying to smile but was just frozen :)

After this photo Rob put on a few dry things and then back to San Barnaba for a much needed hot shower