We went from the hotel to the Arsenale for the exhibition. It was different to what i expected. I thought it would be more of a small thing, but lots of countries had halls with their countries exhibition. The Austrian exhibition was really impressive, the Australian was nothing, but the best one was the Belgian, which ended up winning. It was about Uganda, and the fact that architecture doesnt really exist there as an artform, and so its architecture is in the people and the landscape. It was facinating, and one of the first arty things that i have actually fully understood!!!
That was good fun, but i wanted to have a trot around Venice, which we did that afternoon. We saw all the same things, went shopping, had numerous coffees and ice creams, sorry, gelati, it was a great day. We basically just soaked it all up.
That night however, we had a date. The two guys who had invited us to the Opera in Verona actually lived in Venice and at that time were both there. I had passed on the number of one of them to Renaud, who was in Venice a few days earlier, and he ended up staying with them, but i was looking forward to seeing them all the same. We were to meet them in front of the hotel at 7:30. We all got ready and came out at 7:30 to find them across the road in a restaurant having a drink. The manager (who was a good friend of the two guys - i started to get the feeling that was common with these two guys, that they ate out so much they were know as 'regulars') mixed us a cocktail, in true italian fashion, a campari martini! haha, but it was fantastic. We then walked along the bay to St Marcos square and then to a restaurant right on the waterfront. We were greeted by the waiter, and when he kissed Maurizios hand, i knew we had found a few important friends! It was so good to talk to these two guys though, they are the nicest two guys, and easily the most cultured and well travelled people i know. Maurizio is awesome, this guy knows the planes that they use on almost every international route and knows where he likes to have his seat (in first class of course!) and changes airline when he cant get that seat. But Ferrucio and i really got along well, we spoke about everything. He said that he had really enjoyed having Renaud there and that they had really gotten along well. Then again, my brother is pretty easy to get along with.
We had our dinner selected for us, on the advice of the cook, who actually came out and told us what was good! We ended up getting 4 more courses, which was fine with me, the food was simply out of this world good! What we did have, which was simply fantastic was the bellini. I had never had such a good bellini, with great prosecco and white peaches, it was wicked. But we talked and talked that night, and ate such brilliant food, it was such an excellent evening. We all walked back to our hotel at the end of the night, and it was such a perfect way to end such a special evening, with a magical walk through a magical city. I had such a good time.