It was raining heavily but with umbrellas at the ready we took the water bus out to the Lido (Lido de Venezia).  It’s very different out there as we encountered roads and cars, so the magic of Venice with its canals and gondolas was lost.  It’s a barrier island separating the Venetian lagoon from the Adriatic Sea.

Via Santa Maria Elisabetta, the main road through the Lido links the Vaporetto Station all the way to the entrance to the public beach on the other side of the Lido, facing the Adriatic.  Along this road are the usual tourist cafes, gift shops and gelaterias.  On reaching the beach, the entrance way features a large dome structure.  The downward staircase leads onto the beach whilst the upper, elevated walkway leads out towards the sea.

Before returning to the centre we took a look at the Grand Hotel des Bains built in 1900 in the Belle Époque style with Palladian inspired collonades and where the film, Death in Venice was filmed.

It was then back to the Venetian lagoon for lunch and an afternoon of walking along tiny cobbled lanes with their own narrow waterways.  The rain continued to fall but as can be seen from the photos, the gondola trips still went ahead as planned!

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