Seeking Shelter (Day 21)

Today we set off to the Lido to take part in Fran Stacey/Rhubaba's 'Seeking Shelter' project. We hopped on a Vaporetto at Rialto and wound our way down the Grand Canal. I took this photo of the Doges Palace, where you can see that one window is lower and more ornate than the others. I did know the reason for this but I've forgotten. It's something to do with it taking ages to build and someone taking over from someone else, changing the plans to their own. There is a lot of that in Venice. Later additions and merging architectural styles. It's a bit of a mish mash but seems to work.

There was a lady on the boat with a strange straw hat but in a farmer style peak.

We arrived at Lido. It's very different from the main bit of Venice. There are cars, bikes and loads of scooters, with new buildings lining 'strip' style streets.

This poster caught our eye. I don't know who Marco Bolis but he seems very pleased with himself.

We took a bus to the other end of the island and walked down a path made of crushed shells where there are hundreds of stone jetties jutting out into the sea with naked men sunbathing on them. (We were expecting them as we had gone to the nudist part). In this area people come and built beach shacks, either on the beach or on the jetties themselves. They are what could be described as as 'minimal', even by shack standards, but are very lovely things. The one that can be seen on the left of the picture below has been built and inhabited by a group who keep coming and adding to it over time and have to re-build it every now and then when it gets burnt down. They fish off the end of the jetty and cook the fish for dinner in the shack. What a nice lifestyle.

It was our job for the day to help Fran construct one. We chose a spot next to this optimistic graffiti ('A love is born').

We gathered lots of driftwood and began to make the foundations. We copied the design from our neighbours and it quickly began to take shape. I attribute most of our success to the Rambo-style headbands we made ourselves, making us feel like a real team.

We were extremely proud of our creation and had a real sense of achievement by the time this beauty was finished.

Time for a quick swim (more of a paddle) and then back to Venice for a drink at the Wee Red Bar (which is what the Scottish contingent have re-named Il Ponte). I passed this poor little fella on the way home. If he had the sense to live on Venice's main island where there are no vehicles he'd have been luckier, but on Lido he met his untimely end under the wheels of something heavy.