I was up and on deck at 0530 for the sunrise and sail away from Venice. It was lovely to be one of only a few outside. It was also refreshing to see Venice again without the maddening crowds. I had retired to bed last night half expecting the ship to move into deeper water, so it was a lovely surprise to wake up and find us still quayside. The Aurora glided effortlessly out of the city, aided by a tug or two. It was a lovely morning and a great opportunity to indulge in some scenic photography before catching some shut eye on a sun lounger rather than going back to the cabin and disturbing Pauli. After breakfast a few of us met for an impromptu outdoor art session in the shade but near to the pool. Watercolour painting is a lovely way to relax and time slipped by so quickly. It was nice during that session to hear that I'm not the only one who suffers from stress and anxiety. One of the group sort of snapped when someone came over moaning about this and that. They simply asked that person to leave. She explained that she lived on her nerves and simply couldn't cope with interruptions when relaxing and enjoying herself. I knew what she meant, and I liked the way that she despatched the unwanted commentary. The art session was a success and after a sandwich and a suitable break, I headed for a cardio workout followed by one to one personal training to learn how to use free weights safely and efficiently. Then it was art class proper and my third Venetian scene of the holiday. A lovely time amongst new friends, as we tried out yet another watercolouring technique. It was a pity when the session ended and it was time to dress for dinner. We are heading for Greece and Pauli is tucked up ready for the early start and that excursion our postman recommended to us. Oh happy days, and the best bit is; there are still eight nights to go.
The photograph shows the results of our impromptu Deck 12 art session. The four panels are the output from that meeting. Each piece of artwork is on watercolour paper about the size of a postcard. The idea is for each of us to write our name, address, and the date on the reverse, and then add some notes of memories about this cruise. Thereby creating a memory card to cherish in the future rather than a postcard to send on to someone else.
