Buying the three day travel pass was worthwhile as a single journey ticket on the vaporetti was €7 and we were able to frequently hop on and off, although many of the boats were crowded with standing room only. The routes were rather confusing to start with so we had a couple of journeys zig-zagging across the Grand Canal sometimes heading in the wrong direction. We ended up in the back streets quite often where there were many interesting sights such as markets, a carnival masks workshop and a gondola boatyard among the ever present bustle of boats.

A worthwhile longer trip was the twenty minute boat ride across the lagoon to the island of Murano, famous for its glassware and continuing further to reach Burano, a riot of colourful houses lining the narrow canals with shops selling delicate lacework and delicious gelati (ice creams). Returning to the centre of Venice, as we disembarked from the vaporreto we spotted some friends from home who we knew were visiting Venice - it's a small world!


For our final day in Venice we caught the crowded early morning bus to the Piazzale Roma bus station and headed for the Peggy Guggenheim Gallery containing mostly  Twentieth Century art and a temporary exhibition of work by the American artist Jackson Pollock and his father Charles. There was also a small terrace giving an excellent views across the Grand Canal.
 
As we left the gallery we met our friends from home for a second time - what are the chances of that happening in a city packed with thousands of visitors?!! We somehow managed to catch an express limited stop bus back to the campsite but with the help of an English speaking local persuaded the driver to stop in the next village after the site so didn't have to walk back too far in the intense 32°+ mid afternoon heat and welcome ice cold drinks in the shade.