Not quite the Cipriani but .......

The travel agent came up trumps in response to a brief to find a pretty fancy hotel without
spending £1000 a night at the Cipriani. The Bauer Hotel was just at the end of the Grand Canal just in view on the waterfront opposite Santa Croce (left) and within a few yards of St Marcs Square just out of view to the left of the right hand shot.

We were so close to the Grand Canal that waiting for breakfast (J below left) could almost dangle her feet in the water and right, a view of the terrace from the gondola dock!!

Across the Grand Canal the scaffolded Santa Croce and looking back from the Grand Canal the Bauer Hotel the red awning over the breakfast terrace

Music was never far away. In the evening before dinner we could wander into any of a number of recitals often in churches as was the case (left) where Vivaldi's Four Seasons was being played by the Venice Interpreti, then after dinner into the St Marcs Square for coffee at one of the famous coffee houses of which the best known shown here is Florians (right) .............

......and listen to one of the small orchestral bands which played outside. These shots were taken close to midnight - the one on the left looking out from behind the band and across the square ie towards the competition!!