Steve's Nature Blog: Venice

Thursday, 31 October 2019

Down The Adriatic from Venice to Patras

Despite trying to be clever and booking a hotel between Venice city and the ferry terminal it was still a fifty euro taxi ride to the port. Oh well, I'll know for next time. If there is a next time. Let's get on board and see where they've put us. This is going to be home for the next day and a half. Oh, that's nice, right up the pointy end.

It's a midday departure so I suggest a stroll sternwards and we'll watch Venice recede. Is it really necessary to have so many posts I wonder? I feel like I'm travelling up an old bagatelle board (fore-runner of the pin-ball machine for younger travellers – the metal ball did run between actual pins). Still, they make great perches for the Yellow-legged Gulls and the Black-headed Terns.

And after that, quite a lot of sea. No whales, dolphins or porpoises unfortunately but we have had one unexpected visitor, a Painted Lady butterfly. You may recall that back in March of this year I introduced you to the Butterfly Migration Project which was studying this remarkable butterfly's migration patterns (see No Place Like Home). The study is still ongoing so that's another observation to add to the list. Nip up and ask the captain for the ship's current position would you? Tell him we've just seen a butterfly - I'm sure he'll be impressed.

Now I suggest that we go and have a wash and brush-up and see what the restaurant has on offer this evening. (The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that this photo was taken at lunchtime. You can clearly see the port through the windows. Still, if Messrs. Durrell and Attenborough can 'fake it' I don't see why I shouldn't!)

The journey is now entering its final leg as we pass into Greek waters. It has been interesting but I have come to realise that travel, like so many other things in life, is a pleasure best shared but Patras on the north coast of the Peloponnese, is looming into view, so lets see what the Astir Hotel has to offer by way of entertainment.

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

Steve's Books

Just waiting for the author proof copy of The Quick Guide To Creepy-Crawlies to arrive (due here Nov 8^th). So long as everything is OK it will be available on Amazon very soon after.

Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels

A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex.

Kindle Edition 1.99 pounds sterling (or equivalent).

Click on the link to the right to read two complete stories for free.

Paperback Edition 4.99 pounds sterling (or equivalent).. Read snippets, samples and stuff at Steve's Books

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LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)

Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Lugano To Venice

As our next port of call, literally, is some distance from the city of Venice I thought I'd book us in at a midway point between the two. By sheer chance the hotel is only a short walk from the 19^th century Forte Marghera which is now a cultural centre and wildlife refuge. I think that this will be a good place to start our explorations. A good place to build a fort, surrounded on all sides by a double waterway and the wildlife starts here below the bridge in the shape of this crab mumbling his way through the residents of the green algae.

The place is an absolute haven for insects. There's a Shield-backed Katydid in the grass alongside a Click Beetle; a Mediterranean Spotted Chafer Beetle getting itself covered in pollen as it feeds on a mallow flower and a rather handsome Leaf Beetle of the Lachnaia genus down there. Hang on, I'll just root him out for a second so that you can have a closer look.

Hello, looks like we've got a bit of wildlife action on this Mallow over here. A ground crab spider, Xysticus sp. has taken a fancy to a small bee for its lunch. You can tell that it's a bee and not a fly mimicking a bee because you can clearly see all four wings and flies only have two. Bee mimicking flies also have much shorter antennae than bees but I think that the spider has them in its jaws. Talking of lunch there's a nice rustic looking restaurant here so I propose that we adjourn.

That was delicious and very reasonable. I liked the complimentary bottle of home made wine. I think that all restaurants should adopt that policy. Shall we go and have a look at Venice? Very pretty, now get me out of here. It's full of hat and tat stalls and camera clicking tourists. Let's find a quiet backwater and have a civilised cup of afternoon coffee. If I hear one more person singing 'Just One Cornetto' they're in for a ducking. Giovanni Capurro, who wrote the original lyric to O Sole Mio, must be turning in his grave.

I have another reason for visiting this part of Venice. Did you notice that small park that we passed earlier? That is the Giardini Papadopoli and it is one of the scenes in my novel, The Magic of Nature of Magic which is now complete . I just want to go and soak up the ambiance and sit with the Lizzies for a bit. These are Common Wall Lizards, Podarcis muralis, and I see that we are being watched over by a Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis. These predominate over their pink legged cousins that you find further north.

Talking of books, The Quick Guide To Creepy-Crawlies is now under final revision and proof-reading stage. I was hoping to produce a paperback version and a Kindle version but as Kindle cannot handle internal hyperlinks (What???) I've had to abandon the Kindle version.

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather