The violet eyes of Venice

As a break from work (lots of it) and deliveries (lots of those too), I'm doing a new piece of artwork, this time in acrylics.

It's currently at this stage but after some thought and a poll on the LDYS forums I'm probably going to take out the right-hand side of the picture just after the tower and replace that area of the picture with distant hills. I am going to draw the Emmanuel II monument on the right-hand edge of the picture under the eyes and 'near-field'.

I printed lots of pictures of Venice to get an idea how to draw the houses, etc. and being very good at visualisation, I could imagine standing on the edge of the Grand Canal looking out over the water. I've never been to Venice but I now have a deep and burning desire to go sometime after I finish writing up since I adored Rome so much. Sadly I have no one to go with and trekking about for more than a day on your own sucks... It is at these moments I wish I had a boyfriend (or a non-coupled-up close female friend or even a group of people who are really into the Venice/Florence idea and want to do it the same time as me). Travelling anywhere in the company of one other person requires you both to more than enjoy one another's company. You also want to either be very flexible or want to go the same places, have a similar 'activity level' and work together well and support one another in the case of problems.

I think I've been taking the wrong approach to 'potentials'. My personal revelation for the day is that it's about more than meeting well-educated, cultured guys who you fancy a duvet day with. Although initially you need to have some connection to the person of some sort that makes you want to find out, even if it's pretty faint. It's about meeting someone who (when you get to know them) you believe you could go to Venice with without beating them to death with your suitcase before you get out the departure lounge. Or having them storm off in central Venice in a huff. Or just being bored out of your mind because they want to sit out in the sun for 5 hours and you want to visit another 15 places but neither of you are prepared to compromise. If you enjoy their company but you can't envisage the Venice trip really working - it's a friendship. If you don't really hit it off and you can't imagine the trip at all then it's probably lust. I'm not entirely sure I've met any guy yet who I could make that trip with painlessly. On the other hand, perhaps I'll have more success finding them now I know what I'm looking for...