Morrning in Venice! If only we had another fan (no A/C). We started the morning at St. Marco’s Basilica which is an architectural combo of East and West. This beautiful centerpiece of Venice was built in 1094 and added onto over the years. On top are four big bronze horses which reportedly were stolen a few times by Napoleon and others before being returned to their rightful stable. Inside the place shimmers with gold -- literally. The mosaics on the walls and ceilings are amazing, as is the big jeweled altarpiece tucked away in a private area in front of St. Mark’s tomb. You can see why this country is so devoutly Catholic -- this church as well as the many, many others are so exquisite!
Next we bought some 3-day travel passes which were well worth the investment if you go. They allowed us unlimited travel on the vaparettos (a one-way ticket anywhere was 6.5 Euros) and the bus to the airport later. You hop on and off at the various stops along the grand canal and islands. We always were able to get on even if a bit crowded. We like water travel!
The day kept growing hotter so we picked up some picnic food at a local store and took shelter on some steps in the shade of a statue. The pigeons did not know what they were dealing with when they moved in on Court’s food. She sprayed them with her water bottle and stamped her foot at them. We had planned to just wander from there but the day was so sweltering we decided to take in the nearby Peggy Guggenheim museum of modern art. Housed in her former home on the Grand Canal, this amazing place was chock full of masterpieces by Pollack, Picasso, Salvador Dali, Kadinsky and all the Italian “Futurists.” The girls again, impressed us with their interest and recognition of several artists and masterpieces.
We caught a boat back to our now very hot apartment and relaxed in front of the fan and had some cooling off time. Then it was out again to cross the famous Rialto bridge. We are not sure what the fuss was really about. The bridge in Florence is much more glorious and less touristy. Still, it’s a part of Venice and we found a lovely little Italian place that was off the beaten path and dined on fish -- including octopus --, pasta, bean soup, salad with our beloved fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozarella balls and tiramisu. Yum. We would all grow very large here if we stayed over a week. The Italians must either sweat it all off, smoke or eat tiny, tiny lunches and skip breakfast. They are all fashion model glamorous and thin.
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