Getting started
Another neighborhood canal
The day began with a quirky shower. The shower is just a hand held sprayer attached to the faucets. The tub, or should I say sarcophagus -- very long, very deep, and very narrow -- has no curtain. How do fat people bathe? Anyway, this is not an unusual arrangement in Europe and we are experienced travelers. Yeah, right! So I climb into this vessel, and very carefully wet down with the shower head. What I didn’t know was there was a leak in the hose, so while I’m keeping the spray in the tub, it’s squirting out the other way, all over the place. Got the entire bathroom wet. Otherwise, the place is great.
But things got better. We met all Charlie’s classmates at breakfast. As I predicted there are five women and C. One French, one Welsh, one Canadian, and two from the US (Tenn. And Fla.). Most are quite experienced at mosaics, except for Connie from Tenn., who has never even tried it. After a tour of the foundry, they transferred their designs and got to work. By the time I met up with Charlie at lunch, everyone was well underway. Of course, his was the most ambitious and largest project.
I spent the morning wandering about the Cannaregio section of the city. Had no particular destination, but I realized I was lost when I found myself back on our own canal after an hour and a quarter, thinking I’d been heading in a single direction! Had taken care of some business, getting tickets for the ballet at La Fenice, and La Traviata at a church, doing the banking, and beginning my personal shopper responsibilities. (Got the Fenestil, Amy B., but no cherries, Gayle). It is so beautiful here, it doesn’t matter what I do; I’m just soaking up Venice.
After lunch I went to San Marcos and saw the Basilica. I was stunned at the beauty of the golden mosaics and really had no recollection of being there before. How much one forgets in 44 years. Also saw the Museo Correr -- basically Venetian history and art -- which was a little disappointing. Then on to the Doges Palace; the route for tours is like a rats’ maze, up and down through poorly lit rooms and no way out if you tire before the end! Very impressive, nevertheless. Apparently all of Piazza San Marcos was flooded with the rain last week. I’m so thrilled the weather is glorious now. I haven’t figured out why all the Italians are still wearing heavy coats and scarves; the temps are in the high seventies - low eighties, depending on whether you’re in the sun or the shade.
Got back at 5:30 -- class should have ended by 5 -- but everyone was still hard at work. Relaxed until they broke up (a couple of hours later) and went to dinner with Connie. This is really a great neighborhood -- quiet residential, and a little off from the tourist traffic. There are quite a few restaurants from which to choose and they’re mostly filled with Italian speakers. I hesitate to say locals, because most of the people carrying maps and looking lost are also Italian, so it’s a big tourist mecca for Italian nationals too. In fact the literature says that on any given day there are more visitors than Venetians in Venice and I believe it. Tourism is not only the main industry, it’s the only industry. But somehow it doesn’t bother me here as it did in Rome. Despite the crowds, it’s a much more relaxing place.
22,244 steps (most of them in circles)
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