4th day here and some light rain this am been so lucky with weather-have to check forecast.Don't think it will upset plans too much as planning to see Basilica San Marco and a palace on canal-tp planning room decorations already!!Arrived early on Easter Monday by train from Padua where I was chased by touts in the streets ?drugs or women.I just when down to station to buy tickets to Venice-honestly...Padua was dead on Sunday with no shopping and only a few cafes open in main piazza.Some nice architecture but the highlights were inside laocked duomos and baptistries-bit churched out anyhow.
Caught early train to Venice,crossing the causeway and pulling up right on the Grand Canal just like in the movies.Caught the vaporetto down the canal from Station Ferrovia,saw gondoliers practising their races off Arsanale.`Managed to liaise with owner of appartment ,Deborah-a resident of 35 years from the USA originally who let us move in early and gave us the local eating and transport tips.Appt a good stones throw from GC and near Arsanale and the Bianale sight-a relatively new area of Venice but great as not the throngs of tourists or gimicky shops.Spent the first day roaming up to St Marks square on amazing sight and shopping.Dropped into Doge's palace as queues had dissipated by mid afternoon.Fantastic place with amazing halls decorated with grand artworks of political ,moral and religious themes of the great days of Venice.No furnishings as the doges brought their own in and out.Walked later around Arsanale where Venices boating was made-a galleon a day in its peak and its military harbour.Fantastic site with large tesselted brick walls.Had dinner down the road where the owner crooned and played guitar-maybe Sam could give it a go-ha.
Next day-Easter Tuesday now it will be known as dad was very remiss on easter Sunday-after the chocolate hunt,spiced up with clues- went up to Rialto bridge,a hive of activity with Asians and Russians(new money)in the gondolas,vaporettos,water taxis,barges and the markets.Fantastic place with amazing variety of fish,shellfish and squid/cuttlefish(!!)/octopus.Strolled through the narrow alleyways checking out glass,masks,gelati and pizza.
In the afternoon after a rest took a vaporetto to Burrano and Torcello islands north of Venice about 1/2 an hour.Torcello was very quiet but had a fantastic church with beautiful mosaics and frescoes-gruesome scenes of Judgement day in the lower right corner.Burrano was a colourful-as in all the houses were different pastel colours- fishing village renowned for it's lace-tp tell me it is back in vogue.Dead tired and a bit seasick after ferry-trip had to have a daddy nap ,take a bex and some travelcalm-did the trick after 45minutes .Had fresh pasta and pesto for dinner-always a great fallback on this trip as buckets of fresh pesto in delis-less so in Venice.Will sign off here and reblog with photos
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