Cloudy skies and an occasional sprinkle did nothing to keep
us (or anyone else, evidently) from wandering all over Venice today. We passed on the Basilica of San Marco this
morning when we saw the length of the line; we figured that our digs were close
enough for us to return another time, or two, or…
So, we set off with no particular destinations, but a few
churches (Santa Maria dei Miracoli, San Giovanni e San Paolo, Gesuiti, and the
Frari, with its remarkable Titians) we wanted to visit. Worth mentioning also is the old ghetto,
where, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, Venice’s
Jewish population was locked in every night and forced to live lives that were
restricted socially and economically.
The height of buildings in the ghetto was also restricted so, as the
Jewish population grew, their buildings were constructed with lower ceiling
levels, so that more floors could be squeezed into the allowed height. We were also able to see the Squero di San
Trovaso, where, since the 17th century, gondolas have been custom
made, each one tailored to a specific gondolier, who inherits the job from his
father.
We walked, got lost, tried to decipher maps, got it wrong,
got it right, and repeated that cycle throughout the day. Regardless of where we found ourselves vis a vis where we thought we were, it
didn’t seem possible to be anyplace uninteresting – or, unphotogenic!
During the course of the day, we found ourselves in each of
the city’s six sestieri, or
districts, and never once had to watch out for cars, or even bicycles. On the other hand, it’s impossible to cross
the “streets” anyplace but designated crosswalks (the bridges) -- no jaywalking
here!
Passing through Piazza San Marco en route “home,” we
encountered university graduation ceremonies, being held in the square. While there were lots of people and laurel
wreaths at one end of the square, there was virtually no wait to enter the basilica,
so we seized the opportunity. The
church’s golden mosaics are astounding, as we knew from a previous visit, but
they are illuminated for only a short time each day. This afternoon almost all the accent lights
were off and we had an effective demonstration of how much difference that makes;
it really wasn’t possible to experience their outstanding beauty.
When we’d had enough walking and gawking, we regrouped a nostra casa and used online maps to
help us locate the restaurant we’d chosen for dinner. We knew it was nearby but, given the unusual
numbering system for addresses in Venice, the narrow calli that change names
great frequency, and the similarity of some street names, we hadn’t been able
to find it when we went out earlier today.
Thanks to modern technology, we found our way to Osteria Ai Do Gobbi and
had a terrific dinner, starting with a delectable fish carpaccio (Venetian
sushi??) and including a couple of wonderful seafood and pasta dishes. I know we’ll be thinking about those
just-caught delights once we’re back home in the desert.
Tom went to the Riva for some more night photos of the
lagoon and that was it for this fine Sunday.
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