Ca' Bauta Venice

... control measure (hint: it’s not working!) If you even accidentally drive into the area, much less park there, they will photo your car and send you a hefty bill! Did we mention that drivers here seem to all have the same death wish?

Our first stop was the Bargello Museum, which is home to works by Donatello and Michelangelo, among others. Then off to the Galleria Academia .Yes, we went to an Accademia in Venice, too. It does get confusing! The ...

... of you who are not Reddingites, Calatrava designed the world famous Sundial Bridge in Redding, CA. Michele had read about the Venice bridge and found that it was just as plagued by delays and cost over-runs as the Redding project. Michele describes herself as the only resident of Redding who hates the bridge, more for its cost than its beauty.
You will see some pictures on the blog, but two ...

Blog Day 5 (Venice 2), Wednesday, December 9
We rose well-rested and after enjoying the hotel’s breakfast buffet, set off for St. Mark’s Square, where we spent most of our day. With the national holiday crowds dispersed, it finally paid off to be here in the off season! There were no lines for the Basillica or any of the “extra” (“for a small fee”) attractions on the square. It is no longer allowed to feed the pigeons, with the positive result ...

... had a little kick of spice but not too much to overpower. Also had delicious spider crab that was just simply dressed with olive oil, lemon and parsley and served in the shell – fantastic and fresh. The waiter also gave me a sample of their seafood risotto which was out of this world and I was almost sorry I didn’t order it except that the pasta was so fantastic too. I think this is one of the best restaurants in Venice and very casual.

... pillows and as many makeshift covers (aka jackets and sweatshirts) to another compartment and sprawled out on the seats. When we got to Venice, it was very early in the morning, so we had to find our way to our hostel in the dark. But we made it there, only to find out that it was closed for another two hours (that's what happens during low season). So we wandered around, found a market to get a few ...

... 20 minutes after the opened and I was lucky to get a table. They had a bunch of reservations and they only had one table available. But I had to leave within an hour. That was no problem, as it doesn’t take long to eat when you’re by yourself. I got a pasta dish with pesto sauce and it was very good.

By the time I left the restaurant it was dark outside and I wandered back to St. Mark’s Square. There were cafes on the square with dueling orchestras and I ...

... for its colourful houses and lacemaking. Next we caught the ferry to Murano which is famous for glass making from items of jewellery to larger decorative items and sculpture. The rest of the day we spent back in Venice old town where we caught the vaparettos along the Grande Canal getting off here and there to wander about the lanes, do some shopping and try to stay cool.

... take some snapshots of that.. well, lemme think about it.. Uhm ok, ok, why not? just a few. alrighty? dontcha wori, just a few. Okies?! Here goes... clik! clik ...

... the American Express travel office just off Piazza San Marco (St. Mark's Square). We headed off towards San Marco, but John wanted to get breakfast first. M&W headed off towards San Marco while John and I went in search of breakfast. We agreed to meet at the American Express travel office. John and I followed the handy-dandy signs, which were painted on the corners of buildings, pointing towards San Marco (a big plus in favor or Venice) while we were searching for ...

... but we have to run. Amy's shoulder doesn't agree so I'm huffing both bags to the already crowded boat. It's safe to say, they don't like us at all - there were a few Americans standing nearby who were nice to us and understood our frustrations. Both bags in tow, we're running through the terminal to our train as we have only a few minutes before our train leaves. Safely on board - our director leads us through about 8 long ...