Day 3 in Venezia

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  Venice, Italy
Monday, June 9, 2008

DH and I studied guide books and maps last night and more or less plotted out the rest of the week's activities.  After all, we do need to immerse ourselves into Venetian culture in spite of deliberately avoiding a structured trip.  Dave set his alarm to get us up and going early... I managed to make the coffee more quickly today now that I've figured out how the coffeepot works, and how to turn the stove on.  We set out towards the Rialto, dodging the locals hurrying to work, and I soon found myself drooling over Italian shoes, silk scarves, and Murano glass in the windows of the shops.  My Dave is a very patient man, but perhaps even he was tried as I said "hold up!" again and again.  Please note... I did not spend a single Euro today, but my time will come!
We found the Chiesa dei Frari (Frari Church) and had our first taste of art by the masters as it was intended to be displayed... in Church, not hanging on the wall of a museum

Frari Church

.  This church was built by the Franciscans in the 15th century in the Gothic style, but rather than being in the shape of a cross, it is T-shaped.  Very lofty, and filled with light, Frari is perhaps not as ornate as some churches, but awesome, nevertheless.  It is filled with tombs of those Venetians wealthy enough to pay the brothers to assure the proper passage of their souls (ah, but that grates against my Lutheran upbringing...).  One of the paintings showed St. Benedict looking suspiciously like Sean Connery - thanks, Rick Steves, for pointing that out!
After leaving the church, we wandered some more, got lost some more, re-oriented once again, and had to stop for sustenance (see Dave's blog).  Yes, I did get testy and cranky, but that plate of spaghetti carbonara made me mellow once more.  What is it about Italian food that makes it taste so much better in the Old Country?
Ciao!

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