Yesterday we were still on European Daylight Savings time. Alan left for a walk to the Rialto to buy veal scaloppini to cook for Sunday dinner and I decided to lay low since I had apparently zigged when I should have zagged, and my hip was in spasms. We had wanted to walk over to Campo San Maurizio where there was an outdoor antique market this weekend, but postponed it. Alan wanted to go to an afternoon soccer game and I decided to make friends with the heating pad I had brought with us. Suddenly there is Alan, back here again. Large cameras are not allowed into the Venezia soccer stadium, so he jumped on a vaporetto that was casting off, ran down our fondamenta, dropped off his backpack, caught the vaporetto back to the stadium, and only missed the first half of the game. He had walked over to Santa Elena Island where the stadium was and walked past the Biennale grounds. Here, in lieu of soccer pictures, is a picture from one of the Biennale displays, and also an example of how large the ships are that go down the Giudecca Canal. By the way, the game ended in a tie.

 

This morning was the extra hour we have grown to love in Venice since Daylight Savings Time in Europe ended during the night. My back was fine, but Alan now has a scratchy throat. Hope it isn’t one of those horrid Venice colds coming on. After having the landlady’s handy man come by to change three burned out halogen bulbs, we decided to leave and walk over to Campo San Maurizio and the antique market. We were heading towards the antique market when we ran into a huge people jam going over a bridge. We never figured out what was causing this jam, but we didn’t move for a few minutes, although the crowd coming towards us did. I think it was a very large tour group that decided to walk four abreast across a narrow bridge. ARGH! We went to the antique market which Alan had checked out the day before. If we had an old-fashioned steamer trunk, we might have been able to buy some of the things we saw (a set of 1854 Meissen china for 20, for example). We didn’t buy anything but there was very nice silver, and Murano glassware for sale. Where is the transatlantic ship when you need it?

We continued toward La Fenice to look for a restaurant and stopped into Santa Maria Zobenigo in the Santa Maria del Giglio campo. No pictures are allowed inside but we got to see a Rubens, and two works by Tintoretto. It’s a lovely church and worth the time. We came out behind La Fenice and stopped at the Taverna La Fenice for lunch. I had thinly sliced turkey on shaved fennel with an olive pate topping the turkey, and Alan a sandwich chicken, tomatoes, pickles and mustard. Both were good but not anything to rave about. No pictures but here is a canal with reflections just behind La Fenice.

After lunch we were once again behind La Fenice and ran into what looked like an interesting exhibit which was not open. However, these three sculptures were in the yard in the front, and they are really interesting looking.

We were back in Campo San Stefano and decided to see the free Azerbaijan exhibit. It was truly an interesting one based on how the many different peoples and cultures in the country live together peacefully and respectfully.

We also stopped at another free exhibit featuring art from Canada’s native American and Inuit populations.

We stopped into the San Vidal church on the way back but took no pictures. Alan came back and napped and is now cooking dinner. He really is enjoying cooking. Tomorrow we have reservations to go to the top of the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. There is a spectacular 360-degree view of the Grand Canal from there. It has been recently (a year ago) opened as a high-end shopping mall, complete with a food and wine store so I think we will see more of it than just the roof.