Italy - Venice, Day Two~

Courtney had really enjoyed her evening boat ride on the Grand Canal.  We both slept in a little before packing up & going the block over to the Hotel Pesaro Palace.  We had managed to take the last available room.  Monday, was a "Bank Holiday" so the town was even more booked than usual.

Courtyard of the Hotel Pesaro~

At the top floor, we took a small staircase to a room up & under the eves!  Very quaint, with two rooms, two AC units & roof windows that opened to let in fresh air.  This bath too was all marble & huge.  Settled in, we walked only a block, before finding a nice little corner coffee shop with bar seating that faced the street.  Coffee & tea in hand, it was fun just to sit & watch the people going by.  Having gone east the first day, we decided to go the opposite way today.

Along the Grand Canal~

 We looked at the boat dock that Courtney had left from last evening & couldn't help but admire the quintessential Venice views.  With no particular destination, wandering the streets & discovering what was around each corner was fascinating.  The chalk artist below was working on a magnificent almost 3-d rendering of a lion.

Street Artist~

 The little girl standing next to Courtney was captivated. The colors of the buildings changed as we walked.  The warm hues just exactly as we'd imagined.  Add the myriad of blue/green waterways to the picture & it would be easy to spend months admiring this city & still never see it all.

One of the smaller waterways~

 It was close to 2 p.m., when almost everything closes down for the afternoon quiet time.  Our morning sweet had worn off & we were ready for a snack.  We'd passed a very small shop front, that didn't look very welcoming from the street.  I decided to take one more look.  As I walked past the counter, I saw that the little wine bar went much deeper into the building than we'd originally thought.

Our afternoon Pausa Pranzo~

 On the counter was a plate filled high with what looked like meatballs.  I had to try one!  The shrimp was fresh & wraps contained zucchini & cheeses.  We shared what turned out to be a delicious meal, sitting by a window looking out on a small waterway.  The fresh breeze off the water felt wonderful on a hot, humid afternoon.

A residential plaza~

After the wine, our motivation for walking dimmed a little, but we continued on, both wanting to capture what we could of the architecture.  The buildings seem to be such a mix of cultures.  We couldn't decide which, nor did we know enough of the history to recognize the variety of styles.

Waterfront ~

 Even showing age, most seemed well maintained.  We'd managed to find our way to a quieter part of the city, close it seemed to the ocean.

Smaller boats, on a residential waterway~

 The amazing blue sky, reflection of the water & colors of the buildings just continued to captivate us.  With no cars, many deliveries are made with large hand carts.  Similar to the shape of those we use to haul hay at endurance camps, but much larger.  Boats are used to go any distance.

Many small bridges too~

Courtney had asked me earlier in the day if I wouldn't like a boat ride?  I thought about it & told her that if she could find a boat that would take us out & away from the city, to some of the islands, I might try it.  She started making calls.  I also had to add the stipulation that the boat, once underway, could Not stop in the water!  No bobbing up & down for me!  :-)

 Bell Tower~

Courtney has missed her calling, as a top notch tour guide.  Her text was returned & we were set for a two-hour excursion that would start at 5:30 p.m. & return us to town by 7:30 p.m.  Two-hours sounded possibly two-hours too long, but I was willing to give it a go.  After all, they could drop me off somewhere if I couldn't handle it - right?

Our Evening Dinner Reservation~

We also made dinner reservations after 8 p.m. at this restaurant recommended by the boat owners.  This was where we were to meet our Captain!  Next:  Evening Tour - Laguna Veneta~