The early morning sun hit the Grand Canal and the shimmering water looked like a diamond dotted fantasyland. The market, which is located right on the Grand Canal, is an impressive sight. Row after row of vibrant fruits and vegetables line up in military precision, just waiting to be plucked up by discriminating Italian housewives. Since it was Monday, the Pesceria wasn't open as no fishing is done on Sunday. While disappointed, I knew I would return another day to see the infinite varieties of lagoon fish. I snapped away in this photographer's dream setting unable to stop. After shooting 250 photos I headed back to the apartment, to exchange the Nikon for my much lighter Canon.
Then it was on to San Marco to purchase another 3 day vaporetto pass. Of course... I stopped at Gelato Fantasy for two scoops of amarena cherry gelato. With my pass in hand I hopped on the number one vaporetto to the Salute stop so I could see the Santa Maria della Salute Basilica up close and personal. I had taken many photos of the beautiful church from across the canal but longed to see the exquisite exterior up close. It was as beautiful as I had imagined.
I continued up the Grand Canal to the Accademia stop. I had read that the La Accademia Bridge was a wonderful photo op. Exhausted from the heat and humidity, I stopped at a snack bar near the bridge and purchased a Red Bull. Immediately I heard an American voice saying in a distinct New York accent, "Now that will put a little pep in your step!" And that is how I met Gary and Susan from Sarasota, New York, who immediately asked me to join them to go see the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.
We decided that we would first go and see the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit at Gallerie dell'Accademia. While I was reluctant to go to this museum, I was very glad that I did. On display were 52 da Vinci drawings, which were nothing short of incredible! I was blown away by how detailed the drawings were, especially the ones that were 3" by 3". The precision of the the musculature sketches of both humans and horses were downright amazing. I had seen original paintings by da Vinci before but was far more impressed with these drawings.
About 1/2 a mile away was the Guggenheim. The museum, the former home of the bohemian socialite and art collector, houses an impressive collection of Modern Art including pieces by Kadinsky, Ernst, Klee, Dali and Picasso among others. One of my favorite artists was Peggy Guggenheim's daughter Pegeen Vail.
The museum is located directly on the Grand Canal- which I appear to be floating on at the right.After wandering the grounds for a bit, I bid farewell to my delightful companions, who were headed to the Jewish Ghetto. I decided to walk back to my apartment over the Accademia Bridge and shoot some photos. While the view was indeed wonderful, my favorite view remained the one from the Rialto Bridge.
It was a really long way back and with my ankles sore from all the walking I decided to stop for a late lunch/early dinner at a restaurant on a canal near Campo Santi Apostoli, just a few blocks from home.While the octopus salad looked wonderful, it tasted like it had been boiled and had a slight slimy quality to it. (Not at all like the lovely calamari salads in Portugal.)
The wine was more to my liking. I also ordered the tiramisu and decided I am not really a tiramisu person.After this disappointing meal, I was anxious to get home to upload all of my pictures and review and edit them for posting to Facebook. This is always one of the best parts of my day. I love photography and aspire to be so much better than I actually am.
I eagerly inserted the memory card into my Mac and .... it started to go crazy and try to upload already uploaded photos. I turned it off to try again and..... much to my dismay it immediately turned itself off. I tried repeatedly, but, my Mac had died.. "A Death in Venice"!
Now I had no way to communicate to anyone back home and I panicked. It became more important to have a phone that worked so I literally ran to the the Vodafone store to purchase yet another phone since I arrived here. I asked about a computer repair shop on the island and they looked at me like I had two heads! There was no such thing in Venice. Everyone goes to the mainland to do all their shopping and for service issues.
I was beside myself. I felt alone and isolated. The day that had been such a high had deteriorated beyond belief. I had no internet, no Skype, no way to watch movies and no way to communicate to my loved ones.
I cursed the information age and the technology gods and went to bed... hoping tomorrow would bring a solutions to my technological woes!
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