May 6 – Day 3: Our Second Day in Venice

Suffering from jet lag, we were up for hours when we should have been sleeping. But the alarm went off and we had plans. So up at 7:00 am, ate some bread and cheese in the room, and headed out to see the Rialto Fish Market. We got there when many vendors were still setting up, and a few customers were already shopping. Not many tourists, though. We wandered around the stalls, translating as many signs as we could, identifying the familiar fishes and just looking and guessing at the rest. We got up the nerve to snap a few photos and then found a corner bar for due cappuccini. Sitting at a little table with our litttle cups, Tom and I both agreed, this is the way to drink coffee. Our barista (do they call them that in Italia?) made our drinks swiftly, but they still had the perfect foam and feathery mark. Molto bene! So we sat and people watched. The chain smoker lady, kids on their way to school, ordinary life on a Tuesday in Venice.

Next, we caught the water bus to Murano to see the famous Murano glass. That trip, in Tom’s words, was “underwhelming” and we didn’t stay long. Didn’t learn much (anything really) about the historic glass-marking tradition, so we caught the boat back and went to a little glass studio we had window-shopped the day before. The artist – Trina – was there marking beads. I picked out a bracelet and we chatted a bit. She came to Venice for school and has been there since (15 years). She’s from Indiana of all places! Her husband has a shop on the corner where he makes amazing glass pendants. So, I got my souvenir and we had a conversation with a local (okay, she’s expat – but also techincally local). Next, an arrotolata (rolled up sandwich and a nap).

Rested up, we went for a walk to see the Chiesa dei Frari (Friar’s Church) and the art work inside by Donatello, Bellini and Titian. We followed Rick Steves’ advice and counted this as our “museum” prerequisite for Venice, and exited back into the campo to window shop and find some snacks to call dinner — cheese pizza, gelato, cicchetti (Venetian-style tapas), and prosecco, then a foccacia caprese on our way back to the hotel. It was fun to sample and snack our way through the streets, people watching and listening.

Our evening capstone was the Interpreti Veneziani, featuring the Four Seasons by Vivaldi. The concert was at Chiesa San Vidal. Tom had read reviews about the performance and performers, but seeing and hearing it first hand turned out to be a highlight of our trip so far. First, the music – magical. Close your eyes and you’re just filled with the sound. Second, the musicians. Of the group of 8, most were rather serious and sedate. Then there was Davide Amadio – renowned on Internet reviews for his flamboyant style. And one woman in the ensemble, whom we assumed – by their last names and the unspoken conversation between them – could only be Davide’s wife, Sonia. I felt like I was watching the man seduce his wife there on stage – the foreplay was nearly obscene, considering the church setting. But the whole experience was such a treat and by the end of the encore, Davide had popped a button from his shirt, and we could smell his sweat as he passed by our seats. Fantastico!

Ciao, Kirstin