Sat Sep 10, 2011

Got up early and wondered through the streets. Very peaceful and quite that time of morning. Only the church bells ringing break the silence. We crossed the Accademia Bridge, picked up tickets for the Accademia Museum - an amazing art museum showcasing all the great venetian artists, Bellini, Tintoretto, Titian etc. Breakfast of pannini & brioche on the Giudecca Canal prior to the cruise ships distorting their hordes.


We all met up with Mom, Niall, Carina and Niall Jr at 10am to see the best collection of the Venetian masters. 2h of tour in an uncrowded museum was a pleasure.





Then on to Peggy Guggenheim for modern art, a small but significant collection. Its location on the Grand Canal is worth the admission alone.


Took our first vaporetto ride ( a ferry performing the role of a bus)- public transit with the best views in the world!- to San Toma to see the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari Church with its magnificent altar piece, Titian's Assumption.
Venice is crowded but if you stay away from the Piazza San Marco and wander the side streets its a very different experience. Weather is amazing -hot and sunny -like July! All of us met for drinks on the terrace of our hotel overlooking the Grand Canal and then over to the east side of San Marco for a leisurely dinner at Il Ridotto, allowing for 3h of stories. Food was excellent. Carinna treated us to drinks in San Marco as a farewell-they headed back to Ireland next day. We are now planning next year's destination.





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Location:Venice