A Brilliant Day

Today was the most glorious day yet weather-wise, and that's saying alot.

Someone slept soundly until 10:30 this morning, so all thoughts of beating the line at San Marco and the Doge's palace were gone by the time we sallied forth at 11:30 and we took a different tack and started the day at the Peggy Guggenheim collection. Small and quirky, just like we like 'em, with beautiful 20th Century art in Peggy's former home. A beautiful still garden full of sculpture and the scent of wisteria.

Wait! What's this? The San Marco Day regatta, heading up the Grand Canal! We hotfoot it out to the terrace overlooking the water and watch for about 20 minutes as a remarkable collection of rowed craft (crew size ranging from 2 to 10), banners flying, headed up the canal. And of course, as is the tradition in Venice, everyone was standing up, looking ahead of them. Pictures were taken!

Annie was leaning towards the idea of going to see the exhibition "Rome and the Barbarians" at Palazzo Barbaro (I think) and then out to Torcello ("our nice day plan, Uncle Harold") but our search for lunch took us to the quayside dining area of the Pension Calcina (Ruskin's home base in Venice) and thence to the boat across to Giudecca where we visited the two Palladio masterpieces in Venice: the Church of the Redentore and then San Giorgio Maggiore. If you can imagine St. Peter's in Rome and St. Paul's in London stripped down to their essentials, placed half a mile apart right on the waterfront, and drenched in Venetian sun, you'd get some idea of what we saw today. Words fail.

While on San Giorgio Maggiore we also took in the Cini collection (a beautiful show of the works of a 20th century Venetian painter whose name momentarily escapes me in a gorgeously redone 15th century warehouse building) then Annie informed me that her "gelato level" was "dangerously dangerously low" so we hopped back on the boat to San Marco and a double cup.

We then did a little more than an hour of very productive shopping (not to ruin any surprises, but someone is getting a beautiful Fortuny scarf, someone a Fortuny silk rose pin and someone a beautiful pair of cashmere-lined gloves) and ended up at the Disney store, where Camel ("Caramel") was replaced (as if Caramel could actually ever be replaced) with Kitty.

Then back home to drop off our treasure and out to do some shopping. We're having a quiet dinner in, scrambled eggs for Annie and tortellini ai funghi for me, then an early night.

Beacause tomorrow, come Hell or Acqua Alta, we're going to be at San Marco when the Doge's palace opens at 9 am!