A Perfect Last Day

Annie tapped my shoulder to get up. "9 o'clock, Uncle Harold, and I'm up first!"

A quick breakfast and we were on our way. "Our" traghetto across the Grand Canal, up to Fondamente Nuovo and we were off to Torcello. Much back and forth at the vaporetto stop, as the trip to Torcello involves a stop at Murano and a transfer at Burano, and above the noise of the crowd and the boat they both sound almost exactly the same.

About 40 minutes and one transfer later, there were were on Torcello, headed for the oldest church in the Lagoon, dating from the turn of the last millennium. A gorgeous day, wisteria by the path, birds singing and a light breeze.

The church was amazing. Building almost entirely in brick, with a soaring nave topped by an ancient wooden ceiling, with amazing mosaics and sculpture. Filled with sunlight as opposed to the dim mystery of St. Mark's, you got a feeling of the beginning of modern Christianity. Mosaics were fascinating and moving. Above the nave a huge Christ, a smaller Annunciation and the twelve Apostles. On the other end, above the door, and incredible narrative of ... well, a very complicated Last Judgement, if I were to put it briefly. Dozens of characters, several different styles, gold and bright colors. Annie listened to the audioguide twice through, taking it all in.

Next door, in another 1,000 year old church, a wedding was taking place, so we were only able to get in briefly at the end of our visit. It was totally different, much more intimate. Imagine St. Julien le Pauvre in brick, bathed in Italian sunlight.

A quick lunch, where Annie had a hot dog with .... drumroll ... ketchup! She almost felt she should forgo the hotdog althogether in order to stay ketchup-free for the whole trip, but I said that since it was the last day, you'd all understand. (We've had much discussion over the week whether it would be easier to give up ketchup or gelato, but the answer seems to be complicated by location, so we'll let it go for now.)

Onto Burano, famous for lace and brightly-colored, charming low houses. It didn't disappoint. I also think I've discovered where Annie's great-grandmother Jarmila Novotna got the lace-trimmed table linens Louise has inherited, as we saw their like in almost every window. She must have come over from Lido to do a little shopping every year.

Back home with a stop to spend the last of Aunt Marion's gift money on an adorable outfit for Annie. Since it's our last evening we're going to cut this short and go walk down the Grand Canal one final time, as the setting sun gilds each palazzo and every gondolier.

Next post will probably be from NYC!