I'm going to throw a bunch of pictures at you, and talk along with them. Last night was copy-heavy, so tonight I'll keep it short.
A beautiful shot as I strolled along the water not far from where I'm staying.
I hadn't done any groceries on the night I arrived, so it was time to head out and get something to eat for brunch! I ended up walking by what seemed to be a very popular place, and saw one table left on the patio, right next to the water. It's called Gam Gam, a Kosher restaurant right near the top of Venice.
Possibly the best potato latkes I've ever had, and the hummus was delicious (there was bread too, I wasn't just spooning hummus into my mouth like insane Samantha in that abomination of a Sex and the City sequel, which yeah, I saw.... I'm suuuuuch a Miranda! ... may we move on?)
The stuff on top is meat. Yes, it was just referred to as "meat" on the menu. I feel like back home, if someone said to me, "Oh yeah, your meal comes with meat." I'd be like, "What's this uhhh, meat you're talking about?" But it Europe, almost every country / city I've been to, even last year, "meat" is associated with ground beef. Sometimes another form of beef, but mostly ground beef.
Either way, it was delicious, and all the protein I could possibly need to start the day of walking off right.
I then walked for six hours. The island is nowhere near large enough to require that much walking... if you know what the hell you're doing... which I do not.
Also, I got shopping, meaning I went and bought a bunch of cool stuff that I love!
Anyhow, here are some shots of the beautiful little waterways that you come across every 50 steps.
I'm trying as often as I can to walk down alleyways that look like they have water at the end of them. Sure, walking down random alleyways would seem weird in many cities, but that's what the city is literally made up of. Alleys. Some lead to water, and some don't.
This one did, and can we take a moment for the adorable older Italian couple sitting and cuddling?
So adorable.
This is what I saw on the left when I got out there.
And this is what I saw on the right.
One goal for today was to make my way to Saint Mark's Basilica. Well, I half-reached my goal. What with all the shopping, walking, benching (not weights, but sitting on benches to give the dogs a rest... who came up with that saying anyway?), and getting lost, I made it there at 3:30pm, and it closes at 4pm. With the hundred-person line-up, I knew it wasn't the right choice, so I decided to pee.
I know, you thought you read that wrong, right?
You didn't.
Using a restroom in Europe, specifically Italy in my experience, becomes another activity in your day, not just "a pee". It requires agility (more or less, depending on how urgently you have to pee), drive, to walk the alleys and lane ways to find the public toilets (still weird to me that I have to ask for the item I need when I have to pee, "Excuse me, where are the toilets?" It just feels so... literal!), experience, to know what the hell WC means, and of course 1.5€, because otherwise they won't let you in.
It took me 20 minutes to get to the "toilets", and I followed the signs like a damn champion.
I'm really not used to this much pee restriction, and I look forward to the days where I can pee where I want to, and going back to a land where I can PEE FOR FREE! lol
I digress, big time! Here is St. Mark's Basilica from the outside.
After I was free of pee, I somehow found myself at the European Cultural Centre, which caught my eye because of this sculpture outside.
Yeah, it's not a blow up pool toy and a real woman (which I was genuinely convinced of for maybe 10 seconds).
This and the next photo are pieces of art by Carole A. Feuerman, and I suggest very strongly that you check out her painted resin work (and all other work). It is highly, highly impressive:
www.carolefeuerman.com/painted-resin-page
These next four are amazing pieces by Sebastian Schrader out of Germany.
I'm not sure who this artist is, but it was 3D, popping out of the wall, and created some very cool shapes!
A shot from the window in one of the exhibit rooms.
Shot from another window. Does the beauty ever stop?
His building was very old, and as I went up for floors, the art got creepier, and so did the space.
This wasn't creepy up close, but it was weird from afar. You had to be there, it was dark and just loomy.
Up close, lovely.
As I walked through a nearly pitch dark hallway to the sound of a video of a dude groaning, I came to this little alcove. I was all, "Cool, what a great photo, dark room, light outside. Cool, cool, cool!"
Until I looked out the window...
Normal, right? Just some folks on a patio and some people strolling.
Look right.
YEAH!
This is not a person, it's art from the gallery, across the damn street. I think it's effing brilliant. Terrifying, but brilliant.
Also, creepy right?
After that the sun started setting (at like 5:45pm, depressing!), so I figured food would be good. I walked another hour, lost as hell, and a little less chipper about it at this point in the day.
Thank goodness for Google, again, because I honestly would have had no idea how to get the hell home.
Anyhow, some purchases!
This is a tin full of amaretti cookies, which... I literally exclaimed, with a mouthful, "Holy hell! YES!" after I tried one. Bringing some of those babies home with me! And the tin... those of you who know me know that I bought it for the tin, and got lucky on the delicious stuff inside! Haha.
And then I had a weak moment. I don't need this at all, but... I haaaaaaad to!
It's a modern pocket watch!!!
The chain is white metal, and the clip is too. It's not wood, but is patterned like it, feels silky-smooth, and I had to!
Sexyyyyyyy!
And the opposite of that, the most ridiculous purchase of these whole 24 days. Little, mini pasta magnets with real pasta and "real" packaging of the pasta in the supermarket here.
Really, like you wouldn't have? Please.
Fine, just me? Whatever, you know you're jealous!
And as promised, just a few photos of the place I stayed in Rome!
As you walk in, there could not have been more information available for you about Rome.
Then you walk a bit more and there's a whole desk setup with house rules and the manuals for all appliances and the shower in a binder, all in their own plastic sheets (brilliant, Paola is my kind of people!)
And then the adorable kitchen.
And the cute little breakfast tea and coffee setup.
The bathroom. Can we have a moment for the size of that shower?
Yeah.
And the bedroom, which was also the living room, which was very closely-attached to the kitchen, ha! Seems Rome and Toronto are on the same page when it comes to condo size.
Alright, I'm sleepy. Until tomorrow, folks!
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