the rest of Venice

Venice - more photos to round out our trip there- and wrap it up before we leave for Bologna...

the Teatro Gran Fenice--- opera lovers world wide know its reputation!

one evening we went back for at least my fifth time to Da Ivo- a restaurant long ago recommended by a travel friend of the family- sadly it has changed hands and is no longer the fabulous place we had loved before-  a lack-luster meal for far too much money... will not recommend it any longer....

stuffed zucchini flowers were prepared long before they were served only moderately warm- :-(

the ravioli pesto might have been good but who could tell drown in all that sauce? - I love pesto but this was way over the top- far too heavy handed...

should have probably gone to the self serve take away- LOL

masks - of course are a Venetian tradition and from the first trip I made there I have always had mine on display prominently in my home - she is much less scary looking than these from an artisan's shop window...

souvenir pins of various venetian masks- you can buy similar earrings etc....

along the way there is an abundance of architectural detail worth noting-

if you happen by in your water taxi or gondola you can stop and check out the menu for the restaurant and arrive in style via the canals-

one of my favorite shots from this visit-

this one looked even more atmospheric when I played around with my phone's photo settings-

along with masks the marionettes here are works of art- every trip I have made to Venice - the cat ones have called to me - but good ones are extremely expensive upwards from a thousand dollars - and I have no skill in operating a marionette nor a desire to learn - therefore I take their photos and move on ---

if you are tourist don't even think of sitting here- this seat is for Gondolieri!

on the evening of our disappointing dinner at Da Ivo, we assuaged our disappointment with drink in the bar on the Grand Canal in the moonlight- a nice recovery - LOL

the following night we had the meal we had wished for the night before- at Ai Mercanti (I think my fourth visit there- and still wonderful, sadly it was raining so we couldn't sit outside like I had every previous time... still my all time favorite meal of the trip with Jennifer - although it might have been colored by the two bottles of wine we waxed off over the course of many hours - or the lady who hung her laundry out over our heads in the campo and when it was dry (yes we stayed that long- LOL) took it in and closed her shutters... anyway- I recall the evening with great fondness...

I started with the salmon tartare- as did Aase and then went on to wonderful ravioli in a pesto that did not overwhelm the delicacy of the pasta. Phil had this very cute round lasagne- and that was fabulous - I could have eaten two of those... three of us had the chocolate assorted dessert plates- excellent all around! a fitting celebration for the actual evening of Phil's 60th birthday.

so every morning when I went to breakfast I took a photo of the canal right alongside the breakfast restaurant in our hotel... the fried eggs were very good - so I chose to order ala carte rather than the extensive and expensive buffet..... most mornings it was foggy and some the sun tried to break through but each day offered slightly different light--- (as well as a different seat- LOL)

the view looking directly across the canal from the breakfast porch...

life is good.... and so is Bologna's food! so stayed tuned...