Last day in Venice

Allow me to address a couple things first. I believe I have corrected the problem of not being able to comment on the blog. Thanks that several of you have emailed or Facebook messaged me that you would like to,  but haven't been able to. 

Also, the picture with me and a door was not our hotel room. It is just down the hall and I thought it would make a great picture to go with the story.

Today we were on our own to do what we wanted with no set schedule. Joan, had booked us a tour of the Murano glass factory for 9:30. So we had our Kellogg's Breakfast Bar and caught the hotel shuttle craft (ok it was a boat but I had just watched the new Star Trek movie and its had to work a shuttle craft into casual conversation). 

Murano is a completely separate island and is where the Murano Glass Factory is. It is about. A 15 minute boat ride across the channel. There we watched a demonstration of glass blowing and then a glass sculpturing demo. From there we were led into their showroom of very expensive chandeliers, sculptures, and glasses. 

Once we figured out how to decode the price tags, it was more like a museum walk through than a shopping experience.

We did cave in and bought a modern art piece and have had it shipped back to the states. They thru in the horse we watched him make and a water taxi to St Marks square. What a bargain!

We then proved that we had conquered the Venice maps by finding the shortest distance to get to the Accadamia from St Marks. Left then right, quick right over a bridge and then left right left and down a hallway over some stairs across the plaza past the gelato stand......... Well maybe stop at the gelato stand..... Then right  right left over the bridge past the church and then a right into what looks like a deadend but has a quick right left right and past a pizza place and lo and behold we were at St Stefano's plaza. From there it is a no brainer to the bridge across the Grand Canal and the Accadamia is right here.

Joan wanted to go to Accadamia as it has an excellent collection of Venetian art and artists.  Here are a few examples before they told me no pictures.... I wasn't using a flash an I was quiet. The kept following us the rest of the way thru.

The building itself was impressive too.

After many hours of walking through the halls we both need food and a GT. luckily for us there was just the place right on the Grand Canal next to the old wooden bridge. Joan got us a water side table and I could have stayed there all day. We had a couple of GT's and then ordered Pizza. Joan had an artichoke and mushroom and pepperoni called a 4-Sligh, and I had a sausage and cheese called a Venese. I have a new name for mine. I am calling it the Gavin Pizza in honor of my Grandson's favorite food. It did not have Sausage. It had Frankfurter otherwise known in America as a Hot Dog. 

We did have a street string serenade performing Vivaldi while we ate. Quite good.

After more GT's and deciding we had occupied the table and devoured a healthy portion of the view, we walked back to Saint Marks square because, after having done so in Verona, I wanted to go to the top of the bell tower. Good call..... The view was phenomenal. 

Tonight we pack and tomorrow head out for Florence.