Venice & Dubrovnik Cruise - Venice Page

Up at 0715 but it was very murky at first & we had breakfast before getting back on the top deck just as it sailed slowly behind a tug into the Lagoon. It is certainly an experience, even on a day starting like this, to sail up the Giudecca & round to the port, which is a dump.

Palladio's Church of the Redentore on a misty morning from the ship		St. Maria della Salute
San Giorgio	St. Mark's Square	The Zattere

We were only off the boat after ten. It is hike to the end of the dock, where we took the Alilaguna bus to the Giudecca, where, unusually for a cruise, I had a bit of business to do. It stopped at, for us, a new landing stage but it was not a long walk to the Fondanzione Nono, in its old monastery (ironic, given Nono's politics). Nuria Schönberg was not there, as she has had a fall & was visiting the hospital today but the Director greeted us & we gave her the parcel comprising a letter & the score & parts of my String Trio Op.31.

A quiet street on the Giudecca

Fondanzione Nono

Inside the archive

We left, went to a café for coffee & walked along to the Redentore Church (Palladio's) to look round & at the paintings.

Front of the Redentore

Inside the Redentore

Painting in the Redentore

We found the library shut, then had lunch, nice ciabattas, at a very local Italian café, run by a Chinese couple! The Giudecca is not like the rest of Venice. There is much more a feeling of a 'real place', with normal shops & of course, the great view across the canal to the main parts of the city.

Mask shop & reflexion of the Zattere

Normal fish shop

You can see right through the Giudecca

Along the Giudecca

Campanile & Doge's Palace from the Giudecca

We walked on the the Zitelle boat station, to get a boat to the Zattere, where we walked the short distance to the Accademia, which had an irresistible Leonardo da Vinci show we went round.

Altar piece in the Accademmia	Sketches for the "Last Supper"	East from the Accademmia Bridge - the Salute
From the Accademmia Bridge	Square of Francisco Morosini	Side canal

Avis suggested we go the St. Marks Square, which we did but it was really, too far for her. We visited an exhibition of stringed instruments (below) on the way. St. Mark's was mostly in a plastic bag for renovation.

When we got back to the Piazzale Roma, it turned out to be even more of a hike than we expected to the ship. We conclude that Venice by cruise ship is not a good idea.

Corner of St. Mark's Square	Mosaic on St. Mark's Cathedral	Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge
Scenes on the "standard walk" from the Rialto to the Piazzale Roma

As some people went to the opera for a concert & the next port was the fairly nearby Koper, we left late.