Our morning starts with the usual jostling for position in the tiny bathrooms…this morning proves much more challenging as this bathroom is tinier than the others. Next thing is to assess the damage done to my feet from the day before. So far only 2 blisters on either small toe, but in the last few days I have another sore spot starting on my heel. Band-aids are a must, and a foot saver.
We have breakfast in our courtyard. Orange juice, coffee and tea (I have stayed away from the coffee; it is so dark even looking at it makes my stomach churn), and today buns and a croissant eat. From our room I could smell the croissants being baked in the morning. They are the most delicious and have some kind of preserve in the middle.
My goal was to find their food market. We had some idea where it might be after we stumbled on a sign that marked it as the city centre and the place of the market with the hours. Since it was Friday, it was open, but we just couldn’t see it. Everything is hidden behind buildings and small alleys/waterways so you never really know where you are at any given time. Once I could smell fish, I knew we were close. I wasn’t disappointed.
My heaven will include this market. The fruit and vegetable stands were first, and they were gorgeous. The size of some of the items were just huge. You can see why everything tastes so good around here. Everything is fresh, and ripe, nothing that has been picked to soon to ripen artificially. The tomatoes are so red. The fish and seafood were next, and I have never seen anything like it. It smells of fish, but a fresh smell, not an old fish smell. They have things I have never seen before, and a lot of these fish are still alive. Very fresh. If I had a kitchen, and an Italian cook to show me what to do, this would be my dream.
We had lunch back at our hotel in courtyard. Sandwiches and wine for 10euros. We had pizza rolls which were literally a pizza crust with sauce, meat and cheese, rolled and then pressed in a Panini machine to toast the outside, and melt the cheese.
Afterwards we wandered around the streets, ending up back at San Marco Piazza where we went into a church and then had a nap by the water. There are tables set up that only stand about 3 feet high and were covered with a thin coat of a concrete, I think probably for market stands in the summer. It made a nice stop for a quick nap, and to rest ourselves. We have done this a few times in different places, and it sure makes a difference. You have to watch where you do this though as some places you can’t even sit let alone nap.
We normally share a dinner, but last night we went out and had a “tourist” combo plate at an Osteria near our hotel. I had seafood spaghetti as my first course and calamari as my second. Rick had lasagne and some very thin beef strips. The bonus was that the dinner came with some veggies which we are really lacking. We were in bed early.
I have written this on Day 8. Next stop is Monterrosso. The train ride will make up most of our day and I am glad for the rest. Travelling by train here is so slick. We made all our reservations when we were in Florence, so we just walk onto the train at the station.
Breakfast at the Hotel 
Canal 
Grand Canal 
Loading supplies 
On one of the three bridges that cross the Grand Canal 
Just us 
Water rising 
Fruit and veggie market 
Seafood – yummy 
Standing on a bridge 
A canal 
Grand Canal 
Eating more Gelato! 
After a nap beside Piazza San Marco 
At the bar…
Clearly Carla 