Autunno a Venezia: An even slower pace.......yesterday was a bit too fast!

Along with our pace of excitement and energy comes the inevitable recognition that it might be nice to slow down a bit. We thought we were doing that yesterday, but at 9,505 steps and 3.89 miles of walking .......and 4 boat trips, reality presents a different picture! We are seriously getting into the mode of relaxing. Today's plan is for lunch in San Polo to be the only real adventure of the day........we will see.

The day started with a meeting at the Foundation office. I met with Marta (my primary contact) and she gave me a tour of the basic research facilities, focused almost entirely on the library and the historic archival collection of books, prints and drawings. It was very impressive and I was given access to the Antonio Cetani Collection, with specific reference to the work of Annibale Carracci. I noted that I was particulary interested in prints and drawings exhibiting characteristics of 'quadratura' projections as the earliest form of spatial perspective in the trompe'oeil manner.......and was shown were they were kept........rather intimidating.

This is my 'working' space in the library

On the way to the library, two things to point out.......

Instead of grass, they use clover in the courtyards. It is amazingly beautiful.......have to try this at home.

Second point is the beauty of the cloisters. There is a sequence of two connected cortiles with cloistered passages connecting the spaces.......absoultey beautiful. These are remnants from the time when this was a benedictine monastery.

Look closely behind the well!

Our major excursion for the day was a reservation for lunch that Andrea had made months ago in the San Polo district, at a restaurant called Antiche Carampane. We gave ourselves a little over an hour to get there, as we had to take two separate boats........and we were worried about the crowds on such a nice day. The crowds did not disappoint! as Piazza San Marco was its normal hub of tourist craziness. We navigated through it all and found the second boat (linee #1) close by to where the #2 docked in the SM/Zattere.

This second part of the 'commute' gave us a great set of vistas down the Grand Canal, as we went from San Marco to Rialto.