Another cold, but clear sunny day. Pete got up early and went to the Mercato Rialto (Rialto market) on the traghetto (gondola which short-cuts backwards and forwards straight across from one side of the Grand Canal to the other for 1 Euro each way) and came home with pork and fresh veg for dinner. I got out of bed just in time to let him in the door! Yawn. Yesterday was a long and exhausting day.

Breakfast, and then out the door to explore Castello. We decided to go the back way past the Ospedale to avoid the crowds. It was very windy and cold beside the open water.

Castello is where the Arsenale (naval shipyard) is located. The Lonely Planet publication advised that the Arsenale itself is often closed, and unfortunately it was so today. The main purpose of our expedition to this area however, was to visit the Museo Storico Navale (Naval Museum), but very much to our disappointment that was closed too, for repairs and maintenance. We did get into one small area though, where some old boats and other naval stuff was exhibited. We were both disappointed but managed to get some interesting photos.

We strolled slowly back towards San Marco along the Riva Degli Schiavoni, the footpath alongside the Grand Canal, enjoying the sunshine and the sights, although not the crowds. We remembered running along this stretch of the Grand Canal last time we were here, in one of the orienteering races.

We detoured to the Chiesa San Zaccaria which, the Lonely Planet guide advised, contains several masterpieces by Bellini, Titian and Tinteretto. Guess what? Closed for repairs and maintenance!

We then wandered through lots of narrow alleys to the back wall of St Mark’s Cathedral, onto the bridge over the canal where the Palazzo Ducale and the Ponte Sospiro (Bridge of Sighs) is located. It is called that because it was the last time prisoners in ancient times saw the outside world and the Grand Canal, before being incarcerated for inhumanely long periods of time in the dungeons of the Palazzo Ducale.

Through St Mark’s Square, along the colonnade and out into the back streets again, to the Teatro La Fenice, Venice’s famous opera house. The original opera house burned down in 1996 and was rebuilt in the same style and in the same place as the original with all the gilt, velvet, crystal chandeliers and marble as in the original. Extremely ornate is a good description. It was the starting point of fame for a very young Maria Callas (whose full name is about a meter long). There are some original, signed contracts of hers preserved under glass, as well as many photos of her in various operatic roles. Very interesting. We found the seats to be very uncomfortably narrow, built for the smaller posteriors of past centuries. Couldn’t imagine sitting through several hours of opera in them!

We’ve just looked up our start times for the races this weekend. Typically, the night race has our start times 1 ½ hours apart, with Pete starting at 8.10 pm. Mental note to take a good book to read while waiting!

Dinner’s almost ready. Pietro is cooking this evening. Good night. Ilze.