Più amore a Venezia

Our second day was just as fun as the first... We started out at Gallerie dell'Accademia, where we saw some great pieces...including Titian. Next we went to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the museum of modern art. This was a great change of pace... and I actually think Dave was convinced that Pollack isn't a hack. We also saw many of the modern greats including Matisse, Dali, Chagall, Picasso, and Kandinsky. The view of the Grand Canal was also something to see out the back door of the mueseum.

In the afternoon, Dave and I took the Vaporetta (water bus) to the island of Morano. This is where the glass magic happens. Unfortunately, the factories were closed on Saturday but we did visit the Glass Museum. This was really cool, the exhibits ranged from ancient glass urns, jewelry, and decor, to modern glass sculptures. The garden was one of my favorite parts. It included glass animals, flowers, and a huge glass bed. Dave also thought it was a good place to take a nap.




In the evening, we got dolled up (sorry, we forgot to take pic's!) and had what was probably the best seafood dinner I've ever had! Crab meat appetizer, fresh vegies, and an amazing sea bass. Other folks had good food that I was able to sample...Dave had Sole, and my friend Eileen had amazing squid served in it's own ink...black and delicious!

This night was also a huge festival called Redentore... it's a celebration for the erection of a church that was built in hopes of ending a plague. Once the plague ended, the holiday was declared and they have been celebrating it since.

They start the evening out with a parade of boats with music and decor, that used to end up creating a bridge across the grand canal to allow better access to the church. This year, however, they actually constructed a huge temporary bridge. Unfortunately, we got there just after the bridge closed... but the fireworks were so huge, you probably could have seen them in Florence! It lasted at least 45 minutes, and the finale was more amazing than any fireworks I've ever seen!