I was planning on sleeping in late today as it was our day off. However my air mattress has decided that it is going let me down. So by 6:30 I was laying on the ground. It was time to get rolling anyway so I pulled on my running gear and headed off for a run. It has been quite a while since I went for a run and the first mile was tough. It was perfect running conditions and running along the sea wall was so much fun I soon forgot about how hard it was. Before I knew it, it was time to turn around. So I managed a 10 km run in an hour flat which turned out to be very pleasant.
A quick shower and a breakfast out of the camp store and I was off to see Venice. The ferry ride landed me just a few feet from St Mark’s Square. So it was off to see sites, take pictures and find a gift for my son Kurt. Venice is a maze of tiny streets , alleys and canals. Some streets have bridges and some don’t. Because the streets and lanes are so narrow you cannot see any land marks or even the sun so navigation is a real guessing game.
At about 12:00 the clouds were starting to look pretty menacing and there were a few rolls of thunder. So I needed to find a umbrella fast. Then as I turned a corner there was a shop which had them for 5 Euros the cheapest I had seen. As I was paying for the umbrella the cloud burst happened. The shop keeper was busy putting the price up to 10 as I left. The rain was so heavy the umbrella wasn’t up to the job and I had to take cover for 40 minutes under an awning. My dry running shoes are soaked again.
After the rain let up finding the gift was next on the list. It can’t be paper as it would disintegrate in this climate. Glass, china porcelain would never make it home in one piece. Stone too heavy. I didn’t want a T-shirt as Kurt has lots of them. I looked in hundreds of shops but nothing fit the bill. Then I found the perfect gift. I was very pleased.
The sun was now out and as I entered St. Marks Sq. I noted the line to get into the cathederal was very short so I jumped in the line. What a place! It was started in 1067 and they have been building on it ever since. The interior is lined with all these mosaics. The bronze from the four bronze horses on top dates back to the 2nd century BC.
I had purchased a bag of these special Venician sugar coated jellies. They were so sweet and tangy. I enjoyed them on the ferry where the sun was warm on my face. My shoes are dry. What a great day.
Tomorrow we head for the Dolomites.
Terry
1 comment:
Terry, one thing about visiting these European cities is that you realize that nothing in North America is really old. We rode the Highwood Pass today in a light, but steady, rain. I thought about hypothermia when riding off the summit, but didn't experience it as you did a couple of days ago. I visited Venice a number of years ago, so seeing your pics brings back memories. Thanks for the great work on the blog. Enjoy the coming week's ride.
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