This was our last full day in Venice. Venice like so many cities has it's major sites and then tens if not hundreds of things to see and do once you've covered the top ten or so. We made it a heavy museum day. But first we did some serious shopping.The night before, we had been wandering about and saw these amazing glasses in a shop window. We headed to the store and bought a set of stemware to be shipped to London. The store is in the Campo San Barnaba made famous in the Katherine Hepburn film Summertime. Elena who helped us with the order was really great and she sent us down the street to meet Francesca, the store's owner and a local
architect who has designed the glasses. Madera had lots of other cool kitchen and housewares, but we figured the glasses were enough.Ca' Pesaro is a beautiful example of Italian Baroque archictecture and houses the city's modern art collection. Compared to the feel of Venice, it was an exhilerating juxtaposition of modern art including Gustav Klimt, Mark Chagall, Paul Klee, Henry Moore and more. Just not what you eyes are expecting to see in Venice.
We traveled back and forth across the grand canal using gondola shuttles. For 50 euro cents you go from straight across one side of the canal to the other, standing in a gondola. It's much easier than getting on a bus or going up to a bridge to cross. And a fun and inexpensive way to get a gondola ride.
Another key stop for the day was the Palazzo Mocenigo. This museum was really interesting as it is pretty much as the family left it about 100 years ago. It's just a tour of the house, its furnishings and its rooms. It was the first time I'd ever seen a bathroom from the early 20th century. This is a good place to look for samples of the old Burano lace.
We had a great late lunch at Muro Pizza & Cucina, Campiello dello Spezier, Santa Croce 2048. We had passed it several times during the week, but thought it looked too chic to be any good. Looks can be deceiving. The service was friendly, the food was creative contemporary without being over the top, the wine list varied and the restaurant was full of Venetians. I would recommend it for lunch or dinner.
After lunch we went to the Basilica San Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. A feast for the eyes with major works by Titian, Bellini, Donatello and many more. It was breath taking.
