The Rest of Venice

The next morning I just started wandering with no particular destination in mind. A couple of times I found myself in areas with less people around. They didn't have a good feeling so I changed direction to go where there were more people (counterintuitive for me to want to be around people, but the best way to stay safe when travelling alone).

I found myself in Piazza San Marco...


with Basilica San Marco at the other end:



I would have liked to go inside here and had a look, but the queue was an hour and a half long, and was fully exposed to the sun most of the way. I only had one day to explore... I wasn't going to spend it in a queue.

Instead, I got coffee...


The cafes have to protect the pastries because the local birds are brazen enough to come onto your table and take them. The quality of the coffee is very hit and miss. Most places don't know what a flat white is, so I just default to asking for a cappuccino. 

But the pastries are amazing!

After a very average coffee and a fabulous croissant, I kept walking and ended up beyond the Grand Canal in a busy area on the oceanside, with a classic view of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.


It was very busy on the waterfront. I was keen to get away from the crowds, so I decided to find a ferry that could take me across the water to San Giorgio Maggiore.



It was so much more peaceful over on the island, and the church was a restful place to be. I spent quite a while wandering around inside, and just sitting.






I looked for a plaque that would explain the significance of the weird spiky things, but couldn't find anything. And Google doesn't know about them either, so I imagine that they are part of the art exhibition that is housed in an antechamber. 

Then I found the lift up the tower... I was lucky it was such a stunning day!




After all of this, it was lunch time. I found a cafe on San Giorgio Island, and in the interest of expanding my horizons I ordered the Frozen Persimmon Jelly with raspberry sauce & whipped cream. Fantastic!

San Giorgio Cafe


After lunch I took a wander around behind the cafe and found a lovely kitchen garden, wild but obviously still in use...



And then it was time to head back to the mainland.

Except I got on the wrong ferry, and it headed in the opposite direction to where I wanted to go! After a period of consultation with my map, I decided to stay on board for a while and hop off further around the main island so I could explore a bit while I was walking back to the hotel. I hadn't been over this side of the Old Town of Venice yet. And it was so much quieter... Phew!





A gelato later I found civilisation again. But I was still on the wrong side of the Grand Canal and needed to find somewhere to cross. Taking a ferry seemed to be the way to go. Bridges are few and far between.


By the time I got to the other side of the canal it was getting late. I had a look at the menus of a few of the restaurants around the Rialto ferry station, but nothing appealed and I ended up just getting another slice of pizza from the same place as the previous night and heading back to the hotel.


The next morning I was due to catch the train back to Rome. Rather than taking a ferry back to the train station, I decided to have a go at navigating the alleys and canals on foot. Was quite chuffed with myself for getting there, and having time to stop for a coffee and peruse a few shops and stalls on the way! I'm getting good at this!





I caught the right train (first class, silent carriage of course) and four hours later was back in Rome. 

Nailed it!!!

Next stop: Tallinn, Estonia




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