We had no plan at all for this day.  The water was really sparkling and the skies were the clearest we’ve seen.  From our little view spot we could see the Dolomites in the distance.

I tried making this little video at the top of the bridge (for Bob Mayer).  This is Ken’s dream spot that is, for him, the essence, beauty, and otherworldliness that is Venice.

We were going to do our shopping over at Rialto, but coffee called first at Cafe del Doge.  We walked all around the market and bought nothing except some bread.  I had my eye on a hat in a window right near the bridge so we went there and I tried on a bunch of different hats. The woman spoke no English and was so kind and helpful.  I finally settled on a type of wool, pork pie hat in shades of grey.  (Picture to come.)  And it really helps keep me warm.

Saw this window in Campo San Bartolomeo and thought of Amy Gillman:

Giant knittlng

From there we went back over the bridge loosely heading for VizioVirtu, a terrific candy/chocolate shop in Castello.  I am really a sucker for their little gelatine fruit flavored, sugar coated candies, so I bought some of those and we got some chocolate, too.  I also had a nice little chat with the owner.

We wandered around the streets in there for a bit and found ourselves in Campo Santa Marina.  The bakeries and super markets in town all have their windows full of these highly decorated, St. Martin cakes.  They are the image of a rider on a horse.  The official holiday is next week and I’m looking forward to it.

We went by Brodo e Brace and got a roasted chicken and some salami for Ken and ham for me.  From there we walked back home, at every canal we were saying “wow, wow wow” about the gorgeous day.  Who ever thought I would enjoy being outside when it’s only 55°?  Between my new hat and walking swiftly, I’m good.

After lunch I took a nap.  At around 5:30 we headed out again.  I wanted to buy the cut up, bagged, vegetables to make another soup, at the place nearby but they didn’t have any.  I asked about it and they said they would make one for me if we came back a little later.  OK, fine.  So we went into the vino sfuso store and told the guy I wanted a dry, full bodied wine.  He said we should try his Cabernet and so we did.  We had accidentally recycled the empty glass bottle we had, but he has extra, plastic water bottles which gross me out a bit.  So for €3.45 we got a liter and half of wine.  And surprise surprise–it’s not bad!  I was so skeptical.  Though it doesn’t taste like a California Cab, it’s fruity and well balanced.

We went into the crazy Coop–so crowded and hard to navigate, but we needed a few things like yogurt and cereal that we don’t get at the small shops.

Back to the fruit and veggie guys (we keep saying we are going to stop going there because they are persistently unfriendly, but they are so convenient and their stuff is fresh and delicious)  and he was just finishing up my bag of “minestrone.”  We got a bunch of other things from them for salads and the soup.

We got home and a minute later Elisa knocked at our door, presenting us with a platter of perfectly cooked, boiled vegetables fresh from Sant Erasmo (the small agricultural island of Venice).  They were some of the best veggies I’d had in a long time!  She’d put some nice olive oil on them and apparently boiled them in well salted water.  So I never even made the soup.  We had Elisa’s vegetables, roast chicken, bread and our bargain wine for dinner.

We watched a very sweet little movie called Quartet, on Netflix (directed by Dustin Hoffman), and called it a day.