Pat and I have both caught “the bug” that has been moving through our group. Pat was feeling much worse today than I was so he stayed behind while I headed out with the group.

Our itinerary was somewhat disrupted by the Vogalonga Regatta which was taking place on the Grand Canal today. This is a non-competitive, 30 km race through the lagoons of Venice. The vaporettos were suspended for most of the morning, and into the afternoon.

We set out on one of the few boats that was running, and took a back way around to our stop. Our group was first onto the vaporetto so we all had seats as we passed through areas that we hadn’t seen before. Now that I see how many cruise ships are in port (I counted four), I understand where the crowds are coming from!

We toured a few back streets, all the while aimed at our first stop – The Galleria dell’Accadamia. The streets don’t run straight so even when you know what direction you need to go you might have to take a street going in a totally different direction. Each bridge you cross means you have passed to another of the many islands that make up Venice.

We had a guided tour of the Accadamia, which was created by joining a school, a convent and a church. It houses works of art by famous Venitian artists. The paintings were beautiful, but I was admiring the floor tiles. I’m sure there is a quilt block somewhere in here.

It was a long walk to lunch but it was lovely to be walking along the Grand Canal in some fresh air.

We’ve seen a lot of churches along the way, and they all seem to hold a relic of one sort or another. A relic is an ancient religious object. The church we visited this afternoon (Santa Maria dei Frari) has a drop of the blood of Christ as its relic.

One of the sculptures in the church, done by Canova, was originally sculpted for Titian’s tomb. Titian is buried in the church but he didn’t use the Canova sculpture. Canova’s heart is buried under that original sculpture. His right arm has been entombed in another church, and the rest of him was buried in his hometown.

We headed home, again through the back streets, until we reached the Realto Market. The market was pretty much closed but we saw the huge buildings where the fish markets are held. There were one or two fruit and vegetable stands open and, of course, the usual street vendors.

We had our farewell dinner tonight. After spending two weeks with these folks they feel like family. Cynthia, our leader, has instilled all sorts of confidence in us. I hope we can live up to her expectations as we head off on our own tomorrow!

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