Today was La Fenice day. We had wanted to attend a performance there but decided to save the ticket fees of 240 euros and instead pay 14 euros (senior's rate!) to just go on a tour of the place. We were given handsets for a self guided audio tour, with instructions rattled off so fast we were both left baffled. As we walked around we could see everyone happily listening to commentary on their phones except us who were punching in random numbers and getting dead air. I think I heard Carol mumble something about stupid effing Canadian country bumpkins. Eventually we figured things out and were told about the restoration of the place after the disastrous fire of 1996.
The place is fabulous. It's well worth seeing because there are so few ornate theatres like it around the world. This one is special because of its' painstaking restoration to its' former glory. It's hard to imagine how they were able to bring it back at all. If you didn't know about the fire, you would just think wow what a gorgeous place to have been built so long ago and let it go at that but it's all only thirteen years old.
After that we walked to the next little piazza and fell into a cute little restaurant in the wall and found risotto with scampi on the menu! It is a Venetian specialty almost impossible to find so we were tickled pink and it was absolutely scrumptious. While they were making it (about 25 minutes), we enjoyed a plate of bruschetta trying to guess what delicious spice we were tasting in it.
After that, an easy stroll to the area just east of St. Mark's where all of the fancy shops were and where we finally found the Bauer Hotel which we had been looking for, for two trips now. The view of the beginning of the Grand Canal, from the patio bar was stunning.
Finally our daily ritual tiramisu and coffee at our favourite place. We are now recognized there and given any available table we want and treated really well. It's like home.
We are having an early night at home tonite cause we walked ourselves silly today without realizing it and need to rest up for new adventures tomorrow. Ciao.
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