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The Rialto fish market this morning was amazing. I have never seen such an incredible selection of sea creatures in such quantities. Some of the creatures were so fresh they were still twitching, which was a little disturbing in some cases like lobster or mermaid. To get to the market from our side of the canal there is a little 50 cent gondola, which is quite fun. You stand the whole way and try not to gyrate against anyone too vigorously with the rocking of the gondola. We bought a fish to have this evening, and got some vegetables at the produce market, which was also very impressive. In these markets you have to push to the front and order in very authoritative Italian or you don't get service. We did not get service. Italians are very particular about their food. In the market the customers aren't supposed to touch the food, you point at it and the vender holds it up for you to inspect. They inspect very carefully, peering into the mouths of the trout and under the skirts of the lettuce. There were many vegetables I didn't recognize, which would be fun to try some time. We bought
little tiny wild strawberries to have with our breakfast.
Today is our last day in venice, and we decided to do some laundry in our apartment before we go. This meant my father had nothing to wear at the breakfast table but his undershirt which made for a fairly threatening, though quite Italian looking tablemate.
For lunch we went to the nearby Osteria da Ribola. We spit some pickled fish to start and each had homemade pasta. I had squid ink tagliatelle, the first time I've ever had a squid ink dish, which I've been wanted to do since seeing it on the Japanese iron chef. First bottle of wine, second cappuccino. We then went for a walk through the neighborhood where my mother lived for three weeks last year. It's far from most of the tourists and includes a terrific cathedral (big surprise). From there we walked past the hospital, the canal next to it lined by ambulances. The hospital occupies a 15th century monastery. The ambulances fascinate me because I can't quite picture how one would get a stretcher in. For that matter, I also cannot picture how one would get a
stretcher in to an apartment here or though the tiny narrow streets. I assume they must have carrying, rather than rolling stretchers, which is yet another way Italy has a Darwinian strategy to combat obesity. The paramedic's bicep tears, and the patient gets dropped in the canal.
Second church was Basilica di San Giovanni e Paolo. This church is on a nice square which was full of children and tourists. We had a refreshment at a cafe before going into the church. Third cappuccino. It turns out the unfortunately a third of a bottle of wine and three cappuccinos do not cancel each other out, they just result in you needing to spend a lot of time straightening your photos later. Like most churches I've visited in Italy, this one was incredibly ornate. There was an enormous clock inside which had numbers starting at the three o'clock position, which I found disorienting. It may have been all the cappuccinos.
Clearly it was time for a gelato, so we went to the gelato shop at the edge of the square. Both dad and I were fooled by a substance that was displayed in the same
way as gelato, labeled like gelato, but was actually mousse. I like mousse, but eating it from a cone was just weird.
On the way home we picked up wine. In Venice, everything is expensive except the wine, with a good bottle costing about five euro. My parents prepared our Bronzino fish with potatoes, tomatoes, green olives and white wine, and it was delicious.
Tomorrow we take the train to Florence. I will be sad to leave Venice, I feel like I was only about six weeks away from getting my bearings and actually being able to find anything. Plus, there are 63 churches left to visit. Another trip, perhaps.
Counts for today:
Amazing Japanese tourist: 1
Cappuccinos: 3
Punch priests: none, but my father punched me when he saw a nun. I guess I had it coming.
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Pappy
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Can't wait for next entry!
Enjoying your "blog" - feel like I'm "there." Wait - I am.