Unabashed displays of wealth and power

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We hustled over for a 9:00 am tour of the Doges Palace. When we got to the vaporetto stop there was no way to buy a ticket. We'd noticed that trains and the vaporetto system run on the honor system. You buy and validate tickets or passes and then no one ever asks to see them and there are no gates that bar you from entry without inserting a ticket. In desperation, we hopped onboard and bought a day pass 3 hours later so we wouldn't be cheaters. Our guide in the ghetto had complained about "cheaters who don't pay their taxes or transport fares" and we didn't want to be in that category. Can you imagine if the subways and trains in the US ran on the honor system? The Doges were the titular heads of the Venetian government. They were elected by approximately 2,000 men whose families were inscribed in the "Golden Book". True power rested with a subset of these men, not with the Doge. Nonetheless he got to live in a palace and wear a funny hat. Standing in the courtyard you could see how the architecture evolved over time from the 14th through the 17th centuries. The simplest construction of plain brick was from the 14th century when Venice was an economic powerhouse and the most ornate in the 17th century as the economy of Venice declined. The main meeting room is supposed to be the largest single room built without internal supports at that time. In addition to the functional room, you get to see collection of weapons and instruments of torture. Some of the swords were 4 feet long and it's hard to imagine how strong you'd have to be to wield one while wearing a hundred pounds of armor. It is cold in Venice. Being on the water makes it a damp cold, when it isn't raining, and it's windy. I've been wearing a t-shirt, two light sweaters and a light jacket and I'm still cold. Maybe it has something to do with also being sick. I very rarely get sick at home, but every time we go on a big trip, I get sick for part of the trip. The forecast for the next 3 days is more rain and cold. So much for trusting Weather.com that forecast sun and temperatures in the 70's.
After the tour we headed back to the apartment for lunch and then met Fiona at Ca'Rezzonico for our afternoon tour. This museum was set up by the government to house furniture, art and home goods that were rescued from palazzo across Venice. As with the Mal-Contents, it's a sad family story in which the family died out (no heirs, at least no male heirs) not long after construction was finished. Of everything we saw, the carving on the furniture made the biggest impression on me. Especially as Venice was on the decline in the 17th century but still had accumulated wealth, rich families spent money hand over fist. I guess it's no different than today, some things never change. Fiona collects antiques which make sense given her knowledge and passion for the art and history of Venice. She asked if I would like to live in a place like Ca'Rezzonico and was surprised when I said that it wasn't my taste and that most people are more comfortable in small rooms rather than rooms that are 20 by 20 with 15 foot ceilings. Nonetheless I can appreciate the beauty of the Renaissance style.

After the tour, we headed back to the apartment to warm up and rest. After a bit we headed out again for important shopping. When Jess was engaged, I saw bridal shops all over SE Asia. Now that we have a granddaughter and are expecting a grandson, I see children's clothing and toy stores everywhere I go. We had passed a small shop that had the cutest kids clothes in the window. We got a super cute top and shorts for TBD (our grandson who's name is to be determined) and a red dress that says, "Ice cream" on it for Beats. When I was last in Seattle, I took her for ice cream every day, so I thought this particular dress was especially appropriate.

Dinner was at a restaurant recommended by a friend, Il Ridotto. It is now the #1 dinner for this trip. When we arrived, the waiter asked about food allergies and we told him we had none. He went on to ask about allergies to shell fish and pork. I don't know if they have a lot of Jews who keep kosher as customers or if we look Jewish, but not eating shell fish and pork makes more sense relative to keeping kosher than to food allergies. I assured him we in fact the sort of people who don't eat shell fish or pork, but we do. Maybe my explanation wasn't clear, because he went on to point out a dish on the menu where the pasta was boiled in water with clam juice even though there were no clams in the dish and wanted to make sure we wouldn't order it and then send it back. I overheard him go through the same spiel with another couple.

The meal was terrific and we ended up in a conversation with the people at the next table because none of us could make up our minds as to what to order. We opted for the Pistachio Bavarian Cream, because if you can't get salted caramel, then pistachio is the next best thing.

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