We met Markus Stiller? and Alexandra Zylenas? at St. Mark’s square, which was teeming with tourists. We took a large gondola across the channel to Dorsoduro to our apartment to get Tony’s restaurant recommendations and headed out to dinner at Al Gondolieri close by. The front garage style sliding door was up, but they did not open until 7pm. Italians, like Turks and Greeks, like to dine late. We made reservations and walked past a long queue for the Guggenheim museum. We had to ask what was going on at the museum as the line was 50 meters long. It turns out that the museum stayed open that evening and that it was free. we saw a similar phenomenon at the Colosseum. The last Sunday of the month the Colosseum is free, but the line to get in was ridiculous.

We skipped the Guggenheim for now and walked the peaceful streets of Dorsoduro, hoping to find the very point of the island with a great view of St Marks. We walked very slowly finding may excuses to take “that great photo” and happened upon a fellow playing medieval tunes on a lute-harp like instrument. I’m guessing it is a medieval lute, but I’ll have to check online. That took us back in time.

I cannot spend much time now; we’re off early to grab a bite in St. Marks before the hoards wake up and flood the square.