It is pouring just now. We brought our rain parkas with us this morning. It was overcast and humid, the sun came out for the morning. While sitting at a corner cafe having a beer, the weather turned. You could feel the wind shift, temperature cool, and humidity rise. We walked to the supermarket to pick our evening meal, grabbed a gelato at gelato Nico, and as we walked home, the rain started. We’ve got lightening, thunder, and buckets of rain. I hope it blows over before our scheduled gondola ride this evening ahead of an evening concert.

Piazza San Marco was not as crowded as it was this past weekend. There were many gaps in the roving tour groups marked by their umbrellas or scarfs on a stick. One very loud group of Chinese stood out for their noise and the cloud of smoke that followed them around. We actually stopped for fifteen minutes to let them go ahead to San Marco.

We stopped for a quick bite at a cafe that had scrumptious looking wraps. I ordered mine, Ellen hesitated, and the counter gal heated my wrap and went on to make a drink for another customer. She made the drink slooooowly, on purpose I think. All the while an Italian fellow loudly conversed with patrons, and said to a woman who walked in behind Ellen, “I love you! I looooovvvve you” He was having fun and entertaining the cafe staff. Finally, the drink on its way to a customer, “counter gal” asked what Ellen wanted, and placed Ellen’s bruschetta on the stove. Moments later our order was handed to us. The price was good, my wrap of Proscuitto de Parma, Cotto, and Mozzarella was well cooked and tasted fantastico. Ellen’s bruchetta was cold. It too tasted great, but the “counter gal”s coldness suffused our meal, which we ate on a bridge over a canal. I would go back to have another, but Ellen wouldn’t consider it. One day I will know enough Italian to banter with folks.

San Marco square, though not super crowded, was not peaceful and after maybe twenty minutes strolling around, we headed back “home” to Dorsoduro, stopping for a beer and water at another cafe on Piazza San Vidal.

I really love our location on Dorsoduro. It is a fascinating fifteen minute walk to Piazza San Marco or a bit further to the Rialto Bridge. There are shops, and people, and cafes, and great food: sights, sounds, scents to be reveled in. Still I truly enjoy the peacefulness of our flat on Rio de S. Vio.

This morning we watched a gondolier ready his boat for service while sipping cappuccino at a bar overlooking the water. Crossing the old bridge, we watched him back his gondola down “our” canal. Retracing our steps back home, we found the goodlier setting up for customers on the bridge we cross routinely to get anywhere on the main island. After a conversation about the weather, and gondoliering, he agreed to meet us at 7:30 for a ride around Dorsoduro. I hope the rain abates prior.

We’re home now,relaxing. I could use some rest.

Regards

Ron L.