Around Venice

After enjoying a long breakfast, we started another round of city-walk. The time was around 10mm by then.

*

*

Husband said we should go to visit the most significant art museum in Venice, located somewhere around Venice. Ok, fine for me.

This time, we are well prepared. We brought some bread along to feed the pigeons.

The pigeon that seems to like me a lot....Honestly, I don't like it. But the boys very envy me. They kept asking me how I did it, they mean how to make the pigeon to stand on their hand. Well, I just told the boys not to be afraid of them.

So, they started to act as if they are not afraid of them...

In fact, they were trying so hard to please the pigeons. But too bad, they didn't make it this time. And they were unhappy about this. Only when we promised we would take them to this place again later in the afternoon, they cheer up a bit.

This attention seeking climber had certainly gain the attention of everybody. If only he can crawl up the wall like Spiderman does, then I'm sure he will become the hero to my boys.

The fact that people can reach to the balcony make this church a less fairy tale one.

The show time has started...

Just bent a corner and saw this LV shop, and Gucci shop, and some other famous shop. So, for those who like to shop for branded items, don't say there isn't anything to buy from Venice, ok.

I guess he was one of the VIP in Venice.

Another fancy mask.

Although there are many street painting everywhere in Venice, it's kind of difficult to judge if their prices are reasonable or not.

Forgot what this church is called.

the craftworks at the outer wall is very beautiful.

inside the church.

Not long later, we walked out from the church and continued walking....

A service gondola station in front of a hotel. Many people were lined up there for a ride.

Anyway, we didn't plan to take gondola ride. Think it was way too expensive lo.

Somewhere not far from the church, there is this lady selling off her paintings. We stood there for quite some time to admire each of her works. Probably because of our enthusiasm, the lady cut the prize for us automatically.

*

*

Initially, the small size painting was tagged with a price of €5, and a medium size painting with a price of €8. But end up, she offer €18 for 1 medium size and 4 small size. Well, how could we say no, right. Furthermore, we think this is very reasonable price considering she said she normally will take 2-3 hours to complete a drawing like this.

*

*

Oh yeah, the one I was holding in hand is the medium size painting that we have selected.

We helped some Chinese tourists to take their group photos here. After that, they helped us to take our family photo in return.

I like both of the photos. Thanks to the anonymous.

Besides the grand canal, some gondola will take their guests to go through this kind of very narrow canal. Thus, the small canal can be quite congested when too many gondolas were here at the same time.

Another anonymous church, or museum....

Those old apartments can easily cost more than HKD5-6 mil, plus the super expensive maintenance cost, no wonder the population is decreasing sharply.

A music museum.

The potrait that made by dusts...very creative idea.

By then, I have lost the direction, totally depends on our walking-compus to lead the way to museum.

We have probably walked a wrong way and a long way to the museum, but that doesn't matter because it was such a pleasant walk everywhere in Venice.

The galleries are in the Dorsoduro sestiere, and we need to cross a huge wooden arch o the Pote dell'Accademia, built by the Austrians to move the soldiers swiftly about the city.

From the top of the bridge, it's a marvellous sight of the Grand Canal, gazing down the church of Santa Maria della Salute, the Bacino di San Marco and the Punta della Dogana.

A quite corner...

Almost an hour later, finally we found the museum that we were looking for, The Accademia Galleries.

Taking the opportunity, these 2 were selling the tickets for Opera. But I didn't see anyone buying the tickets from them though.

Galleria dell'Accademia di Venezia is Venice's most significant art museum which is also one of Italy's best. Regular tickets: €6,50 for adult, children is FOC.

There is a lot to see in the museum, total 24 rooms in all.

The collection of the museum had included the works by the earliest recorded Venetian painters, works from late 15th, 16the and 17th centuries.

As expected, arts museum is not the cup of tea of my boys. After a while, they bugged us to leave, sigh...

Another quiet corner...

After coming out from the galleries, we looked for the way to go to the most beautiful church in Venice, Santa Maria della Salute.

Along the way....

Suddenly Vincent pointed to the trees and asked me to look at them, he said he seldom saw any trees in Venice. I totally agreed with him, he has pretty good observation at times.

There is no bridge to connect both sides at this canal. I then imagined.... if I were to live here, how am I going to go to the other side in the shortest time possible? Honestly, I don't like to get wet. So, I think I'm just gonna swing myself from one side to the other side. Hahaha...that's so cool.

Aha...can see the dome of the Santa Maria Church from here.

The church is not right in front of us, as it seems to be. We need to get over this building first.

by walking through a hole beneath it...of course.

Yes, finally we arrived at our destination. The lovely curvy shape of Santa Maria della Salute is one of Venice's most photographed landmarks. In fact, the dome of the Salute was an important addition to the Venice skyline.

The Basilica of St Mary of Health (Italian : Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute), commonly known simply as the Salute, is a Roman Catholic church.

Entrance to this grand church is free (except the sacristy). Visitors are expected to behave and dress with decorum, as in all Italian churches. The church is closed at lunch time. Unfortunately, that was the time we arrived at Santa Maria Church. We just waited there, hopefully it would be opened before the boys lost their patience.

Over the centuries, diseases have contributed mightily to great art and architecture.

*

The Church of Santa Maria della Salute is a case in point. In October of 1630, after nearly a third of Venice's 150,000 citizens had been killed by plague, the Venetian Senate made an offer to God: "Stop the plague, and we'll build a church to honor the Virgin Mary."

*

God came through, or maybe the onset of cooler weather reduced the population of plague-ridden fleas. Whatever the reason, the plague was stopped in its tracks. The Venetian authorities honored their promise by giving the Virgin a prime chunk of real estate near the tip of Dorsoduro, where the Grand Canal merged with St. Mark's Basin.

God of Virgin Mary, please bless us with good health...

As usual, the doorstep of Santa Maria Church is always a good place for the tired tourists to rest their body and mind.

The statues at the outer wall are awesome.

absolutely beautiful....

The model who posed himself in front of the church.

Another reason why the doorstep of Santa Maria is a popular rest place is because of the view right in front...

Great view....

This place is one of the must-go area for the gondola riders....

While waiting, I took out the paintings that we have just bought in the morning and snapped some photos, just in case we might have damaged or lost in on the way flying back.

*

*

Those 4 paintings are small size, about half the size of an A4 paper.

This is a medium size, about the size of an A4 paper.

A short photo session....

Having nothing much to do, husband had interviewed the 3 of us by using his iPhone. It's all so funny to watch the playback.

And this boy, talked so much nonsense in the video shooting session. His language development has obviously advanced his comprehensive development, means he will say the things that he may not necessary understand its real meaning. But amazingly, what he said is not wrong for most of the time! Can you imagine how bizarre it is?

oh yeah, I have put some gel to fix their fringe. Now they look less coconut now.

There is a vaporetto stop (gondola taxi) located just in front of the church too. The standard charge is only €0.50 per head.

*

*

When we saw the gondola approaching, sunddenly we had forgotten that we were supposed to stay there to wait for the church to re-open, but hop in the gondola immediately. Well, probably we all had lost our patience after 30 min waiting...

I think this kind of facial expression can only come out with his wild imagination....

I don't know what was so funny about it, but he kept giggling all the way.

Looking back to the Santa Maria Church.

Just within 2-3 minutes time, we had crossed the canal.

Another gondola service station. The good about the gondolier is they will not approach the tourists and bug them. Instead, they will just wait there casually and leisurely for the business to come.

A little longer, we walked to the promenade at the outer canal. Feeling less Venice from here.

A charming place for a romantic dinner, of course only when no kids are tagging along, without worrying the kids may drop their shoes in to the water, etc...

The long promenade along the canal.

Think they are old enough? Not really lo, a splash like this still fascinated them a lot.

The floating restaurant we saw just now....

It's very hot walking under the bright sun, so we just walked away after 15 minutes later.

It's getting real hot by then. So, we decided to walk back to our hotel after taking our lunch.

Another gondola stop, at a side canal.

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently down the stream...

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily....

Life is but a dream.

I do have some good dreams so far.

No, that is not our lunch.

*

*

We found a Chinese restaurant somewhere near the St. Marco Square. Finally, Vincent got to eat his favorite fried rice again, be it fried by whoever chef. Since the place was quite full, we decided to take away the foods. After all, our hotel is not far away from here.

While waiting for the fried-rice-fried-noddles, I checked this little sundry shop that located at the opposite of the Chinese restaurant, and looking at those I-don't-know-what-it-is stuffs.

Judging from their appearance, I think they are edible. But at the same time, they can be home decorative items, or toys, or souvenirs...I really not sure about that.

*

*

10 minutes later, our foods were ready to-go.

Within a few minutes time, we were back to this familiar square again. The sun was too hot and we were too hungry, that we didn't make any stop but walk straight to the hotel fast.

This picture can best describe our feelings at that hot afternoon time.....

*

*

*

*

*