Friday, May 24, 2013

Not so Serene 5-18-13

Today was a challenge, I woke up later than I wold have liked, pretty sure that I had paid for a tour of the Doges palace back in the Sates ( another research project for me when I get home), but was not able to find the ticked, on line nor on my person, so the concierge here called and we were not on any list. So we had to schelp it. At least we did not have a time crunch and I was able to enjoy breakfast of coffee, juice, a coronetto, ham, cheese, salami and a peach, all in a cute little room where I chatter with two guys named John and Carl. JOdi was up when I got back, so we prepared to leave. But we were waylaid by the management here wanting to know what time we are going to leave tomorrow, I said at or before 11:00AM (check out time) and they kindly informed us that there is a regatta tomorrow and the only way out of town at 11:00 is a water taxi to the tune of $75 Euro. I don't think so. The bummer of it all is that a regatta wold have been pretty cool to see too. So now we get to be out of here by 8:00 AM, and no church. So off we went, me wondering how long we would have to wait in line. When we got to St. Marks Square, I noticed a ticket vendor and I purchased tickets, so no wait. And so we meandered through the Palace. I am continually amazed at the history here, and consider all the people who have passed these ways before. Part of the tour ticked price is a tour of the prisons, the bridge of sighs, romanticized by many is really a passage from your condemnation to the prison. So it was named the bridge of sighs because of the signs of the newly imprisoned as they left freedom. I LOVE how they ran their prisons, though, your family had to provide for you or you went pretty much hungry. I wonder if that would change our prisoner rate? I mean it does seem that if you do something wrong, we the people should not have to give you 3 hots and a cot. Hmmm.
Next a perilous trip to a restaurant near the Piazza again, which turned out to be o.k. I had a caprese and Jodi another pizza, wine of course and did not feel robbed!
On our arrival back to the hotel they offered us the opportunity to pay up, which I had really planned on doing tomorrow after another trip to the bank. But o.k. however it took about evey penny I had, especially after they added a city tax to the total. But cash was about $30.00 cheeper. So now to find a bank!
Jodi took a nap and I wrote for a while, it is good to just take a break from time to time, rather than race and try to see it all. But eventually we went to St. Marks to go to mass , which was interesting, funny how much more connected I am to the service in Norte Dame than in this place. Maybe I understand more, I don't know, I did get that is Pentecost and lots about the Holy Spirit. It was nice to have a change to sit, reflect on the spirit of the place, contemplate all those who had passed before both as worshipers and visitors. I also considered the relevance of the building, it's size and location near the Doges Palace, it was almost as if the church and the Venetian republic were trying that old "Keeping up with the Jones" thing.























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