Second exhibition Buddist art from Dunhuang

I then went to Ca Foscari to see this exhibition, I was interested as I've visited Dunhuang.  Both Venice and Dunhuang were made UNESCO world heritage sites in the same year and while Venice is known as the city of water, Dunhuang is known as the city of sand, which also can look like water.  Trade of course went on through the Silk Route & encompassed both cities.

Part of the original great wall.

I saw both of the above photographs.

Buddist prayer rooms.

Examples of the art.

Canaletto views.

Caves where the art was found.

First exhibition

Saturday was a lovely morning after the terrible wind and rain on Friday. After breakfast at Bar Palanca I went to the Working Men's Club to see an exhibition of old photographs. At my Italian history class last autumn we looked at photos like these of advertisements, people and buildings.

The bridge built across the Giudecca canal for Redentore festival.

The market

This morning I was really looking forward to getting goodies from the market.  Up, showered & shampoo I was ready for off.

When I got there my favourite stalls weren't there due to the bad weather, snow on the mainland.

I picked up cheeses & meat from another stall but no chocolate ginger.  I'll have to wait for another week!

By 11.30 didn't know why I'd bothered blow drying my hair.  It was wild!

First day

The first day is usually about unpacking, getting the apartment how I like it then shopping.  Due to being very hot when I arrived it was ages before I got off to sleep, so I wasn't up very early.  When I was up I went down to Bar Palanca for breakfast, back and had a lie on the bed then finished unpacking and went shopping, another siesta.  Now I thought I need air and exercise.  I took the first boat that arrived and then walked to the Accademia & saw my friend Bubo, who invited me to his new apartment for dinner.  WOW! I had a walk and boat in a circle back to my apartment to get changed.
I met his partner Paoula again and his daughter Ada for the first time, his sister Sara was also there.  We had a lovely evening, I even ate fish.  But I was set up with the photo - wine and grappa!

Arrived

It was quite along day on Tuesday, the taxi picked me up at 11am to take me to Manchester airport.

Easy through and flight on time, same at Heathrow, but both terminals were very hot.

Here is a photo of Venice as we came into land.

I put an abbonamenta, one month,  onto to public transport ticket even though there was only eight days left it's easier to 

I took a land taxi to Piazza le Roma, lovely young man who chatted all the way & even offered to help me to the vaporetto stop, but I said I could manage.

My card wouldn't work.  Eventually a worker for ACTV told me the abbonamenta was for March!.  Had to go back to the ticket office, up a ramp.......

Bought individual tickets.

Still wouldn't work.  Back up again......... and again until I managed to press the right buttons.

But there was Sara at Palanca with my argument keys.  How wonderful to be welcomed.

Sleep.

Arriving soon

I fly out on Tuesday 20th February.  Really looking forward once more to life in Venice.