Venezia - day 2

An early start (at the bus stop by 8:15) to go the morning market. Used the gps, but still found ourselves retracing our steps as this is a meandering city of tiny lanes and bridges. Loved the fresh fish flowers and produce at the market. After deciding some beef may cope unrefrigerated for a few hours in our bag in the heat we entered one of the surrounding butchers. And so we stood pleasantly entertained for the next 15 mins while the female butcher cut and pounded the women's order, offering advice on the best way to cook it, and maybe some local gossip (our guess as this was all conducted in Italian of course). We selected some tiny rolled beef with spinach on squeerers. Before we left, a tall and handsome man came in and quickly approached each of us 4 women at the counter, brushing his finger along my arm and offering greetings. The others all indignantly ignoring him, and once he walked on a burst of exasperated commentary came forth. We nodded in agreement (conversation still in Italian of course). 

Back at the market we selected a packet of polenta, serving for 2, with herbs and dried mushrooms included. There was a great range of these also for risotto and pasta and including a variety of flavours. Home cooking Italian made easy we hope.

Next we spent some time locating the "casino" saloon. This is a restored parlour that wealthy guests visited in 1800's  opulent splendour, where partygoers liked to gamble, dance and cavort. The gps not proving as helpful as hoped, but eventually found the building but it was not open to the public that day. Oh well, time for a late Italian breakfast of small savouries, crossiant and cappuccinos. 

We returned to camp for a break and used the time with our feet up and planning the itinerary and route for the next 2 days.

Then back into Venice for a dinner and the opera. Dining is interesting, we were quickly seated, then waited 10 mins for a menu, another 10 for a waiter to take our order, but then the food arrived relatively   quickly, but the salad we anticipated came last, a dining style we will need to get used to. All part of the experience,  but my lasagne was tasty and not what I would have cooked at home, and heathers seafood risotto was delicious. 

The opera was the highlight of Venice for me. Seated in a small ornately decorated room with frescoes, and statues, with an intimate audience of 100 we were enthralled for the next 1 1/2 hours as a small group of musicians - 2 violinists, a cello and harp played the classic hit list as a soprano and tenor sung and trilled and thrilled us. The acoustics were amazing, the intimacy of the performance riveting and all dressed in gorgeous costume, using hand made Venetian masks, and interspersed with the most graceful of ballerinas performing small dance pieces along the way.