ITALY 2023 : 8/31/2023 VENICE: Hotel Rialto, Accademia, Murano, dinner San Silvestro, concert Four Seasons Vivaldi at San Vidal Church

Today is going to be a long day as we have the concert tonight. Breakfast is fruit, a croissant with cream cheese, juice, and a cappuccino. Richard has pancakes, fruit, juice, cappuccino. Then I think he made himself a breakfast sandwich. I have pre booked us for Accademia at 9:15 am today.

Breakfast

Accademia. Vaporetto stop Accademia. Easy. It's right there at the stop. Art chronologically from the Middle Ages to the 1700s. Bellini, Titian, Tintoretto, Canaletto........... Spent almost 2 hours here. Cost 26€/$28.83.

Accademia

Ticket

Tiepolo-Feast of the Cross

Tiepolo-The Three Angels Appearing to Abraham

Canova-Funeral stele of Willem George d'Orange

Bartolomeo Ferrari-Pieta

Calco Ottocentesco-Horse of St. Mark

Francesco Hayez-The Destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem

Giovanni Bellini-Maddona col Bambino tra le sante Caterina e Maddelena

Paolo Caliari/Veronese-Feast in the House of Levi

Tintoretto-Rescue of the Body of St. Mark

Titian-Pieta

Bonifacio Veronese-The Judgment of Solomon

Since we're here we walk over to the Accademia Bridge. It's just a bridge like the Rialto but there are some nice views. I honestly just don't get it.

I have decided to go to Murano today. Long tradition of glass-making. I'm interested in jewelry from and the store is open only Monday-Friday. We catch the vaporetto from San Marco to Murano. Think it was line 7. There are a handful of stores that are recognized as having truly authentic Murano glass. Trademark retro artistic murano is what you look for.

Vianello Nadia Murrine. We finally locate the store but it's closed! OMG! I ask and a lady from another store makes a phone call and the owner David shows up. I'm so relieved. The jewelry is exquisite. Hard to decide what to buy. I love so much of what's on display. I had hoped to buy some season small plates but not all 4 seasons are available. I end up with 2 sets of earrings with matching pendant. All with trademark seal. Cost 175€/$191.59. I love my pieces and can't wait to wear them!

Earrings and pendant I bought

Matching set of earrings and pendant that I bought

It is so hot and we're so thirsty. There's a restaurant right next to the store. We decide to get drinks. Veneziano aperol spritz for me and Menabrea beer for Richard. Cost 11.50€. Very refreshing.

Walking along the street back to where we'd catch the vaporetto back we take in the sights. I stop in a couple of stores. At one I get a lovely Xmas ornament light green Murano glass. Cost 24€/$26.28. At another store I get the cutest striped Xmas ornament-red/green/white. More expensive as the lady explains how single strands are used to create this ornament. Whatever. I just like it. Cost 60€/$65.69.

Xmas ornaments

Xmas ornament I bought

Xmas ornaments

Xmas ornament I bought

We decide to pop into another store when we see a sign for glass blowing demonstration. Cost 10€ for both of us. It was ok but to be honest when we went to our Corning Glass Museum back home the glass blowing demonstration was way more impressive.

Back to the stop to return to Venice there's a ton of people. Long, long line. This is not fun. It's around 2:24 pm and it seems like everyone want to leave Murano at the same time. This time we take line 4.2. Then another vaporetto back to our hotel. Exhausted. Time to shower and get ready for dinner.

Ristorante San Silvestro. Our reservation is for 6:00 pm because the concert starts at 9:00 pm. Lovely place. Tables inside and outside. We prefer to eat inside. Menu has good selection. Drinks. Peroni beer for Richard. He really likes this beer and is all smiles. I have a glass of house wine-white. It's good. The inevitable bread basket. Richard gets ravioli stuffed with seabass, pine nuts, botargo, and cherry tomatoes. I am thinking I want meat so it's beef filet with green pepper. To be cooked medium. We order a side mixed salad to share. The beef is melt in your mouth tender and has a nice char to it. The sauce on the side to to die for. That's the green pepper in the description. Richard had a taste and said it was the best tasting steak he's ever had. It was just that good. Came with potatoes. Richard said his dish was tasty-like a soup almost but said mine was definitely much better. Complimentary limoncello shots. Cost 79.50€/$87.04. Back on the vaporetto to our stop for the concert.

Entrance to restaurant

Outside seating

Ravioli stuffed with sea bass

Bread basket

Beef filet with pepper sauce on the side

Lemoncello shots

Accademia vaporetto stop

Four Seasons Vivaldi at San Vidal Church. We're a bit early but it looks like this will be a sold out performance. So excited about this. I pre booked tickets. Cost senior rate 50€/$54.22. There are 3 violinists, a pianist, and a cello player. No pictures or video allowed but I do see a lady taking video but she's never told to stop. I would have loved to video the beautiful music we heard tonight but I'm a rule follower to a fault. But I do buy a CD of the music for 17€/$18.61.