Avoiding the Venetian Rain

I never expected the Venetian weather to feel so familiar, as Lizzie and I browse around the tourist shops of the Rialto on our second morning in the city. Outside, the rain is pelting and the wind has a bite to it, just like an Autumn day in Britain, and a substantial contrast to the day before.  In truth, a day like this can be no fun in Venice - outdoor activities become a chore, whilst indoor attractions are flooded with tourists, each one with the same plan to avoid the rain. From the Rialto, we hastily make for the church of San Polo and seek shelter inside.  San Polo is part of the Chorus Pass scheme, a good value discount card incorporating seventeen of the city's churches.  We decide to buy the passes, and quickly make our money back through visiting many of the area's religious buildings.  This ticks all my boxes; the churches are historic, they're a fascinating and intrinsic part of Venice's story, they are free from tour groups, and they provide us with regular breaks from the wild weather.  In the course of the morning, we visit San Polo, San Roco, Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari, San Giacomo dell'Orio and San Stae, stopping in a cafe opposite the Frari for a bowl of pasta and a drink.  It is here that I note, with some humour, Lizzie's incorrect coffee order (I think she ordered an Americano, but got as espresso), whilst I choose a Coca Cola, understood in practically every language in the world.  The pasta comes recommended by the old Italian couple on the next table, whose smiles and gesturing in our direction suggests they are very satisfied with their meal.  The only other people in the cafe are a middle-aged English couple, who order their coffees in English and, it has to be said, get exactly what they ask for.  Don't worry Lizzie; at least you made the effort. ;-)

The church of San Polo

Lizzie enjoys her accidental espresso

The clouds break by the time we move again, although there is still a dampness in the air, and we decide to visit the recently-restored Natural History Museum.  Now, those who know me will know how much I enjoy a good museum, and here is one of the best.  The collection starts with prehistoric fossils and dinosaur skeletons, to taxonomy, minerals, and even a weird-and-wonderful section including an albino deer.  Even better, we have the place almost entirely to ourselves, with just one other couple, who seem to scurry around in a mad dash.  Whenever the security personnel disappear, I snap away happily with my camera, although eventually the same man appears in each room we enter, and the game is up.  Nonetheless, the museum presents a fabulous collection, well worth the admission price, and one of the unexpected finds of our trip.

Scenes from the Natural History Museum

Back at the Rialto, which is by now dripping dry in the late afternoon sun, we explore some more shops and discover the charming little church San Giacomo di Rialto, certainly one of the stranger-looking churches from outside, but cosily beautiful within.  On the Rialto bridge, which is lined with more tourist shops, I take a shine to an FBC Unione Venezia football shirt, but manage to resist.  The Rialto Bridge is undoubtedly the tackiest part of Venice, and one can find a lot of tat in some of the shops, but it is generally more low-key than many other tourist centres I have been to.  Besides, who can resist a rocking plastic gondola, or a glittery carnival mask?

The church of San Giacomo di Rialto

Inside San Giacomo di Rialto

The Rialto Bridge

The Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge

 Changed, dried, and ready to face the world again, we make the short journey from our hotel across one bridge, to Tarnowska's, an American bar with an extensive cocktail menu.  The evening is spent in fine fashion, and I can't help but feel a little bit like Earnest Hemingway sipping on my Screwdriver.  Lizzie, meanwhile, orders a Bellini, but they're all out of peach, so she settles for a Spritz made with the Italian liquor Aperol.  The bar is a classy but inexpensive place, with colourful staff and a very anglophone clientele, and there is talk of football, and the upcoming European Champions League final, which the bar is screening in a couple of days time.  We recline, relax, talk about our day and soak up all the atmosphere, before wandering merrily back to our hotel, enjoying the sheer infectiousness of Venice.

An evening in Tarnowska's