In Venezia XI

A day of taking care of business and then seeing more of Venezia. I started to worry that I'll need an International Driver's Permit to rent a car. I didn't the last time we were here, but reports on the web were mixed enough to lead to worry. Since we can't figure out how to use the phone in the apartment (it's hooked to some sort of central metering system), I hoofed it up to Hertz at Piazzale Roma to find out. I approached the desk--"Buon giorno," --and asked.


"You need a credit card, a US driver's license, and an International Driver's Permit," she told me.
"I don't have the International Driver's Permit. Where can I get one?"
"It will be OK without it", she shrugged, wavering her hand in a maybe-so fashion.
"OK, see you Saturday." "Buon giorno." No response.
I hope she's there on Saturday. I didn't see these lights on the way back, but I like them so you get to see them here.

Then we headed out, took the traghetto to S. Samuele, and found the Fortuny Museum. Nancy explored that while I hung out down on the Canal Grande taking pictures of life floating, stroking, and motoring by. If you stand there long enough, you'll see some strange things, like dogs perched on the bows of boats, flotillas of tourists in gondolas, delivery boats, construction, trash, vaporetti, and so on. I also worked on my "Masonry of Venezia" and "Beverages of Venezia" series. Then we checked out a few churches and ended up at the Palazzo Ducale, or as we have taken to calling it, The Dog(e) House.









The Palazzo Ducale is fabulous. Beside the Doge's apartment (some apartment) it also contained the rooms of state, the Senate and Grand Counsel chambers, a courtroom, and was connected to the prison by the Bridge of Sighs. It abuts on St. Mark's and I suspect there was a Dog-e Door to provide a quick entry and exit. I added to my "Floors of Venezia" series as well with a shot of a landing in the Dog(e) House.









After a short stop on the Riva where I added to my "Self-portraits in Venezia" series, we headed home to rest our barking dogs--or is that barking ducales--having covered about 8 miles plus museums.