Day 2 - Venice

The Courtyard of the Doge's Palace

In our continuing attempt to avoid tourists, we got up fairly early on Wednesday to go see the Doge's Palace, which served as the center of the government, housing everything from the leader of Venice to the judicial system and the legislature, and even the prisons -  from the late 12th century until Napoleon's occupation began in 1797.  We were once again impressed with the stunning architecture of the palace and the tremendous amount of hand-carved marble that made up the building's facade.  After finishing our tour in the palace, we briefly walked around Piazza San Marco, which was difficult given the wall-to-wall people; stopped at a small gelato cart for some amazing gelato; then took the Vaporetto across the canal to the Dosoduro area for a quick lunch and to see the Peggy Guggenheim Collection.

Dad, Max, and I at the Entrance to the Collection

Mom on a Bench in Front of the Collection

While our lunch was less than spectacular, the Guggenheim collection was great.  The museum is located in Peggy Guggenheim's home and, with the exception of one small exhibit, was filled with the stunning art that she had collected.  It is also the burial place for all of her beloved pets.  Once we had made our way through the collection, once again we boarded the Vaporetto, to travel up the Grand Canal back to our hotel for what was becoming our customary, afternoon nap.

Dad Enjoying His Tagliatelle

Our second dinner at La Zucca (The Pumpkin) was just around the corner from our first dinner, but was even more spectacular.  Mom had La Flan de Zucca (Pumpkin Flan), one of the best things we have ever eaten; I had another great Lasagna with zucchini; and dad had a scrumptious Tagliatelle Gorgonzola e Pistiche.  This time we made sure that we found some gelato on our way home and with that, day two drew to a close.