A quiet day...well, except for Regata Storica

Today was a late start, waking to the Sunday church bells.  Our local café is not open today, so we wandered till we found somewhere appealing for coffee and a toastie.  The radio was playing an Italian disco version of Men at Work's "Down Under" - strangest song choice ever!

We explored the Beauty and the Beast exhibition on the floor above our apartment...with the ulterior motive of getting a glimpse of the rooms of the palazzo, but really enjoyed the exhibition too.  Part of the exhibition included glassworks representing the world of nature past, present and future.  Among the glassmakers who had worked with the artist was Bruno Amadi...whom we met just a few days ago!  Sometimes life just feels like it's meant to be.

Today is the Regata Storica, an annual celebration of Venetian rowing, which takes place on the Canal Grande, right outside our windows.  From about 2pm boats start mooring along the edges of the canal, jostling for prime viewing positions, or preparing their teams for the gondola races later in the day.  We have a little jetty outside our door where we can sit in the sun and watch the celebration.  The races start about 4pm, to much cheering and horn honking, and there is a water parade of beautifully polished gondolas and costume-clad gondoliers representing historical Venetian figures.  While the Regata is in progress, all other water traffic ceases and you would be hard-pressed to manage access across the canal at any point, including the major bridges...it's kind of the Melbourne Cup of Venice, the race that stops the city!