We
were up early and after breakfast we got the Vaporetto to Salute via Lido. We intended
to have a look at the church, Santa Maria della Salute, but it was closed. Nevertheless, there were many people crowded
around it and on the steps. It is right
on the canal so there are great views to be seen. Sharney went for a walk around while Terry
rested on the steps of the church. I
wheeled around and took some photos.
We
then got a Vaporetto to the Accademia stop and went to Galleria Dell’Accademia,
but it was not accessible so we weren’t able to have a look inside. Terry then walked up a nearby bridge to take
some photos of the canal. On this
bridge, there were again a number of padlocks, which are quite colourful. I then needed to go to the toilet which is
where we encountered “the disabled toilet from hell”. During our sightseeing I, of course, needed
to use disabled toilets a number of times and they were all easy to use and
access. However, in this case the
complete opposite happened. As is the
case at many other places, the disabled toilet was away from the “normal”
toilets. Terry saw the female attendant
and asked for the entry to the locked disabled toilet. She unlocked the toilet with some difficulty
and we entered and found there was no room as there was a large baby change
table in the way. Sharney removed the
table and waited with it outside while Terry and I entered the toilet. 
About a minute later the lights went
out. Fortunately there was a gap in the
door which allowed enough light for me to use the toilet. When we’d finished, we pressed the large red
button to open the door, but it didn’t work.
Terry tried pulling the door open without success. We yelled to Sharney that we were
trapped. She was standing outside with
the change table with people looking at her like she was trying to sell
it. She got the attendant who physically
struggled to get the door open long enough for us to escape and for Sharney to
return the change table. The attendant
was very apologetic. Apparently she
hadn’t had anyone ask to use it before.
I wonder what would have happened to a disabled person who was on their
own using that toilet. Awful, but funny
experience to look back on.
We
then got the Vaporetto to San Toma. We
had a very pleasant lunch in the San
Toma Square, choosing the San Toma pizza from the
menu. Our lunch was delicious and we
were serenaded by a group of musicians as we ate. After lunch we walked further on and
discovered the Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church. The church is surrounded by many interesting
and photographic buildings. The exterior
of the church is not particularly inviting, however, the interior is absolutely
stunning. Unfortunately, photography was
not permitted in this church. San Marco
pales beside this beautiful building with its magnificent statues and
paintings. It was awe-inspiring to look around
this building, which is a gem we were delighted to find.
We
then made our way back to the Vaporetti stop to continue on to Palazzo Ducale
(the Doge’s Palace) which has a commanding position on the Grand
Canal. The palace is
magnificently decorated with each room more dazzling than the previous one. Again photographs of the interior were not
permitted. The rooms had beautiful
artworks and one very large room’s ceiling was decorated in gold. The wealth of the Venetians of the time is
amply demonstrated in this building which represents supreme power. We took photographs of the courtyard and the
exterior of the building. When we left
the building, we passed a bride and groom walking in St Marks Square.
After
a day of sightseeing that overwhelmed the visual senses, we returned to our
hotel on the Vaporetto via the Lido. We had our final Venetian evening meal again
at da Jonny and passed a very pleasant evening.
No comments:
Post a Comment