Seems I wake throughout the night with tummy aches and a wicked sinus headache that just won't stop. I am sure the dampness, which probably includes mold is affecting me.
Nothing is going right it seems. I feel downhearted and all I want is my home.
Now anyone who has travelled knows this feeling. You just want to throw in the towel and give up. Suddenly the comforts of my bed, English television and my PVR, food I am use to, and heat that I can control easily are all I want.
Bernie wakes and tries to comfort me as we shower and get ready for the day.
I am excited about today though. We have a food walking tour through Viator. Bernie stops for a cappuccino and pastry on the way (I am still not hungry). When we get to the Rialto Bridge it is relatively quiet, so I get Bernie to take a few shots of me. You can see from my face, I am struggling.
We meet our guide on the other side of the Rialto Bridge where she greets us warmly and we meet the other couple who is also on our tour.
Our guide (so sorry I have forgotten her name) provides us with a bit of history, interesting stories, and details of Venice. Most to do with the food and the culture of food/wine here but also a bit about history. I loved her pictures that she displayed that took us back to what it use to be like.
We visit numerous spots for food and along with the stop are details about who made it, how it is made, and the history of where it is from.
Even going through the market we see it with different eyes through her. I had never noticed the fish carved into the top of the pillars in the fish market area, or the shades that slide down in the fish market to keep the seagulls at bay.
She explains the water system and how early Venetians got their drinking water from the many town square wells. Today a modern aqueduct provides water to the city. The taps spotted all around provide clean drinking water. And if the tap has a small hole at the top, just plug the spout with your finger and this forces the water out of the top hole to act like a drinking fountain.
We stop for cheese, slice meat and olives at the first spot.
Second stop is the fruit stalls where we sample some fresh fruit.
Third stop is a place recognize as we visited on our Cicchetti tour with Alessandro two years ago. Read about it here. Where we have some finger snacks.
Fourth stop is a bakery to try cookies. It is here while we enjoy our cookies we hear a man yelling. It is clear to see that he has caught a thief in the midst of pick pocketing some tourist, who did not even realize their wallet was taken from their back pack. Someone calls the police and the old man holds the arm of the female thief while the young couple who are the victims stand beside the thief.
Apparently the thieves are often under 18, or are women who are pregnant as they are not kept in jail and are released the next day. It should be noted that this woman was nicely dressed, and looked like any other well presented Venetian.
We then walk to the Dorsoduro section where we stop for gelato.
Our last stop is a pastry stop and we are given two small dessert each. But by this time most of us are full so we take it to go.
I did manage a few little bites of things but ate very little, but I really did enjoy our guide and the information she provided. I can highly recommend this tour.
It is now around 1 pm and it is crowded and busy and again the little food I have eaten is not agreeing with me so we make our way back to the apartment with breaks along the way when needed.
As soon as I am in the apartment I crawl into bed and I am fast asleep. Time to listen to my body.
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