Leonardo da Vinci in Venice

This morning after breakfast in our apartment (half of one of those cricket-ball sized buffalo mozarellas that explodes when you cut it, bright read tomatoes and toast) we set off for our favourite coffee shop again and were planning to visit the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition that is showing at Academia, but the huge, unmoving queue caused us to rethink.

We jumped back on the vaporetto, got back-deck seats and cruised to the other end of the grand canal, getting off at Piazzale Roma.  Then onto the fast #2 vaporetto back to Rialto where we crossed the bridge and who should we see but our landlord with a gondolla full of tourists - looked nothing like the romantic event in which we participated last night!

Then a quick visit to our corner store before heading back to our apartment for a light lunch of prosciutto crudo, bastardo cheese, tomatoes and grapes and then heading off for another of our "Italy" book's recommended walks - this time of the Dorsoduro area.  We jumped off the vaporetto at Ca' Rezzonico, walked no more than 200 metres to the first campo (piazza), and there, in an old church, was another Leonardo da Vinci exhibition - without any queue at all.  So in we went and it was fantastic.

There were dozens of working models made as per sketches done be Leonardo over 500 years ago (may have been the same exhibition that came to Perth), including a parachute, hang-glider and bicycle.  We had completely run out of time to continue our walk by the time we left, and headed home for our reunion with Anka, Lincoln and Oscar who have arrived in Venice from Verona.

In Venice, there is an association of 14 restaurants called Ristoranti Della Buona Accoglienza Venezia which promotes the use of local produce and Brian and I have now been to 4 of them.  They have all been fabulous and tonight's restaurant was no exception.

After pre-dinner drinks at our apartment, we all headed off in back-deck vaporetto seats for the long trip to Giardini in the Castello area and the restaurant called "Il Nuovo Galeon".  I had previously told Anka about the tradition of lovers kissing under Rialto bridge, and at the appropriate moment, we gave our respective (and very surprised) husbands passionate kisses on the lips!

Most of us started with razor clams which were sensational, Brian and I had the grilled fresh fish fillets for 2 for mains - also fabulous - then dessert and/or coffee followed by complimentary ice-cold limencello brought to us by the owner.

Then back to our stops on the most perfect still and warm night in Venice - in front-deck seats.