Venice Day 2: Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, but not when it's Italian Pizza.

Time has begun to feel more like normal. After sleeping a tad later than I probably should have, we woke and went forth to find espresso.
We broke fast on espresso, cappuccino, bananas and peaches. We wandered over bridges we missed the previous day.
We visited Chiesa degli Scalzi, which houses an actual "school of mysteries." It is full of goddess images, disguised as the Christian virgin.

There lives the sculpture of the Ecstasy of St. Therese, a controversial artwork depicting the Saint being nearly impaled by an arrow... also the image of the Black Madonna crowned with stars. We hopped over the Ponte degli Scalzi in search of the Gallerie Accademia. First we nun-spotted (three), found a fantastic little park with a pigeon fountain full of finches, and wandered a great many side streets.
Eventually, we found the Ponte Accademia, which we happily crossed only to find the Instituto of Art and Letters.


This has become (or perhaps always has been?) a modern art gallery wherein we found all sorts of interesting works of glass and lights.

We lunched at a little sidewalk cafe, had a little vino and espresso,

and overheard the server telling another patron that the accademia was actually on the other side of the bridge we had just crossed to look for it. Chagrined, we headed back over, only to follow the signs to the entrance which was roped over and covered with scaffolding. We followed further signs to the box office and found it closed.

We quit Accademia. We followed the waterfront to many churches. We decided at this time to head back to San Marco to attempt a tour.

More to come later!