Getting around Venice

On Tuesday, I was ready to start the validity of the 72-hour vaporetto passes we bought online.  The initial plan was to convert them at the ticket machines at the San Marcuola stop, but I saw when we arrived to check into the apartment that the stop would be closed for the week, so we went to the Ca' D'Oro stop.  The instructions on the voucher said that we could input a code into the ticket machine and get our passes, but I was not seeing any such option:  it was either pay for the tickets, or wave a pass in front of the machine to extend the pass.  We went to the nearby tobacco shop, where they advised us to go to the staffed ticket office at Rialto.  There we were able to convert the passes, and it gets to be questionable what the advantage of the online purchase was.  

The first stop I had in mind was the Accademia.  We got there and had a nice visit of the great collection of Venetian-focused art, with a higher admission price than usual because of show of Carlo Saraceni.  It's impressive to visit grand structures that can't be supplied by land motor vehicles.

A walk afterwards took us to the Zattere, and from Shannon's guide we determined that it would be good to have a light lunch at Cantinone Già Schiavi.  There was a nice assortment of cicchetti, which we had to eat standing.  We found a place to get off our feet, sitting at a café on Campo S. Barnaba.  It wasn't too long to get to the next sight I had in mind, the Frari Basilica, an impressive structure, using it for the first of the three Chorus churches on our museum passes.  Seeing that the Scuola Grande di S. Rocco was nearby, we went there, the climb to the upper floor being rewarded with great artwork.

We got the vaporetto back to Ca' D'Oro and home, and it was close to time to cross the canal again for dinner:  at one of our breaks, I called to reserve at another of Shannon's favorites, La Zucca.  They could get us in at a shared inside table at 7.  Now with the passes, we made the trip one stop to San Stae, and found that.  It's at a nice intersection of small calli and canals.  It was hard to choose from their many dishes, mostly meat-based, many with pumpkin.  We both had tagliatelle with duck sauce and chicken tandoori, an innovative selection.

So, saying that for today; tomorrow's our anniversary.