Tuesday (Venice)...

Last night's storms had blown through by morning. Awoke to clear blue skies and light breezes. Another yummy breakfast in the hotel. Took advantage of the perfect temperatures and...well...walked. Its what you do in Venice. Ducking into the occasional church to stare at muraled ceilings. Returned to a couple of favorite streets with some local artisan shops we had been eyeing: paper, glass, masks, books. If you choose wisely and select true artisan shops, every shop owner seems to have a story and a friendly smile. Discussing different marrionettes in one shop, for example, we learned the background on one of the classic Venitian figures: the "plague doctor," whose long, down-turned white mask was packed with medicinal herbs to ward off the plague as the doctor tended to the sick. Ate panini's for lunch on the cool marble steps of Santa Maria de la Salute overlooking the busy Grand Canal. Took the #82 vaporetto over to the Giudecca--the long, narrow island just to the south of Venice. Our first visit to the Giudecca. Toured the Tempio del SS. Redentore (a temple to the Most Holy Redeemer). This church was designed by Palladio in 1577 on orders from the Doge as thanks for delivering Venice from the plague, which killed over 50,000 people in Venice between 1575 and 1576 alone. (FYI, an unrelated figure: the current population of Venice is down to about 60,000 permanent residents...a third of the population 1950!) Spirits needed lifting after plauge talk, so it was time for gelato from our favorite spot in Campo S. Margherita. More walking and wandering. Circled and circled unsuccessfully without a map to try to find SS Giovanni e Paolo, an enormous church that somehow eluded us today. Gave up and had dinner in Campiello San Stefano as the rain returned. Topped off the day with jacuzzi baths to soothe aching muscles. Falling alseep to the rain and not-so-distant thunder.