Venice, Getting Lost

We met the others staying at the B & B; A couple from Courtney on Vancouver Island and a woman and her mother from Germany. There is a nice selection of cereal, yoghurt, pastry, canned fruit, tea, coffee, juice and eggs to choose from.
It is now 10 pm and Roger is snoring quietly beside me. We were out and about for almost 12 hours today and he is worn out.
We began our self-guided tour in San Marco square and attempted to follow a planned guide. The morning had showers and the 5 Euro umbrellas were selling quickly. We passed and so did the showers. Our first stop was St. Zachariah dedicated to the father of John the Baptist; the walls are covered in paintings by Van Dyke, Bellini and others. We found San Giovanni in Bragora where Antonio Vivaldi was baptized. From here we explored the Sant Elena district, which is home to many of the locals. It is quiet as you wander down the lanes. Voice drift from the homes and the few local shops are closed for siesta. A stop on the Canal for coffee and wine and free Internet becomes a lunch stop. I order a dish called a bit of everything so that Roger can try all the local dishes. It is mostly seafood and although it is not my thing I try everything. It was perhaps a bit too much seafood for even Roger.
A nap further along on a bench beside the water and we are exploring again. We work our way through the Castello area; the highlight being San Francesco Della Vigna, set in an area that at one time was surrounded by vineyards. Its cloisters are a quiet haven to admire the old convent and the tombs.
We work our way to Cannaregio and enjoy a birra and wine and use the WC.
Our next wander takes us through the Jewish Getto. The term Geto originated in Venice and referred to a medieval foundry where metals for cannons were cast. Until Napoleon conquered Venice in 1797 Jews were only allowed to live in the getto. The city depended on them for money lending and for doctoring, but come curfew them were in the getto. The high buildings attest to the fact they could only build up not out. This is where you come today for kosher food and accommodations, but most of the Jews live elsewhere in the city. The bas-relief panels have quite an impact. A very sobering moment is a colourful city.
We stopped for a cup of fresh fruit and to drink some of the wine we had bought earlier in the day. You can only walk past litres of wine for under two Euros so often.
Time to head past the termini to the Santa Croce and Dorosdura area. It is a very pretty area with nice views along the canal. Very warm and sunny and expensive. Backtracking we cross the Academia Bridge and find a cafe for dinner. Panini for me and spaghetti for Roger. We again watch the dance of the street hawkers and the police. One on the squares was a family neighbourhood with children running all over playing games. No grass in site, but lots of people to run around. We run into the couple we met the night before and chat a bit before zeroing in on some gelato. Yum.
We have been out for hours and hours and head home to wash up, read and have a sleep. A great sleep, as it appears I slept through a major rain/thunder/lightning storm.