We set out at 8:00am to go to the Ponte de Rialto to get Jives a rap take without the crowds. He had a coffee in our room before quickly heading out to the bridge. We got two amazing takes at the bridge and then I helped four asian tourists get a group photo in front of the bridge. We crossed over the bridge, borrowing a photographer’s spot to get some epic shots from the other (north ) side of the bridge.

We then went back to our place to have breakfast, but not before stopping at a little cafe along the way for a cappuccino and a croissant each. It was a lovely little square beside a church ( I guess all the squares here are based around churches so that doesn’t really narrow it down). Also there was seemingly an endless parade of good boys (aka dogs). We sipped our cappuccinos and dreamed of getting a doggo one day. I went inside to pay and then we headed back to our place to have some of our bread, cheese and olives for a second breakfast, fueling ourselves up before heading back out on our next adventure.

We headed off in the direction of a church I really wanted to see that allows you to go down in the flooded crypts. The church only allows you to go down to the crypts between 10-12 on weekdays and 4-6 on weekends. Along the walk to the church we kept getting distracted by cool things and making mental notes to go back to places later. 

We stopped first at a really cool church that we had only meant to pop our heads in to see. The church was called Basillica SS Giovanni E Paolo. Upon sticking our heads in the door to see, I knew we had to see more. The ceiling was incredibly vaulted with wooden arches. The ceiling also had incredible frescos, all surrounded and framed in gilded gold. I felt like a less touristy Sistine Chapel. The floor had giant red and gold slab tombs with intricate carvings all over ( which I felt obliged to not walk on, as years of this I am sure would wear on the gorgeous carvings. The stained glass was so colourful and elaborate. There were a few spots where they had mirrors set up so you could see the stained glass and the painted ceilings more easily. There were two little side rooms/chambers, one with a chapel with a giant painted canvas showcased with dramatic lighting. The ceiling in that room was the most incredible by far! The painting on the ceiling was honestly as impressive as the Sistine Chapel. The other small side room had dramatic venetian glass chandeliers that were clear glass in the Venetian style. We honestly spent so much time in this church. I am so glad we paid 3.50 euro and went in! 

We then walked down a super skinny alley and passed three men who said “good thing we are all skinny”, obviously a joke as there were not small men! 

We saw the famous book store with the books in gondolas, it was just off the skinny alley. We made a mental note to go back there and see the bookstore after we visited the next church, as it was very time sensitive!

It was a quick walk to the next church, we walked through another large square with lion sculptures in it, three giant lion sculptures (later we sat in this square and had a drink).

The church with the water crypt is called “Chiesa di San Zaccaria”. We entered the church (which is free) and lined up along the right to pay 3.50 euro to enter the crypts. They seemed to only let a few people in at a time. First you walk through a room with dark wooden benches lining it, the sort of benches that important people sit inside in Catholic churches. Next you enter a second smaller room with a beautiful mosaic floor and a geometric colourful roof…and a little narrow staircase that leads down into the crypt. It was a little claustrophobic down in the crypt as the ceiling is very low, but arched with a small walkway through the centre. Apparently for the vast majority of the year you have to walk through water to navigate the crypt, but when we visited the water line was just below the walkway. There is still standing water on the floor that reflects the arches and the tomb. It was pretty cool! Apparently nuns hid in the crypt during a huge fire in Venice and survived… we were following behind a lady giving a tour so we actually went through the crypt twice, but we heard some interesting information. The room you emerge into after the crypts has a very ornate golden altar but the rest was under construction. You can also look down at the layers below the current church floor and see old mosaic tile work. Interesting how the city of Venice used to be higher and lower all over the place, depending on sinkage and water levels. So many layers of history. 

After visiting the crypts, we checked out the rest of the church, which had mummified remains in the walls that you could see through glass coffins. The mummies were wearing funeral masks, or whatever those are called in Italy (that’s the word for them in Egypt). The main portion of the church altar had a depiction of Jesus that was lifesize on a sculpted cross, as well as domed ceilings and circular windows. 

We then headed back towards the bookstore with the books in gondolas. As soon as we walked into the packed book shop, the bookstore cat (Coco I believe) took a super wet poop on a few books right at the entrance. I’m pretty sure I filmed the shit going down…. I looked over just as the cashier was making a horrified reaction face. Eww. 

We filed through the store, looking at the many cat and bookstore themed calendars and notebooks. I guess the bookstore has created quite a bit of their own merch. They had loads of books too!

At the back of the shop there was a terrace piled high with water damaged books from the spring flooding and you could climb up on top of the books for a photo and a great view apparently. We were overwhelmed by the church crowds and left out a side door down another narrow alley with waterdamaged books piled so high!

The book store was really worth the visit, I just don’t know how anyone could properly shop there. 

We then had a campari spritz in a little square beside a gondola stand and a huge church perched right on the water’s edge (looking like it might fall in). 

We briefly went back to the room to recharge before heading out to go as far south east as you can go on the island, where the Venice Biennale booths for each country are. We stopped along the way at a really cool view point, a dock that stuck out in a main canal.

We then had dinner (a pizza with olives, mushroom, artichoke and it was supposed to be asparagus.. But they added ham instead which Jives ate…. We sat right out front on the walk way with a lovely table with a marble Venetian vase. 

After our meal, we walked as far as Arsenale Di Venezia, a bridge that I am sure must be military…. Google tells me it is the entrance to a Byzantine shipyard. We then walked along the Grande Canal as the sun was beginning to set and then back to our room where we shared some wine and booked our tickets on the ferry to the airport for the following day.