Bellinis, Mosaics, and Marco Polo

2 November 2006. We toured Basilica San Marco today. It is beautiful with gold mosaics everywhere you turn. I'm thinking of redecorating my nursery in gold mosaics; but mommy and daddy say it A) would be too expensive and B) might seem a little queer. After touring the basilica, we went to the world famous Harry's Bar for bellinis and lunch. It was almost as fun as it was expensive, but you can't come to Venice and NOT go to Harry's Bar. This afternoon, daddy took a train to Sacile for an evening of business and fine dining while mommy and I hung out in Venice on our own.

Famiglia Davis at Basilica San Marco

Drinking Bellinis at Harry's Bar

It was quite an adventure strolling through the Venetian "streets" with mommy. There actually are no streets here, only canals, which means you have to use bridges to cross from one side of the canal to the other. This is a lot of fun if you are in a stroller - but not so fun if you have to carry the stroller over the bridge steps the way mommy did. Another interesting logistical challenge is navigating through the Venetian walkways at night. To put it mildly, it is like finding your way through a maze. Imagine a narrow sidewalk flanked by five-story buildings on every side. It is virtually impossible to get your bearings and all too easy to get terribly lost. Now, imagine those sidewalks in the darkness of night with no street lamps to guide your way. Impossible! Because the restaurants don't open for dinner until 7:30, you have to either brave the maze or go somewhere you know you can find your way back. Mommy and I opted for the latter and found ourselves at Trattoria de Roberto, which was about as bad as it sounds. Mommy says a good rule of thumb is to avoid places with a "menu turistico," and I think she is right! Afterwards, we went to Cafe Verde for espresso and patisserie before heading back to the hotel and calling it a night.

It was then, however, that I did the most fun thing I have ever done. I took a bath in the big boy tub all by myself. I LOVED IT! I especially enjoyed watching myself splash the water all over the place. Those silver water-mark disks are perfect for admiring your own splashing handiwork. Funny that I had to come to Europe to discover splashing. Maybe I'm channeling Marco Polo since I'm in his home town.