Canals of Venice and the end of Carnivale

We wandered in and around many canals, crossed over many bridges .....

Noticed a few gondola traffic jams!!!

 Went up and down the Grand Canal many times and noticed something different each time!

Stumbled upon some interesting churches converted to museums like this church the Chiesa San Maurizio which displayed instruments from Vivaldi's time...

With very interesting instruments....

 And some very beautiful ones.......

Interestingly our apartment was in a building on the other side of a small canal from the now
Hotel Metropole.

This used to be the Ospedale della Pieta where foundlings were left and Vivaldi taught violin to many of the girls in the orphanage. It has a bridge to La Pieta, Vivaldi's church.

This is the doorway where the foundlings were left...

And here is presumably where you helped to pay for their upkeep if it was an unwanted pregnancy in a wealthy family.......

An interesting book to read on this subject is  'Vivaldi's Virgins' by   Barbara Quick

La Pieta is on the left, the Orphanage (Hotel Metropole) in the middle, and the building to the right of that was where our apartment was located. Great location!!
And right behind us was a little square with the church where Vivaldi was baptised!

We saw the Bull which was the symbol chosen for this year's Carnivale and we had plenty of time to view it...

It was parked outside the Punta della Dogana ( Custom's point) and every boat trip on the Grand Canal went past it.

Then the last day it was moved to face St Mark's Square.....

And at midnight, after the silent procession of the gondolas down the Grand Canal, all lights on the canal being turned off............ it was burnt!

Gondolas.......

Any trip to Venice involves a lot of time traveling by water......

In gondolas.......

In Traghettos, the cheapest way to take a ride in a gondola!

As the grand Canal has very few bridges this is the quickest way to get to the other side..... and it only costs 50 centimes!

In Water taxis......

Arriving at one's hotel.......

The wake from our taxi returning to the parking lot......

In Vaporettos/Ferry boats...

Ferry to/from the airport.....

And obviously all types of normal activity by authorities takes place on water....

And imagine trying to move.........

And over the centuries nothing seems to have changed in terms of transportation!

Venice's Fish Market

 We checked out the Rialto fish market......

 Which is huge........

 And very colourful.......

and in a great location overlooking the Grand Canal.....

There was an excellent choice of fish ........

and shellfish......

and some fish we had never seen before........and not sure we want to again!!

                                                      A little ugly!!

And lots of octupus!!!

And crabs.....

And not sure what these are!!! google translate says 'razor clams'!

And, of course you could get your fruit and vegetables there also...