Since it was Saturday, Scott wanted to take advantage of all the shops being open.

We went near the Rialto area crossing the Grand Canal by vaporetto.

I could say we walked seamlessly to the shop Scott was looking for, but that would not be accurate. But here’s some views along the way, redoubling and finding the place we accidentally passed many minutes earlier.

But never let one purchase stop a mad shopper. We carried on searching for a shop we did not locate.

The need to eat and to sit, depending on which of us, the order of importance varied, ended in lunch near the Rialto Bridge. We watched crowded vaporetto boats.

The second purchase was on the Rialto Bridge where the tourist crowds are very evident.

A short walk took us to Fondaco dei Tedeschi, a department store. The building used to be the headquarters and living residence of German merchants in Venice. Doing the Rialto steps sufficiently aggravated Scott’s knees that he needed to sit. The bar seemed a good spot.

There are supposed to be great views from the rooftop terrace. You can go to the rooftop for free but need a reservation. As we sat in the bar, I tried to book a reservation but the next available times were for May 19. When I came here in 2018, you could make a reservation within the next few minutes. The place must have become a lot more popular. I never went up in 2018 because they closed the terrace due to high winds. I guess I’ll have to return to Venice and try again to visit the rooftop.

We perused the men’s floor but didn’t buy anything. From there, we walked mere feet to what was recommended to me as the best wine shop in Venice.

We definitely made purchases there.

Then back to the apartment with heavy backpacks.

A good opportunity to rest, sketch and sip some wine.

According to Google map, our walk to dinner was 1.3 km mostly flat. The estimate did not include the information that there were a lot of bridges going over canals.

In the distance, Palladio’s San Giorgio Maggiore.

Scott thought the above looked like the leaning tower of Venice. I think it’s San Giorgio dei Greci.

Showing the new purchases:

The restaurant Al Covo has been run by the same family for generations and well known for the quality of its food. It has also featured in a number of tv shows including Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy.

We opted for the vaporetto on our return.