Fashion and Churches: Venice Days 3 & 4

I was about to start writing this and I looked out the window while I was trying to figure out what to say; I looked up just in time to see the woman who lives across the street (who I've also watched doing her dishes and smoking) taking her top off.... and now she's shut the window. Lady, it is too late for that sort of precautionary measure. Not that any Italians I've ever met have particularly been bastions for decorum, bastions for fashion maybe and exciting gesticulations most definitely. Speaking of Italians, I want to talk for a minute about fashion; all of them have the most incredible sense of style. No matter how tall or short, wide or skinny, they know exactly how to dress and look fabulous all the time. It's not fair.

 What have I done the past two days besides ogle the local folk? Took a trip to Murano (where they make the glass), bought some shoes, visited the Santa Maria della Salute, the Scuola de San Rocco, and the Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari. Most of the churches wont allow you to take pictures inside, which is both good and bad. I understand why they do it; churches are sacred places and besides all the tourists coming to ogle there are actually people there praying. Still, it's sort of a bummer because they're these incredible 500+ year old buildings with these amazing paintings and chandeliers and carvings and you really just want to take pictures of everything. And they wont let you. And if you're me, you sulk about it. And then go outside and take pictures of the outside. 

This is the Santa Maria della Salute. And it is huge and beautiful.

These ladies were about 8 or 9 feet long each, and are chilling out above the front door of the church. The front door is probably about 15 or 16 feet tall. These numbers seem accurate in my head now, but you probably shouldn't call me on them. I did not bring my tape measure with me to the church, my bad. I promise I will tomorrow (not really though) when we go to the Academia. 

Stray Observations:

• Foods I have eaten: Yesterday was a soup day: tortellini soup for lunch, followed by a cappuccino and a slice of lemon cake which was divine. Dinner was vegetable soup, which here comes in a chicken stock broth which was different and really good. Today, a mushroom and prosccuito panini (which was not a panini like American's think of. If you're American, picture a stromboli... that dough tube filled with yummies... that's a panini.) And my favorite gelato so far: pistachio. Holy crap it was so good. The creaminess of the gelato went fantastically with the salty taste of the pistachio. For breakfast, cheerios... Cheerios taste the same everywhere. They taste like sad bland circles.
• I did a lot of shopping in Murano. Glass is cool, glass blowers are cool and giant glass sculptures are also cool.