My friend Yvonne in Australia sent me an email the other day asking if I had seen this ship on the Zattere yet. I try to stay up on what's going on in and around Venice all the time, but somehow this one had slipped by me. I've been so wrapped up in my physical therapy routine every day that I haven't had much time to poke my head up. Fortunately, the weekends are rest days for me, with no therapy, except that I must get out and walk. Sunday was a gorgeous sunny day here with temps in the low 50's. That made it the perfect day for a leisurely walk, and there is no better place than the Zattere.
Mike and I walked from our neighborhood towards the Zattere, and as soon as we made the turn by the San Basilio vaporetto stop, we caught sight of the ship Yvonne had mentioned. The Elcano, a spanish tall ship used for training sailors, was docked in all it's glory. The boat was open to the public for tours all day long.
We stopped to admire the boat and take some photos, then wandered farther down the Zattere to Nico's, a favorite of locals and tourists alike for it's ice cream. We found an open table on the sidewalk, so stopped for a cup of tea for me and some time to enjoy the afternoon sun. Every other person leaving Nico's had a take-away ice cream concoction in their hand, making me wistful for one of my own, but I resisted temptation. I'm sure there will be other sunny days when I will give in!
