Sights off the beaten track

The Wednesday forecast had changed from showers all day to overcast with some spotting in the morning. Great. We didn't take an umbrella then as we left the apartment around 9pm and the absence of peddlers trying to sell umbrellas was proof that we were reasonably safe from water from above.

First so for us was Rosa Salva, a pasticceria in Rialto which was said to be one of the best bakeries in Venice... At least as far as the Lonely Planet was concerned.
It really was a small place with two tables to stand on. Most locals just got one of the filled croissants and stood by the coffee bar necking their hot brews in like a minute.
We got an apricot jam and a chocolate croissant each and a cappuccino. Lonely Planet had once again made a brilliant suggestion and we agreed with their label of "gale force" for Rosa Salva's coffee. Holy moly! This stuff was rocket fuel! We could feel it coursing through our bodies, floating a couple of inches above the ground as we made our way over to Rialto Market to get some fish for dinner.

Dropped our lovely salmon filet off at home and headed over to San Polo after. Time to fill up on coffee and have a bite for lunch at Campo Dei Frari before we headed into the imposing 14th century Gothic church I Frari, that dominated the square.
The inside was simply stunning! And no photos allowed. Which we found out later was rather "no flash" and generally not discouraged, but sort of allowed. Ah, never mind.

The audio guide was well worth it to point out interesting parts of the many amazing paintings. A few Titian and a rare Bellini that almost has a 3D effect could be found inside. Stunning vibrant colours and  almost photo like facial expressions of the depicted figures. We are not art buffs and have really no idea about what is good and what not, but this was nothing short of amazing.

Next up was the Leonardo da Vinci museum, where we again opted for the excellent audio guide. They had digital replicas of his painting with background information and the option to zoom in to all the intricate details. There was a section about his anatomy studies and some of his machines where built upstairs to actually have a go at them... sort of. This included building a bridge out of small logs alone with no fastening necessary. We saw his tank, submarine and machine gun, a crank and piston and a number of ball-bearings. All of this he invented around 1500. Insane, right?

Leonardo's tank

Slurping some gelato we made our way back towards the apartment after a quick peek into San Roco, another church with amazing interior. Basically every wall had a painting on it. Dimly lit, with so much to feast your eyes on it's probably one of the hidden gems of the city.

San Roco

Had drinks at Birreria Zaron just outside our apartment. Really nice chilled place with a different non-challant vibe.

Cooked up some pasta at home with fennel, salmon and baby tomatoes and watched some Netflix before entering the nightly fight with the movies mozzies in our bedroom.

Birreria Zaron, instantly liked this place