Today was a Free Day for me, since the clients were sleeping in. The Masquerade Ball ended at 3AM and knowing these folks they probably partied it up afterward at the apartment until the sun came up. I took advantage of the free time to spend the day with Jamie and show her around the city. No charge!
We went to Mass at San Marco. Neither of us are Catholic, but it's the best way to see the inside and the mosaics of the Basilica and she hadn't been there yet. I had text messaged Marco the night before that we would be going to the 8am services if he wanted to join us. I presumed with his overburdened schedule that he would either be at work already or sleeping. Lo and behold he scooted in a few minutes before the services began and took a seat next to me.
It becomes very hard for me to focus when I am sitting in San Marco because of the shimmering interiors. Trying to fathom how many pieces are contained in these mosaics makes my head spin. I have no idea what the priest was sermonizing about and glancing at Jamie she was in the same headspace as I was. The first time is overwhelming, but I've been there dozens of times and still get squishy inside. I glanced in the other direction at Marco, who was sort of dozing off. If he started to snore I vowed to pinch him.
After Mass I introduced my two companions and we went outside over to have a coffee. Marco drank his fast and headed off to work at the Europa. Jamie and I caught the vaporetto and went to ascend the belltower across the bacino at San Giorgio for aerial views of the Doge's Palace, San Marco and the Campanile. There were already lots of the fantasie-costumed folks out having their photocalls for the foreign press.
We went souvenir shopping for Jamie and I found an amazing mask for myself. Delicate black lace stiffened and shaped. It's beautiful and all mine now.
Just before noon we crowded into the Piazza San Marco with thousands of others to watch Il Volo dell'Angelo, the flight of the angel. A local celebrity is dressed as an angel of peace and descends from the top of the Campanile belltower on wires to the Grand Foyer stage, throwing flower petals to the crowd below.
We stopped in at the Dona Onesta for a bite to eat and the owner sat with us for lunch. He kept bringing additional dishes out from the kitchen for us to try a bite of. One of the servers there, Mussa, is very serious and dour every time I come in but apparently he really liked Jamie. He smiled and made jokes with her, which I have never seen him do. She inquired about the Oscar statue on the top of the bar hutch. I've seen it there for about two years, and since it has a small plaque reading “Al Miglior Papa” - To The Best Father – I just assumed Safwat had received it from his daughter. But everyone said they didn't know where it came from. Someone had apparently left it there after a meal and they put it up there, waiting for it to be claimed and it never was. Mussa presented Jamie with the Oscar “You take this home with you to remember me.” We laughed all afternoon.
It began raining on our way home. I caught up on correspondence while she took a nap. We prepared dinner together of minestrone soup and tortellini in brodo. The rain had let up by 8pm so we went out for a walk and a vaporetto ride to look at the lights of the palazzi on the Grand Canal.
It was a nice end to a very relaxed day.
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