San Marco Basilica, Rialto market, Cannaregio

This morning we joined the start of a queue of people waiting to go into the Basilica and were inside just a few minutes after its 9.30 a.m. opening. Having visited the Treasury and the Museum on previous trips, this time we paid a few euro to see the Pala d’Oro, the high altar. The altarpiece is 3 metres wide and 2 metres tall and is made of gold and silver, and 1,927 gems. It's pretty amazing. You aren't allowed to take photos in St Mark's so here's a photo we found online:

St Mark's Basilica is one of the most magnificent cathedrals in the world. Construction started over 1,000 years ago and was completed in 1062. I know I said you aren't allowed to take photos inside but earlier in the day we'd actually been the only tourists inside the Basilica. We'd just walked confidently through a side door and found ourselves in the Confessional. So we confessed in advance - and the following photos are ours.

And we'd actually been to San Marco four hours earlier to again see it before the crowds arrived and to take photos of the area in the early morning light.

On our way home we went to the Rialto market which was still being set up, fish and fruit and vegetables were arriving on boats and being unloaded.

Later in the day Matthew went back to the fish market - you can never have too many photos of a market we reckon.

For lunch, armed with our new found knowledge of cichetti we went to a local bar recommended by Sarah, Bacarando in Corte dell'Orso.

Later in the afternoon we walked to the Cannaregio but on the way stopped at another magnificent church, Santa Maria Assunta.

Then, as the sun finally came out, we continued on to Cannaregio and the Jewish Ghetto.

Then with the help of a traghetto to get across the Grand Canal...

... we bumped into Adam and Maya, (it's just like being in Martinborough!) before returning to the bar we'd had a Spritz at yesterday. And we had some more. The traditional Venetian Spritz (Spritz Veneziano) is made from Select (which is like a cross between Campari and Aperol), prosecco and sparkling water.