The breakfast of champions, some tomatoes and crisps from the local Carrefour supermarket.
In the background is the Rialto Bridge which might look serenely permanent today, but this crossing has had some sub-optimal times over the centuries. The first crossing here was a twelfth century pontoon bridge which, being essentially a glorified floating raft, was never going to win prizes for stability. Its wooden successor of 1255 did a little better until 1310 when it collapsed during Bajamonte Tiepolo’s revolt, which must have been a lively afternoon. A later version soldiered on until 1444 when it gave up entirely under the weight of spectators watching the wedding procession of the Marquis of Ferrara, so I suppose that could be defined as memorable and then fire then damaged it in 1514 because Venice likes to keep things interesting.
After all that melodrama, the city perhaps rather sensibly approved Antonio da Ponte’s stone design, completed in 1591, and it has stubbornly refused to fall down ever since, as if determined to prove it can behave like a proper bridge. It’s got shops on both sides of it today and it has become the major bridge in the city and something of a tourist destination. Although there are no benches around here, so don’t come here expecting to eat tomatoes.