Thursday, October 20, 2011

Monday October 17, 2011



John, Dave and I went for a walk before breakfast along the waterfront. There were quite a few people out even that early in the morning – some coming off the water taxis (vaporettos) to work, street cleaners with long straw brooms, joggers, and photographers setting up to catch the first rays of sun on the water. After breakfast (the croissants are wonderful!), we had a walking tour of St. Mark’s Square by a local guide. He took us into the cathedral, which was decorated with intricate marble designs on the floor and small mosaic beads of glass on the ceiling. Much of the glass beads had a sliver of gold imbedded – it was quite ornate inside. Venice is made up of 117 islands and there are 465 bridges connecting the islands. St Mark’s Square is the lowest point on this particular island and is prone to flooding. Wooden walkways are piled in the square to be put up in case of flooding. Last year, the area in front of the cathedral flooded 200 days! We have been lucky as the weather has been sunny, but cool. After our tour, John, Lana, Kelly, Dave and I visited the Doge’s Palace and the prison. There is a bridge between the palace and the prison called the Bridge of Sighs. The prisoners would walk across the bridge on their way to public execution in the square. We then walked across the square and took an elevator to the top of a tower to get 360-degree views of Venice. It was a perfect day and the terra cotta roof tiles made a lovely picture. We stopped for lunch and then walked across the Grand Canal to do some window shopping. Most of the shops sell jewelry – some specialize in Murano glass beads. Another popular shop is of masks – very elaborate ones that are uses in February for two weeks during Carnivale (see photo). After walking along way, we stopped and took a gondola ride (see photo). We started in the Grand Canal, but then meandered down some of the smaller canals. It was a lovely day and the ride was very relaxing. Our guide was young and explained that he was the third generation of gondola owners in his family. He took us past two gondola makers’ shops right next to the canal. It is quite expensive to own one as they are made by hand and cost 40,000 euros and that you would need two in your lifetime. They are always painted black on the outside, but each gondolier chooses the insides. Ours was black, white and silver with a blue floor. We went for dinner when we got back near our hotel – it was very good. The waiter who enticed us into the restaurant was quite charming. We got back on the early side and I spent some time blogging and writing postcards before bed. I’m still not sure when I will get to post the blogs as the WiFi in the hotel is on the blink and although we passes an internet café yesterday, I’m not sure I can find it again.

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