Pre-Tour Day 2 continued
Upon arrival in Venice from Milan we bought our vaporetto pass and took the next one down the Grand Canal to the stop only a block from Hotel Ala. After checking into our room which would also be our room during the tour days, we walked to Rialto Bridge, checked out the vendors, and on to Frari Church. Much of the great artwork here was "in situ" displayed right where it was designed to be. We were not allowed into the more intimate section of the church as there was a wedding service in progress.
Tour Day 1 |
Venice |
Venice and most of Italy was experiencing a very hot September and we felt it, especially in Venice since it was right on the water with added humidity! On Sunday, we toured a glass factory on Murano and met a new tour buddy Myriam on the water taxi ride.
After Murano, we took a vaporetto to Burano where Bill was enamoured with the colorful houses and Denise found the lace museum. It was a tense ride back and then a run to the hotel to meet up with the Rick Steves My Way tour and guide Cinzia/Cynthia for the 5pm meeting. After a brief orientation walk to St. Marks square, we grabbed our laundry and headed in the direction of a self-service laundry where we found a comfortable osteria/cafe for dinner which came first. We figured out the wash and dry instructions with the help of a couple from Canada and spent our waiting time visiting with them. After folding the clean clothes, there was a stop for gelato on the walk through St. Mark's Square with it's traditional music.
Tour Day 2
With Monday came a vaporetta strike! Fortunately, we had planned to spend most of the day seeing the sights around St. Mark's Square. The Doge's Palace is located at one corner of St. Mark's Square and the Grand Canal and the exterior is very intricate, matching the inside beauty. Primarily used a a government building, the Palace rooms were decorated with painted beams, gilded ceilings, murals, paneling, tile terrazzo flooring and wonderful artwork. As we walked across the Bridge of Sighs from the palace to the dismal prison, there was only a brief view of the lagoon.
Adjacent to the Doge's Palace is St. Mark's Basilica where we showed up at St. Peter's Door right before our scheduled entrance time. This was one of the few sights for which I pre-booked a specific time since we wanted to see the interior when the lights were usually turned on. The Rick Steves app on our phones provided an appropriate route through the basilica with detailed descriptions of the interior. It was stunning with the millions of mosaics which glittered gold with the lights on. The altar screen was magnificent with the gold and jewels and mosaics but, no pictures allowed inside. The original horses are located inside for preservation against the elements even though they have been all over Europe with the conquering nations. From the outside balcony we could view all of St. Mark's Square and stand beside the reproduction horses.
Also, located at this same end of the Square is the Campanile, St. Mark's bell tower and from it one can see the entire city and lagoon. After lunch and a brief rest, Denise checked out the Correr Museo upstairs on the Square with it's beautiful rooms, ceilings and crystal chandeliers. and then headed back toward the Rialto for a little shopping fun - small leather purse and money clip, glass ornament for our Christmas tree, and a mosaic charm for my necklace. For our last night in Venice, we had previously arranged to meet with several of the RS tour members and share a gondola ride which was very peaceful with only slight rocking and then dinner before strolling through the Square to enjoy the music.
Also, located at this same end of the Square is the Campanile, St. Mark's bell tower and from it one can see the entire city and lagoon. After lunch and a brief rest, Denise checked out the Correr Museo upstairs on the Square with it's beautiful rooms, ceilings and crystal chandeliers. and then headed back toward the Rialto for a little shopping fun - small leather purse and money clip, glass ornament for our Christmas tree, and a mosaic charm for my necklace. For our last night in Venice, we had previously arranged to meet with several of the RS tour members and share a gondola ride which was very peaceful with only slight rocking and then dinner before strolling through the Square to enjoy the music.
Food in Venice |
By the time we arrived in Venice, we had begun to feel much more comfortable in Italian restaurants and cafes - too many pizzas and quick bites in Milan - and so we really started enjoying the different foods. Venice especially offered a variety of seafood as well as some really good pasta and fresh bruschetta.
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