The Best of Venice

Sunday, May 1, 2016

It rains in Venice! Really hard! And gets cold.

But nothing stops us. After breakfast, we took a water taxi to Murano, an island nearby, to a glass factory. Artisans were hard at work, it was fascinating to watch.

Of course, we had to visit the gallery where the lovely artwork is for sale.

Who knew that you can't come to Venice and not have a Bellini from Harry's Bar?

In the afternoon, we went on a tour of the city. We wandered all over, learning interesting bits and pieces of the city's history, and saw many different types of architecture, especially in the old part of the city.

St. Mark's Basilca, probably the city's signature site, was a treasure. Dating back to the 9th century, it is an incredible masterpiece of mosaic. No photography inside the church, you'll have to trust me! We did go up to the loggia, where there are four statues of horses, believed to be stolen from Constantinople during the Crusades.

Everyone is doing selfies. EVERYONE! I think we need to work on our technique.

Next door is the Doge's Palace, which was the heart of the city's government. The building is one room after another with lovely gilded ceilings and fantastic frescoes, each telling a story.

The rain stopped early in the afternoon, but it has remained cloudy and cool. It's quiet out tonight, and peaceful.

Planes and taxis and boats, tomorrow it's the train to Florence!