Text and images (c) Robert Barry Francos / FFotos By Francos, 2016
Images can be enlarged by clicking on them
After a two-hour (not bullet) train ride to Venice, things started off a bit dicey. Due to unclear wording on the tour information, we actually missed the first part because we were waiting in the wrong place near the Ponte di Rialto, which is halfway along the serpentine Grand Canal. Very frustrating. After some phone calls, with help from one of the workers at a Disney store (I kid you not) to help translate, we met up with the very end of the first leg, which was in time for the gondola ride (otherwise about $80 per person if we hadn't done it on the tour).
After lunch, we met up with the tour again at Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square), where we toured the Basilica San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale (and Square), Palazzo delle Prigioni, and walked over the Bridge of Sighs.
After the tour ended in a stone jail cell, the two of us strolled the Riva degli Schiavoni, which the the waterfront on the south shore of Venice. Then we had to high-tail it back to the north side, all the way across the city, and just made it on time for the train back. We were told it would take an hour by someone at a restaurant, and they were correct, even rushing. We had to keep asking directions along the way, even with the occasional direction signs, thanks to the way the streets are laid out. Our dogs were tired, and after the mile walk home from the Bologna train station, we stayed in and slept for two days.
Venice is a beautiful and interesting city. It is also extremely crowded with tourists, especially in certain areas near the Grand Canal. The only public transport is by water, otherwise it is walking. No autos and no bicycles, which is understandable actually, considering number of bridges (most have steps), and especially the narrow and zig-zagging streets.
The whole island is sinking, in case you did not know. When on the gondola, you could see the step up to the doors, where the boats used to be tied off onto poles that have a kind of barber shop feel to them. Now, in many of the older canal entrance ways, the water is up to a half a foot over the bottom of the doors. It's also interesting to note that every single piece of stone that is on the island had to be brought in from somewhere else, which is essentially the whole city.
From the train station to the Ponte di Rialto:
Gondola Ride!
Piazza San Marco, a huge square with the Basilica San Marco on the East side.
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As it is a place of worship, there were no photos allowed inside St. Marks. Backpacks either, so I had to leave mine about two blocks away from the church, and then fetch it afterwards. Then we entered the Palazzo Ducale, the seat of government for centuries, connected to St. Marks.
Here going up the staircase to the extremely elaborate and ornate palazzo. It was impossible to take pictures of everything that was interesting. From floor to (and including) ceilings, everything was decorated. This is not only the seat of government, but also the judicial chambers.
From here, the judicial room, you go through a corridor to the Bridge of Sighs, into the Palazzo della'Prigioni (prison), most likely to be held for execution
At this point the tour ended and we were on our own. We entered the Riva degli Schiavoni and saw this advert for an upcoming museum show I would have really liked to have seen. Oh, well.
Then we started walking back to the train as fast as we could
Images can be enlarged by clicking on them
After a two-hour (not bullet) train ride to Venice, things started off a bit dicey. Due to unclear wording on the tour information, we actually missed the first part because we were waiting in the wrong place near the Ponte di Rialto, which is halfway along the serpentine Grand Canal. Very frustrating. After some phone calls, with help from one of the workers at a Disney store (I kid you not) to help translate, we met up with the very end of the first leg, which was in time for the gondola ride (otherwise about $80 per person if we hadn't done it on the tour).
After lunch, we met up with the tour again at Piazza San Marco (Saint Mark's Square), where we toured the Basilica San Marco, the Palazzo Ducale (and Square), Palazzo delle Prigioni, and walked over the Bridge of Sighs.
After the tour ended in a stone jail cell, the two of us strolled the Riva degli Schiavoni, which the the waterfront on the south shore of Venice. Then we had to high-tail it back to the north side, all the way across the city, and just made it on time for the train back. We were told it would take an hour by someone at a restaurant, and they were correct, even rushing. We had to keep asking directions along the way, even with the occasional direction signs, thanks to the way the streets are laid out. Our dogs were tired, and after the mile walk home from the Bologna train station, we stayed in and slept for two days.
Venice is a beautiful and interesting city. It is also extremely crowded with tourists, especially in certain areas near the Grand Canal. The only public transport is by water, otherwise it is walking. No autos and no bicycles, which is understandable actually, considering number of bridges (most have steps), and especially the narrow and zig-zagging streets.
The whole island is sinking, in case you did not know. When on the gondola, you could see the step up to the doors, where the boats used to be tied off onto poles that have a kind of barber shop feel to them. Now, in many of the older canal entrance ways, the water is up to a half a foot over the bottom of the doors. It's also interesting to note that every single piece of stone that is on the island had to be brought in from somewhere else, which is essentially the whole city.
From the train station to the Ponte di Rialto:
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| Looking back at St. Geremia, across the start of the "S" shaped Grand Canal |
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| St. Geremia |
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| The reflection of the bridge makes a circle |
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| So dogs can drink on this very hot day of about 90F |
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| The Rialto Bridge |
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| Near the Rialto Bridge |
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| Basilica St. Marco, which we would see in more detail later |
Gondola Ride!
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| Our gondolier, who did a great job (DUCK!) |
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| Refection of the pink hotel in the water |
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| There was a lot of damage due to centuries of water wear |
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| We also enjoyed the water reflecting on the under-bridge |
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| Entering the Grand Canal at its halfway point |
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| The Rialto Bridge in the background |
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| Water taxi |
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| This sign is facing the water side, not the street side |
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| Do you see what I see? |
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| Customers, by land or by sea... okay, canal |
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| The dock, as people line up for their gondola ride |
Piazza San Marco, a huge square with the Basilica San Marco on the East side.
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| She kept trying to pull away from the groom as much as possible; an arranged marriage? |
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| Crucifix on top, batteries on the bottom: however you like to get charged up they have you covered |
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| Torri della'Orologio, which has a still-functioning Renaissance-period digital (flip) mechanical clock on top that changes every 5 minutes |
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| The tower and church at St. Mark's Square |
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| (One of the reasons I love my camera) |
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| Detail on the front of St. Mark's: the bubble hat represents the Duke, and the winged lion is the symbol for Venice |
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| On the water-side of the square, between the church and the tower |
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| What do you see, gull? |
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| Our very nice guide, who was very helpful and accommodating to our late arrival. |
As it is a place of worship, there were no photos allowed inside St. Marks. Backpacks either, so I had to leave mine about two blocks away from the church, and then fetch it afterwards. Then we entered the Palazzo Ducale, the seat of government for centuries, connected to St. Marks.
Here going up the staircase to the extremely elaborate and ornate palazzo. It was impossible to take pictures of everything that was interesting. From floor to (and including) ceilings, everything was decorated. This is not only the seat of government, but also the judicial chambers.
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| I'm guessing this door was the model for Robert Wise's The Haunting. |
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| Council chambers |
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| Zodiac clock |
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| View from a window |
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| View of the Riva degli Schiavoni from the window |
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| I'm guessing it symbolizes the cannon being a dragon breathing fire |
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| Hand-spun glass in the windows |
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| Looking outward from the Bridge of Sighs |
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| The hefty wooden doors are under 3-feet high, so you'd have to bend to get in |
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| Messages in cells were left by using the smoke from candles |
At this point the tour ended and we were on our own. We entered the Riva degli Schiavoni and saw this advert for an upcoming museum show I would have really liked to have seen. Oh, well.
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| The Bridge of Sighs from the Riva degli Schiavoni |
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| Those are the windows where I took the above picture from the inside |
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| We saw a couple of these ginormous ocean liners; this one is the MSC Magnifica, which sails the Mediterranean |
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| Tourist market in front of the national monument for Vittorio Emanuele II, the King from 1861-1978; nearly all the vendors were selling the exact same things (we bought an Italy dish towel as a gift) |
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| Strollin' down the seaside strassa - I mean via - we saw these two men in hooped skirts who waved at us; we waved back. |
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| Standing outside a church |
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| The United Nations! |
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| A beautifully damaged building; nature's art |
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| Close enough that I couldn't resist, even with being late |
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| The closer we got to the station, the more people joined in the convoy |
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| I liked this wall with the painting behind the grate, and the garden behind the ancient wall. |
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