Early morning on the Piazza San Marco, a picture of the Basilica... and the omnipresent pigeons of Venice.
A close up of the face of the Basilica di San Marco.
A view from the tower in the Piazza. The views were amazing...
A picture of me blocking the spectacular views....
Your average canal... Nice huh?
Another picture with me blocking the view.... and with a funnly look on my face this time. Bonus!
Ah.. this one is better. Marina poses by some gondolas.
A postal boat.
A police boat.
A construction boat.
Not pictured.... water taxis and the water bus!
This is Palazzo Ducale the command centre of the Venetian Republic. The Doge's Palace, a rare example of civil Venetian Gothic, was home to the doge (duke) and all arms of government, including prisons, for much of the thousand or so years of the Republic. Two magnificent Gothic facades in white Istrian stone and pink Veronese marble face Piazzetta San Marco.
Established in the 9th century, the building began to assume its present form some 500 years later. From the main courtyard, you ascend several stairways to reach the Appartamento del Doge (Duke's Apartments).
A trail of corridors leads you to the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sighs) that connects to the Prigioni Nuove (New Prisons) built on the east side of the canal to cater for overflow from the Prigioni Vecchie (Old Prisons) in the palace itself. Among the latter were the Piombi ('the Leads') in the roof, where legendary 18th-century philanderer Giacomo Casanova did some time.
I can't remember why I am sticking my finger in this poor guys mouth... something to do with secrets from what the sign says. If you look carefully you can see that the inside of his mouth is shiny from all of the tourists putting there finger in there... mmmm good thing I am not a germaphobe.
Marina poses in front of some more gondolas.
We took a side trip to Murano to see some glass making. We weren't dissapointed. The island is very tiny, and there isn't much to do but shop for glass! At least it is quiet and very pretty.
Why is all the glass making in Murano? Becasue in 1291, the Venetian Republic ordered glassmakers to move their foundries to Murano because the glassworks represented a fire danger in Venice, whose buildings were mostly wooden at the time.
This is the church of Santa Maria e San Donato on Murano.
Visit the ubiquitous glass shops on Murano, and you'll find countless paperweights, glass beads rings and necklaces. Some are amusing, 0thers are pretty but many, in my humble opinion are tacky!
All the pictures should you be interested: Pictures from Scott Stewart
