Venice-Get Lost Rick Steves Says

Rick Steves, the travel writer says get lost in Venice so we did! And we did a great job, we just started walking at Piazza San Marco and kept going into little narrow streets and canals and sometimes had to turn around because the canals made a dead end. It was so fun just to wander around and see Venice by foot! We just walked as we decided at that moment as we came to a crossroads, north, south, east or west. It didn't matter! So here are some pictures willy nilly starting a Piazza San Marco!

Venice-Lido Beach

We decided to go to the beach and it was so easy. Get on a Vaporetto and ride across the Grand Canal to Lido Island. We were told they have the prettiest beaches. So off we went! When we got off the Vaporetto we had to walk across the island, it only took us 15 minutes. We went in several shops, bought pizza and walked at a slow and easy pace. When we got to the beach it was really crowded and I had to go find a changing room which I really didn't want to do. It was very warm. So we decided on a place to put down the towels and I was going to watch the stuff while the others swam. I was going to go to Murano Island where the glass blowing was famous. Bud decided that he would go with me. As we were looking, we saw what appeared to be a dead body under a sheet. We discussed the possibility or not a possibility of that actually happening where we were. But most of us agreed that it was indeed a body because of the toes sticking up. They were definitely toes. And there were three Italian police there and they had an umbrella over the body to maybe keep it cool because as I said it was pretty warm that day. Well it was incredibly interesting watching the proceedings of the police and the people on the beach. This body was right up from where the ocean was going to and fro. And the people were just swimming and talking and on their towels like it was an everyday occurrence. The police would be on their phones talking sometimes all three would be on the phone at the same time. This went on for about an hour. Then two detectives or superiors came. You could tell because their uniforms had ribbons. They also talked on their phones. Then maybe a medical examiner came he was dressed as if he was on vacation, and lifted the sheet and kind of looked at him. It was a him by the way. Then by that time a couple of hours had gone by. The police never cordoned off any of the beach, they never removed the body, they just adjusted the umbrella over the body. Bud and I left and when we got back to the ferry we found out that it would take a lot longer to get to Murano Island so we just went back to the hotel. Travis, Carleigh and Brittany stayed for a couple hours longer to see what would happen and nothing did. The body was still on the beach when they left! We were and are speechless!

Venice-Of course we rode a Gondola!

We did ride in a Gondola, but we were kind of cheap, we split the cost of the Gondola by 5! It was fun, but it was a little rocky as in it moved back and forth if one moved a lot, which I have a habit of to get good pictures so I was a little nervous I would be the first person in history to make the Gondola go over an drop it's occupants in the drink, that would be us! But it was a long ride about 35 minutes so it is actually, I believe, worth the dollars. What a great way to see the canals of Venice!

Venice-Rialto Bridge

The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo.The Rialto Bridge (Italian: Ponte di Rialto) is one of the four bridges spanning the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It is the oldest bridge across the canal, and was the dividing line for the districts of San Marco and San Polo. We loved the shops that line both sides of the bridge. You don't even know you are on the bridge until you go to the sides where there are places you can look out over the canal. What a busy and wonderful place. This is the center of Vencie for sure!

Venice-Bridge of Sighs

Bridge Of Sighs lyrics
The sun don't shine
The moon don't move the tides,
to wash me clean
Sun don't shine
The moon don't move the tides,
to wash me clean
Why so unforgiving and why so cold
Been a long time crossing Bridge of Sighs
Cold wind blows
[From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/r/robin-trower-lyrics/bridge-of-sighs-lyrics.html ]
The Gods look down in anger,
on this poor child
Cold wind blows
And Gods look down in anger,
on this poor child
Why so unforgiving and why so cold
Been a long time crossing Bridge of Sighs

The Bridge of Sighs (Italian: Ponte dei Sospiri) is a bridge in Venice, northern Italy. The enclosed bridge is made of white limestone and has windows with stone bars. It passes over the Rio di Palazzo and connects the New Prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. It was designed by Antoni Contino (whose uncle Antonio da Ponte had designed the Rialto Bridge), and built in 1602.
The view from the Bridge of Sighs was the last view of Venice that convicts saw before their imprisonment. The bridge name, given by Lord Byron in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the window before being taken down to their cells. In reality, the days of inquisitions and summary executions were over by the time the bridge was built and the cells under the palace roof were occupied mostly by small-time criminals. In addition, little could be seen from inside the Bridge due to the stone grills covering the windows.

Such a beautiful Bridge with such a sad history!

Venice-Piazza San Marco

Right down from our hotel about 2 blocks was the Piazza San Marco! Thousands of visitors come here to see two of the city's most important sights-the Basilica and the Palazzo Ducale. These magnificent buildings complement lesser sights,and there are open air orchestras, elegant cafes (that means very expensive :) ) and numerous smart, classy shops. The Piazza was described by Napoleon as the "most elegant drawing room in Europe."

In 828, relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen from Alexandria by two Venetian merchants and taken to Venice, where the Byzantine Theodore of Amasea had previously been the patron saint. A basilica was built there to house the relics.
A mosaic in St Mark's Basilica, Venice depicts sailors covering the relics with a layer of pork. Since Muslims are not allowed to touch pork, this action was done to prevent Muslim intervention in the relics removal.[citation needed]
Copts believe that the head of the saint remained in Alexandria. Every year, on the 30th day of the month of Paopi, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint in the city of Alexandria. This takes place inside St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Alexandria, where the saint's head is preserved. Isn't this the best story ever?

The Palazzo Ducale (Doges' Palace was the official residence of each Venetian ruler (Doge) and was founded in the 9th century. The present day look of the palace owes it appearance to 14th and 15th workmanship. There was a torture room. Interrogations took place in the torture chamber. Suspects were hung by their wrist from a cord in the center of the room. One of the famous person imprisoned here was Casanova!

The following day, at age thirty, Casanova was arrested: “The Tribunal, having taken cognizance of the grave faults committed by G. Casanova primarily in public outrages against the holy religion, their Excellencies have caused him to be arrested and imprisoned under the Leads.”[34] “The Leads” was a prison of seven cells on the top floor of the east wing of the Doge's palace, reserved for prisoners of higher status and political crimes and named for the lead plates covering the palace roof. Without a trial, Casanova was sentenced to five years in the “unescapable” prison.[35] But he escaped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Venice-Two nights of Beauty-Hotel Wildner

White swan of cities, slumbering in thy nest
So wonderfully built among the reeds
Of the lagoon, that fences thee and feeds,
As sayeth thy old historian and thy guest!
White water-lily, cradled and caressed
By ocean streams, and from the silt and weeds
Lifting thy golden filaments and seeds,
Thy sun-illumined spires, thy crown and crest!
White phantom city, whose untrodden streets
Are rivers, and whose pavements are the shifting
Shadows of palaces and strips of sky;
I wait to see thee vanish like the fleets
Seen in mirage, or towers of cloud uplifting
In air their unsubstantial masonry.

This is a poem about Venice, a most beautiful, unique, fabulous, ridiculous, and captivating city! It was incredible! No cars, no scooters, less assertive vendors, no trucks, no bicycles, just canals and old, very old buildings and water boats, water ferries, water taxis, cruise ships and other watercraft. The color of the water is incredible, turquoise, aqua, dark blue, medium blue and and changing all the time. People everywhere, 20 million visitors this year, we were 5 of them! But as evening draws close, the visitors leave this island and it becomes ours. We can walk around and enjoy the evening with impromptu singers along the Grand Canal. We sit at tables outside our hotel and eat watching the people go by. It is so very pretty that you can't take your eyes off the water! We took a water vaporetto, a public water vessel from the ship to our hotel.

Pictures of our Hotel right on the Grand Canal!

Pictures from our hotel room!