The capital of the Veneto region of northern Italy..still as captivating, still with the worn & antiquated charm, still packing throngs of visitors despite lingering organic smell of sewage at various turns from the narrow medieval waterways of its weather worn & secret passages.
We hopped on a morning water taxi and renewed our acquaintance with the much traversed Grand Canal.
The St Mark's Clocktower (Torre dell'Orologio) - now restored in its splendor ( I recall on our last visit it was entirely shrouded in cloth) facing into Piazza San Marco. It displays the time, the phase of the moon, and the dominant sign of the Zodiac. The clock tower is topped by two bronze figures, now oxidized patina, called "Moors", who strike the bell hourly. A winged lion of St Mark, patron saint and symbol of Venice, stands on an opened book below the Moors. The clock emerged from its scaffolding after its thorough overhaul (1998-2006) in honor of its 500th anniversary. The bell that rings today is still the original cast of 1497!
We bought tickets to climb up the Campanile di San Marco for panoramic views. There was quite a pronounced haze over the harbor this morning
Looking down from every crumbling bridge are the gondolas sporting newly polished paint & decked out with attractive brocaded cushions ...our touristy impulses finally won out.. Ingrid and I set about looking for a gondolier with a straw hat...and in no time we found one ..not only a hat but a kerchief to match !
No champagne nor serenading gondolier this time but Chris succumbed to our entreaties to sing us an Italian aria .. 'Santa Lucia' & 'That's Amore' ! After which our gondolier insisted in the traditional 'Keeese' under the Bridge of Sighs - Tom trying to get into position ..lol
Ingrid & Chris, homeward bound the next day, so it was a special time to share such a fun gondola ride in Venice to cap off our cruise with this delightful pair.
Our second morning, clearer air & even bluer skies as we took up complimentary vaporetto ride from our Hotel Antiche Figure to the Island of Murano to see the craft of glass blowing venetian style!
There's only about 14 families who now carry on the tradition of handmade Murano glass. We sought to take home some light souvenirs / gifts for the holidays. The shop featured all the vibrant colors, techniques and materials that make up the magic of venetian glass. We witnessed the murrine techniques, caneworking, the 'millefiori' style and filigree, incalmo, lattimo, sommerso and so on...the imaginative iterations grew over the decades.
Way more alleyways to explore - we walked to neighborhoods as yet undiscovered and whiled away the afternoon poking into several cathedrals and shops & art galleries until the last spot of daylight turned into dimly-lit golden evening reflections off the waters
Everyone pulled out their iphones & cameras at this spot - we couldn't resist a selfie either!
Time to say goodbye ...Con te partiro...su navi per mari, che, io lo so....
