Day 7 – Venice

9/17/2006 – Day 7 – Venice

We start our day by going to a glass blower.  As we watch the demonstration, I can see the work that goes into each piece.  The changing of colors and building on each contour is interesting. 

While we were watching the glass blower made a rearing horse, which I thought was really nice, but he broke it afterwards because it was just practice for demonstration purposes. 

We get back on a boat to go back to St. Marks Square for our tour of Palazzo Ducale.  And Guess what?  It is raining.  Look at all of the people and umbrellas.  I have to laugh, we knew it might rain, but I did not want it to rain here and not while we were walking around. 

Carmen and I knew that we could run into rain while we were here.  We both read and heard enough about the number of days it rains so we came prepared.  You should know we both had these rain ponchos.  We are also taking them off for the Palazzo Ducale tour.  We do not need them while we are indoors.

We are in the Palazzo Ducale and many of the rooms are richly adorned, but look at the ceiling in this room.   

Moving through different rooms I am more interested in the ceilings then the rooms themselves.  I have to take a picture of the ceilings.  Look at this one with the gilding on the ceiling.

There was a room with these wooden chairs against two walls.  I could not help myself but I had to take this picture of one row of chairs. 

Another ceiling and I promise no more ceilings.  This is the last view before we leave the rooms and make our way outside. 

We are inside the Bridge of Sighs.  The famous name of the bridge dates from the Romantic period and was supposed to refer to the sighs of prisoners who, passing from the courtroom to the cell in which they would serve their sentence, took a last look at freedom as they glimpsed the lagoon and San Giorgio through the small windows.  This is the view we have.

After leaving the Doge Palace, we are free to walk around until it is time to leave.  We see many canals, and cross a number of bridges.  Check out this canal with all of the boats; all of them covered from the rain. 

Check out this canal and bridge.

We came upon this building with the small courtyard. 

Not sure here we are going, but we are using a map we found and are trying to get to a few places.  Not sure what this place is, but having a small plaza might make it one of many churches in the city. 

Speaking of churches, this is the Chiesa di San Giuliano church, commonly called St. Julian. 

The doors to St Julians were open so we went inside to see the interior.  As we have seen in many of the churches here in Europe, the inside is both complex and Intricate.  

What do you call a dead ended alley that is water?  I guess a dead ended water way.  Check this out, you get off the boat and walk into your door. 

There are many canals, bridges and we make our way back to one of the bridges overlooking the Bridge of Sighs, and I am able to get a picture from the inland side.  Notice in the background people are still walking around with umbrellas.

As we near the Grand Canal, we make another quick stop on another bridge overlooking yet another canal.  You can see another tower in the background along with houses and more boats.

It is interesting shortly before we were getting ready to walk around the corner near St. Mark’s Square we heard what sounded like a large horse clip-clopping getting close to the corner.  I have Carmen move up against the wall to not be in the way and what comes around the corner are two women wearing plastic bag boots with a hard plastic on the bottom that was making the noise.  We were both shocked and laughing at the same time.

Now at the Grand Canal, we can see many of the gondolas tied up to pier posts.  Not many people asking for rides on a rainy day.  

We are waiting for the boat, again, and I get a picture of Carmen in the mass of people.

I get up on the Ponte della Paglia, a landmark stone bridge dating back to 1360, to take a picture looking the other way.  The Riva degli Schiavoni, the waterfront promenard along the Grand Canal near St’ Mark’s Square is still overcrowded.  Although the rain has lessened, there are still umbrellas in use.  The prominent, bronze monument was created in 1887 to honor the Kingdom of Italy's first king Victor Emmanuel II.

Back on the boat we make our way to the hotel via the bus.  Tomorrow we leave both Venice and Italy as we make our way into Switzerland.