Viewing Venice

As long as it took for us to finally get some sleep, the morning did not follow suit and came way too fast.

We had a full day tour scheduled, perhaps mistakenly, which came with an early meeting time. We dragged ourselves out of bed and made our way to the starting point at St Mark’s Square. 

Our tour was operated by “The Tour Guy” company. We joined up with several others for a group of 20. Our guide was a young, thin and soft-spoken guy named Philipo. Our morning was mostly spent visiting Doge’s Palace.

Doge's Palace is a symbol of Venice's rich history. The Doge's Palace is a Gothic masterpiece. It was the residence of the Doge, the chief magistrate, and the heart of Venetian political power.

The palace was a feast of wonders and boasted many features designed to impress visiting aristocrats, most notably a large 3rd story meeting room which could hold 2000 people and had the largest suspended ceiling in the world when it was built. 

We were told that almost every room in the palace has secret compartments and cabinets and secret doors and exits. 

As Philipo explained the characteristics of one of the many ornate chambers, he drew our attention to the floor and noted that this room no longer had the original floor. It was replaced by this new one which was put down in the 1700s. A stark reminder that we weren’t in the U.S. anymore.

Next was a tour of St Marc’s basilica. Not much to say here. Lots of gold taken from the peasants, crypts full of wealthy people, statues everywhere and candles and pews and a few dead Jesuses hanging around.

After a short break for lunch at a tapas restaurant, which they call cicchettis, we switched to the second part of the tour which was a short gondola ride. We split into two groups but followed the same path. The water was very choppy most of the route, except for the short journey up an inland canal and back. The waves made us uncomfortable as the impending dump into the lagoon loomed throughout the ride. 

The third part of the day’s journey was to cross the ocean to the neighboring island of Murano. The island is famed for its exquisite glassmaking. Since the 13th century, Murano's artisans have perfected their craft, creating everything from intricate jewelry to elaborate chandeliers. Visiting the glass-blowing factory offered a mesmerizing glimpse into this age-old tradition.

The next and final island was Burano, known for its vibrant, colorful houses and delicate lacework, Burano is a photographer's dream. Each house is painted in a bright hue, reflecting the island's cheerful spirit. The intricate lace-making process was perfected here and was a skill that has been passed down through generations. We were shown one doily which took 7 women several weeks to make. 

Although the doilies were impressive, we spent most of our time at the gelato shop.

The highlights of the day captured the essence of Venice’s architectural grandeur, artisanal mastery, and vibrant community.

Arriving back in Venice we started looking for food. On our first day in Italy we thought we should eat Italian food. We passed many restaurants with various foods and many bars. We pulled up Google Maps and did a search for Italian restaurants near me and every restaurant popped up. That’s obviously not going to work while in Italy. 

We eventually found a pizzeria, and after that we dragged ourselves back to our apartment and went right to bed.