Venice

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while but it has been difficult to get access to the net over the past couple of weeks.  Venice was beautiful.....................not quite what we were expecting............so much larger than we thought.

AND sooo busy.  Shops and tourists everywhere.  Everything is done via the waterways, deliveries to shops and fruit and veg markets, fire department. police and ambulance services are all done on the water.  While we were walking over the Rialto bridge we saw a water ambulance and fire brigade rushing to help someone.  There were towers leaning due to the sinking again, tiny alleyways and canalways everywhere. Again the structures were massive, and I have been photographing doors all around Italy, they are so ornate and beautiful.

We had a gondola ride on the Grand Canal, had a tour of the Murano glass factory and saw some amazing glass blowing, toured thru the Golden Bascilica,  which was absolutely mind blowing.  The floor was photographed in 1979 and removed in sections and repaired and replaced due to the sinking of the building.  The floor is all mosaic and is supported by over one million !!! chestnut tree supports............Everywhere you looked there was gold, hence the name. It was great not having to dodge cars all the time, even though it was busy it was quieter due to the lack of cars, such a relaxed way of life.

St Mark's Square is huge and surrounded by restaurants and the internal area has three, four and five piece bands playing music to the public all evening.  Some people were even dancing!!!!  It was soooo beautiful :)


But I did get shopped out, so we ventured out of the tourist area to where the locals live. So much quieter, found a great fresh food market with the strangest looking fish!!!!!

Hope you like the photos.

one of the many canals with connecting bridges

a view from the Rialto Bridge of the grand canal

                                 leaning tower and not the one in Pisa LOL

a shop of animal masks

a delivery van !!!!

                                              cute window displays :)

delivery men going up and down one of the many stairways !!!!!!!!

fresh food market in the locals shopping area

                                 weird fish, never found out what it was !!!!

                           beautiful blue glass horse at the Murano glass factory

                                      emergency service, fire department

                           some gondolas lined up ready for a hard days work

 Steve in front of the Bell Tower in San Marco Square ( St Mark's Square )

the winged lion, a prominent emblem on many of the buildings and tapestries of Venice

                             one (of ten ) cute handles on the door of the basilica