Italy Day Two - Exploring Venice

 (A multi-part recap of my mid-April to early May Italy trip.)

Our first night in Venice and the room my friend Kim and I shared was really stuffy.  It being mid-April the hotel hadn't turned on their air conditioning yet.  So we decided to get some fresh air by opening the windows.  I noticed the room's windows didn't have screens, but neither Kim nor I thought much about it at the time.  Tired, hot, and jet-lagged we just wanted to sleep comfortably.

Early morning on the Grand Canal

Sometime in the middle of the night I was awoken by a high pitched buzzing sound around my face.  Mosquitos!  Venice was surrounded by water, of course there'd be mosquitos.  I got up and quickly shut the windows, preventing more of these pests from entering - but trapping the dozen or so that were already in the room.  I pulled the covers over my face, in an attempt to keep the winged vampires from biting.  However Kim, who wears earplugs when she sleeps, was blissfully snoozing away - unaware that she was getting eaten alive by skeeters.  (In hindsight I should've been a good friend, woke her up and warned her.)

The Rialto Bridge - with hardly any people!

Despite the mosquitos, I was able to get a decent night's sleep.  However, my early bedtime had me wide awake at 3:30 am.  Tossing and turning, I tried to not wake Kim.  We both ended up rising at 5 am - neither one of us could sleep any longer.  Kim discovered about a dozen mosquito bites on her arms and face.  We killed all of the rogue skeeters in our room except for one stubborn bloodsucker.  Then both of us took showers.  By then it was nearing 6 am, and getting light outside.  With nothing to do before breakfast, which didn't start until 7, Kim and I decided to take a walk around town.

Views from the Rialto Bridge

What a different place!  The narrow streets and alleyways, packed with people the previous afternoon, were now empty.  This time Kim and I had no problem finding the Grand Canal and to our delight, the area was mostly deserted.  A few boats zipped up and down the canal, delivering goods to the nearby stores and restaurants, and picking up garbage.  In a city without motorized vehicles on the streets, everything was done by boat.  We watched the Vaporetto boats, Venice's public transit system, deliver swarms of workers to the city.  With rent and real estate pricey in town, it appeared many of the people employed in the shops and restaurants lived on the main shore.

Striped poles where boats dock

Kim and I noticed the white marble of the famous Rialto Bridge, just a couple blocks away.  Usually crammed with tourists, at this early hour it was nearly empty.  Now was our chance to get photos without battling crowds!  We ascended the wide, marble steps of the bridge and found a couple scattered people and a photography group, their tripods set up at the very top.  No matter, the views of the Grand Canal were wonderful wherever you looked.

Main canal views on the other side of the bridge

The Rialto Bridge was constructed in 1588, the third bridge built in this spot, and the only bridge spanning the Grand Canal until the 1850s.  Now a major landmark, the sides and ends of the bridge were lined with shops.  But nothing was open yet.  It was nice to walk around and have the entire place to ourselves.

We have the place to ourselves!

Returning to the alley we'd come out of, I spotted an open coffee shop, so we decided to get some caffeine.  I tried out my shaky Duolingo Italian on a very unimpressed shop owner.  But we did each manage to get a cup of black coffee, so I guess it was a win.  Then, drinks in hand, Kim and I headed back to our hotel, which was now located very quickly, as opposed to yesterday's lost wanderings.

Dragon sculpture hanging from a shop

Arriving back at our hotel in time for breakfast, Kim and I met up with Debbie and discussed the day's planned activities.  We'd pre-purchased tickets for the Doge Palace, St. Mark's Basilica, and the Campanile Bell Tower, three of Venice's most popular attractions.  Our upcoming tour wasn't scheduled to visit these places, so my friends and I were in agreement on using one of our free days to see them.

So. Many. Goodies!

Food in our bellies, tickets in hand, and our destination mapped on Google, my friends and I set out for St. Mark's Square.  We passed by many tempting shops selling baked goods, leather accessories, and a shoe shop next to our hotel where a cute pair of tennis shoes captured Kim's attention.  However, with our eyes on today's goal everyone arrived at a mostly vacant St. Mark's Square without any additional souvenirs.  (At least for now!)

St. Mark's Square in the early morning

All three of our day's tours were located in St. Mark's Square.  A large public plaza (or piazza as the Italians call it) this huge public space was nearly two football fields long and lined by long, rectangular buildings on three sides.  The fourth side was anchored by the beautifully ornate St. Mark's Basilica.  The Campanile, or Bell Tower, rose skyward in front of the Basilica.  And to one side of the tower I glimpsed a corner of the Doge Palace.

St. Mark's Basilica

My friends and I didn't realize at the time how fortunate we were to see St. Mark's Square without many people.  Later in the day it would be packed full of tourists.  For now we wandered about, checking out the outdoor restaurant areas, and taking copious photos.

Selfie time!

One thing I noticed were several table-like structures with boards on top scattered about the square.  It wasn't until a couple of days later when I learned the purpose of these items.  Since Venice is built on top of a low-lying lagoon in the Adriatic Sea, heavy rains and high tides will cause the town to flood.  During times of high water, Venice public works staff use these table-like structures to erect walkways above the flooded plazas and sidewalks, enabling people to move around without getting their feet wet.  Venice is unique in many ways, and that's one of them!

These table-like structures are used to create walkways during high tides

Our first tour of the day was at the Doge Palace.  Located directly south of St. Mark's Basilica this enormous pale pink building used to house government offices and a jail, and was the residence of the Doge of Venice.  The Doge (derived from a Latin word meaning "leader") was the elected authority in the Republic of Venice between the years 697 and 1797.  During these years Venice became a world power in trade, creating a great empire which made many Venetians extremely wealthy.

Ornate entrance to the Doge Palace

There was a bit of a line to enter the Doge Palace but my friends and I made it through in time for our 9 am reservation.  Once inside, we first wandered into a large inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard of the Doge Palace

What a place!  We were surrounded on all sides by lavishly decorated facades.  On one side of the courtyard, we could see the domes of St. Mark's Basilica rising above the palace walls.  I later learned that the palace was built directly adjacent to this basilica and they actually share a common wall.  Since St. Mark's used to be the Doge's chapel, it provided easy access whenever he wanted to worship.

The courtyard was enormous!

The courtyard itself was enormous.  I'd guess that it was at least the size of a football field.  In the middle sat two structures, wellheads dating from the 16th century, that I assume used to supply water to the palace.

Had to get a selfie here too

Time to check out the palace interior!  The place was so large, my friends and I weren't sure where to go first.  So we just followed the other visitors inside and up a large, ornate marble staircase.

Don't know what it says, but the sculpture looks scary

The staircase led us to the second floor, which was where the leaders of the republic met to govern Venice and uphold its laws.  

The palace interior - art is everywhere!

Into the first room, we all gaped in amazement.  The walls were covered with beautiful paintings which continued on to the ceiling.  These paintings were all bordered by ornate gold frames, and some appeared to be intricately sculpted.  Tall marble columns framed the doorways.

Every room was surrounded by paintings and ornate ceilings

My friends and I wandered through several rooms, all decorated in much the same manner.  Some were larger than others, but all were covered with colorful paintings and ornate ceilings.  The paintings mostly depicted religious scenes, but some of them also incorporated images of the Doge and other lawmakers.

Many paintings had religious themes

Kim points out a marble column

One fairly large room had wood-paneled walls and wooden seats.  This, we learned was the Senate Chambers, where members of the Venice Senate met to oversee the political and financial affairs of the city.  Founded in the 13th century, it was one of the oldest public institutions in Venice.

The Senate Hall

An ornate ceiling

The Doge and his advisors

After strolling through several similarly decorated rooms my friends and I came to a part of the palace full of glass cases displaying weapons of the time.  This was the Armory Museum, a large collection of weapons used by the Venice military to keep to trade routes open.

 

The Armory Museum

My friends and I marveled at the display cases full of all types of knives, spears, swords, bows, and firearms.  There was also a small amount of armor and shields scattered about.

Lots of different weapons on display

Also the occasional sculpture that caused Kim to pause and admire.

Kim contemplates a sculpture

Beautiful woodwork and paintings 

After passing through a few more rooms full of impressive art, we emerged into an enormously large hall.  Wood paneled halfway up the side walls, it was covered with more amazing paintings framed by yet more ornate gold carvings.  This we learned was the Hall of the Grand Council.  Build to hold up to 2,600 people at a time, this was where the Doge presided over the nobles, wealthy families who ruled Venice.

The Hall of the Grand Council was huge!

At one end of the hall was a raised wooden platform with seating.  This was the throne where the Doge ruled.  On the wall behind his throne was a huge painting called Paradise, the largest painted canvas in Venice.  Created by the artist Tintoretto it depicted Christ and Mary at the top of the painting surrounded by 500 people.  It was a stunning work of art.

This painting on one end of the hall is Tintoretto's Paradise

Along one entire wall of this hall were a series of large paintings depicting the siege of Constantinople, one of Venice's greatest miliary victories. 

Paintings on the side walls depicted the siege of Constantinople

Taking a rest break

After taking advantage of longitudinal benches running the length of the Great Hall for a quick break, my friends and I moved on to another part of the Doge Palace - the prison area.

Touring the prison

From the 12th to the 16th century, Venice's prison was housed on the ground floor of the Doge Palace's southern wing.  These cells were dark, damp and extremely isolated.  One of the more famous inmates of this prison was Giacomo Casanova, who is said to have engineered an escape.  After 1614, a new prison was built across the canal from the Doge Palace, linked by the Bridge of Sighs.  This corridor was so named because of prisoners passing from the courtroom to their cell, looking out the bridge's windows, and sighing as they got their final glimpse of freedom.

A dark, depressing place

My friends and I were excited to walk over the Bridge of Sighs, and as we wandered through the dark corridors of the prison, kept wondering where this notable bridge would be.  As it turned out, we walked right through the bridge without realizing it at the time (all those gloomy hallways looked the same.)  I did get a glimpse of the bridge through a barred window after the fact, but was a bit disappointed that we'd missed it.

 

The Bridge of Sighs out a window

Leaving the prison area, we followed the crowd of people past rooms lined with several paintings of the men who had been Doges throughout the years.

A painting of some of the Doges throughout the years

By now we'd been in the Doge Palace for most of the morning, and my friends and I were all getting tired and hungry (and I was really thirsty!)  Like many tourist attractions, we exited through the cafeteria and gift shop area, where I was happy to purchase a bottle of water to slake my thirst.  Then the gift shop exit spit us back out into the courtyard where we'd begun our tour.

The palace exterior was as ornate as its interior

Spending a few more minutes in the courtyard, my friends and I gaped at the large, elaborate staircase linking to the palace's second floor.  In 1485, the Grand Council decided a staircase should be built inside the courtyard.  Constructed of Istrian stone and red Verona marble, it became a monumental approach from the piazza into the heart of the building.  It was nicknamed the "Giants Staircase" because the structure was guarded by two huge statues of Mars and Neptune, which represent Venice's power by land and sea.

Courtyard wellhead

So many sculptures on this outer wall

After admiring more of the sculptures perched on the northern wall of the Doge Palace courtyard, my friends and I decided we'd had enough for the morning, and headed back into St. Mark's Square.

 

St. Mark's Square - much busier now

We found St. Mark's Square a much busier place than it had been early that morning.  Now it was teeming with throngs of tourists.  Mobile souvenir carts sat prominently in front of the Basilica, selling their tacky wares.  And all of the restaurants had set up their outdoor umbrellas in the piazza.  We were all feeling a little bit hungry and those outside cafes all looked tempting.

Lunch on the square

So my friends and I chose a promising cafe and had a seat under their umbrellas.  Food and drinks appeared to cost a bit more here - but we were paying those extra euros for the ambiance of dining on St. Mark's Square.  As our waiter delivered everyone's drinks, a nearby band started playing music.  Cold drinks, good music, and the best people watching in Venice - what could be better?

Covered tables created a pleasant environment

Things I learned from my first experience with public dining in Italy - the waiters will bring small bowls of hors d'oeuvres (chips, olives, pretzels, etc.) with your drink orders.  Also - restaurants won't pressure you to leave your table after a certain period of time.  The table is yours for as long as you wish to stay there.  However for the use of the table, the restaurant will charge patrons a small "table fee" in addition to the cost of the food you order.

And they had live music!

The day was sunny, and a tiny bit hot.  But sitting under the shade of the restaurant's umbrellas was perfect.  Much to our delight, the band broke into a rendition of Frank Sinatra's song Volare (Italian for "to fly") which seemed the perfect music for sitting in a beautiful Italian piazza.

St. Mark's Basilica's ornate exterior

Our next tour for the day was a 1 pm visit to St. Mark's Basilica.  After a leisurely lunch, drinks, and enjoying more band music, my friends and I decided to leave our shady sanctuary.  With a bit more time to kill, we opted for another walk around the square. 

The Basilica's outer walls were covered in mosaics

Walking by St. Mark's Basilica, I captured a few more images of the dazzling mosaics that adorned it's outer walls.

The Doge Palace as viewed from the Piazzetta

Then my friends and I walked the length of another plaza, this one situated between the Doge Palace, another building to the west, and fronting the Adriatic Sea.  I discovered later this particular public space was called the "Piazzetta."

Beautiful exterior of the Doge Palace

There were of course more umbrella'd restaurants, shops, and souvenir stands also lining the sides of this piazza.

The Bridge of Sighs

Noticing a large, marble staircase to one side of the Doge palace that was packed with people, we walked over to investigate.  Turns out my friends and I discovered one of the places you could get a great view (and photo op) of the Bridge of Sighs.  Much better than my lame "through the window" shot! 

St. Mark's Basilica

Our tour time for St. Mark's fast approaching, Kim, Debbie and I found the correct line in front of the Basilica and shuffled along until reaching the security area.  We would soon learn that security checks were required before entering any popular Italian museum, and by the end of the tour would be used to the routine - bags scanned by the x-ray machine and humans through the metal detector.

The Basilica was full of lovely mosaics

After all three of us clearing security, we entered the Basilica area.  And oh was it a beautiful place!  The ceiling glittered with gold mosaics.  Tall colored marble columns lined the main aisle.  Stunning sculptures and wood carvings could be found everywhere.

Carvings decorate the main altar

Hoping to gain religious importance, Venetians smuggled the bones of St. Mark into town in AD 828 and built a church around his remains.  St. Mark's Basilica was built in the 11th century to replace this earlier church.  The Basilica's ornate decorations came from treasures acquired by plundering sea captains over the centuries.  These mishmash of decorations added to the colorful, yet haphazard feel of the place.  The architectural style of St. Mark's has sometimes been called "early ransack."

The original bronze horse sculptures that used to be outside 

The prize booty from the sailor's plunders were four bronze horse sculptures taken from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.  At first they were placed on the balcony overlooking St. Mark's Square.  Later, due to weather damage, these original sculptures were moved inside and replaced by a replica copy on the outer balcony.

The upper floor walls and ceilings were all mosaics

My friends and I followed the crowds of people around the lower floor of St. Mark's Basilica, taking in all the over-the-top ornate-ness.  Then via a set of narrow, irregular stairs we made our way to the second level. 

View from the upper floor

The four original bronze horses were displayed here, along with an up-close look at all the spectacular mosaics that covered the upper walls and ceiling.  From far away, the mosaics were so detailed that they all looked like paintings.

Visitors could walk outside the second floor 

As an added bonus, a door allowed visitors access to the outer balcony.  Kim, Debbie, and I gingerly stepped onto the narrow shelf.  Crossed by covered roof gutters, this walkway was uneven - so you really had to watch your step.  A stone fence augmented by a metal railing was all that kept a person from falling into St. Mark's Square below. 

The view of St. Mark's Square was grand!

Despite the precarious footing, the views of St. Mark's Square from this high perch were absolutely breathtaking.

Fancy clock tower on the square

I even got a good view of the fancy clock tower that graced the north end of St. Mark's Square.  Another ornate feature, it was built in 1496 during the Renaissance.  This clock tower marked the entry into the main shopping area called the Mercerie, and connected St. Mark's Square with the Rialto Bridge.

The replica bronze horses

The replica bronze horses were placed on high pedestals.  There were so many people clustered around them, it was hard to get photographs.  But I got lucky and quickly snapped one photo of Debbie and Kim with the horses when the traffic momentarily cleared.

This narrow walkway was a busy place

At one end of the balcony I got some great views of the Piazzetta, Doge Palace and their frontage on the water.

View of the Piazzetta

When we'd had our fill of the crowded balcony, my friends and I navigated the scary staircase back down into the main Basilica, and then followed exit signs through another hallway topped by more gorgeous golden mosaics.  At the exit was a side entrance to another chapel.  It looked interesting, but the person manning that door said you could only go inside "to pray."  None of us felt like praying at the moment, so we exited the Basilica back onto St. Mark's Square.

Golden domes showcase more mosaics

The Basilica tour hadn't taken nearly as long as our morning Doge Palace exploration.  Our next commitment, a trip up the Basilica bell tower, wasn't scheduled until 4 pm so that left us with more time to kill.  

Lotti needed a gelato break!

What to do?  We decided to take a seat at another outdoor cafe and order some gelato.  I'd been looking forward to trying this ubiquitous Italian treat, as had my Swiss cow Lotti (who of course was accompanying me on this latest trip.)  The gelato was cold, fruity, and quite tasty.  And Lotti approved too!

 

Next up - climbing the Campanile (bell tower)

Refreshed, my friends and I approached St. Mark's Bell Tower, called the Campanile.  Sitting by itself in the square across from the Basilica, I was surprised that it wasn't directly connected to the church.  Initially we all thought we'd have to hoof it up stairs to reach the top, and Debbie and Kim weren't real thrilled about that.  But my friends were happy to discover that visitors were now whisked to the tower's very top via a fast elevator.

Notice the crowds by St. Mark's Basilica

St. Mark's Bell Tower, officially called the Campanile di San Marco, is 98.6 meters high (323.5 feet) and composed of a brick shaft 12 meters square which is 53.85 meters in height, on which the bell chamber and spire are set.  The spire is crowned by a statue of the Archangel Gabriel.

View of the horse sculptures - we were up there!

The first tower built here was in 888 when the current Doge ordered a watchtower constructed to defend the city's political center.  Since that time, many towers have been built and destroyed in this spot, mostly by earthquakes and lightning strikes.  This current tower was completed in 1912, after its predecessor collapsed in 1902.

 

The top of St. Mark's Basilica from the bell tower

After a quick elevator ride to the top, my friends and I piled out to gape at the stunning views of Venice from all directions.

The Doge Palace

Oh the views were grand!  In one direction I looked over the top of St. Mark's Basilica's domed rooftop.  Another gave a birds-eye view of the Doge Palace.

Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute

In another direction, I looked out over the waters of the lagoon and Adriatic Sea, past the domes of the Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute (which we'd visit the following day.)

St. Mark's Square

Peering down on St. Mark's Square, all the people looked like ants.

Looking out towards the lagoon - all the red roofs!

I enjoyed the views of the red rooftops anchoring Venice's skyline.

One of the bells

And next to the elevator shaft was one of the tower's bells.  Good thing they didn't decide to ring them while we were up there!

Gotta get a selfie up here!

Of course, several selfies were in order.

Gondoliers waiting for customers

After spending a wonderful half hour soaking in the amazing city views from on high, we got tired of the crowds and returned to ground level.

We decide to take a gondola ride

Slowly heading back to our hotel, my friends and I noticed many people lining up for the gondolas.  A gondola ride was high on my Venice bucket list and I'd mentioned it several times to my friends.  I think they got so tired of hearing me yammer about riding a gondola that Debbie suggested we book one right now.  

It was a great experience to see Venice by boat

So my friends and I lined up behind a few people at a gondola stop.  Suddenly a man with a large tour group cut right in front of us.  Protesting, the man grabbed Kim, Debbie and I, and led us down another street where several gondoliers were waiting for customers.  He hooked us up with one young man, who loaded the three of us onto his boat.  Yahoo!  I was actually going to do the thing!

Gondola line-up

Our gondola ride was absolutely wonderful.  It really was the best way to see Venice.  Being on the canals gave me a different view of the city.  I snapped copious images as our watercraft glided through the water.

Out on the Grand Canal - the Rialto Bridge

Our young gondolier paddled us down one of the canals, crowded by several gondolas.  Then suddenly we popped out onto the Grand Canal.  What a pleasant surprise!  I could see the Rialto Bridge, it's white marble gleaming in the sunlight.  Oh so cool!

Debbie and Kim are having a good time

My travel buddies Kim and Debbie were really enjoying themselves too.

I loved passing under all the unique bridges

We glided down a short portion of the Grand Canal before our young (and cute) gondolier turned our boat back down another side waterway.  We glided under several bridges and past many buildings, their waterlogged foundations showing the limits of high tide.

Gondola traffic jam

In several places on the canals gondolas were everywhere.  At some of the popular sights, they were lined up end-to-end.  In others, they were spread across the water's width.  I questioned how our gondolier would get us through these logjams, but somehow he always found a way.  At the last minute, one of the boats would move over slightly, just enough to allow us to slip by.

So much to see!

I was told each gondolier owned his boat.  These sleek, black beauties were all decorated differently, some with bright red seats, others with colorful tassels hanging from their sides, some interiors were painted blue - it all depended upon the tastes of its owner.

An unusual mode of transportation

When our ride was over, my friend and I agreed it had been an absolute blast.  Definitely worth the price - and then some.

Heading back

Now after a full day of Venice exploration we were all starving.  I suggested finding some authentic Italian pizza and Kim and Debbie were all for that.  So we looked up potential pizza places on Google maps, and selecting one, set off amongst the crowded Venice alleyways.

So much fun!

Right away we experienced technical difficulties.  Because so many of the narrow lanes of the city were hemmed in by tall buildings, it blocked the satellites Google maps was trying to reach.  That resulted in lots of misdirection.  After circling for several minutes, we walked by a local restaurant.  A young man who worked there came out and asked if we wanted a table inside.  Unfortunately his restaurant didn't serve pizza (we asked) but the nice young man recommended a nearby pizza place, and gave us directions.   

Margherita pizza for dinner

Success!  My friends and I were able to find the recommended pizza place easily.  We ordered two margherita pizzas and some alcoholic drinks.  And when the pizzas came out, we learned another thing about Italy - they don't cut their pizzas into slices unless you ask.  Most folks order a whole pizza for themselves and eat it with a knife and fork.  But once our pizza was cut into slices, we dug in.  And the pizzas were absolutely delicious!

A busy, but fun day

A long, but busy and successful day seeing the sights of Venice.  My friends and I went to bed early again (jet lag still getting me) to rest up for our third day in Italy.  Tomorrow afternoon we'd meet up with our tour group.  But there was still the morning to explore.  

Coming in my next post!  (Which I'll try and have a little bit sooner)