10/19 : Day 15 - Venice day 1

 

Began the day around St Mark's Square wondering into various streets just to see the scenery. Most of the streets are very narrow, a few don't appear to be more than four feet wide --- just wide enough for two people to pass. Others are wide enough for car to get through but there are no cars, just pedestrian walkways which can get jammed up just like any congested freeway. Lots of expensive shops line the streets, e.g. men and womens shops displaying $500 pairs of shoes as if they were for everyday folks.

We eventually ended up at the Rialto Bridge which is another tourist gathering spot. There are not that many major bridges to handle the business needs of Venice, and even then the Rialto does not allow motor vehicles (most of the day to day transportation of goods is done by boat). There are lots of smaller bridges for people to cross from one side of a canal to the other, but for the most part they are not suited for transporting goods. Eventually we hopped on one of the tourist water taxis that run the circuit of the Grand Canal. It takes about 45 minutes to travel from one end of the Grand Canal to the other. Along that route are all sorts palaces, hotels, museums, churches, apartment buildings, etc. There are many other smaller canals but due to their size only small boats and gondolas can navigate them. The gondolas are everywhere and even as expensive as the rides are they still take a lot of tourists for a ride (in more ways than one).

Taking advantage of the best lighting for photos from a setting sun I took the ride to the top of the Campanile Tower situated in the center of St Mark's Square for chance to get a view of Venice from a couple of hundred feet above sea level. At the end of the day we again strolled around St Mark's Square to watch and listen to the muscian groups playing around the square.