Piazza San Marco

 This square was the pulse of the Serenissima Republic in the heyday of Venice's glory as a seafaring republic. It is one of the most beautiful and most photographed squares in all of Europe. We went inside the beautiful Basilica but could not take pictures.

Subsidence is occurring here in Venice right now!! Subsidence is the gradual lowering of the surface of Venice. Venice is sinking!!! We're going to hear a lecture on it tonight. If they've figured out how to stop it, I'll let you know.

(to be continued) 

Venice, Italy

 Venice is the capitol of northern Italy's Veneto region. It is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals - including the Grand Canal thoroughfare - lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The islands are linked by over 400 bridges.

 The Central square is Piazza San Marco or Saint Mark's Square. It contains Saint Mark's Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics. The other important structure is the Campanile bell tower that has been there as long as the Basilica.

(to be continued) 

Venice tomorrow

 
Meanwhile, she took us on a short walking tour around our beautiful hotel; then to dinner at a "real" Italian restaurant. Doug and I had the calamari and some ravioli. Wonderful!!!

We start our tour of Venice tomorrow in the rain. Sylvia gave us all rain boots to wear. She said with the storm and the tide, the water could be well up to our knees. Doug will take some pictures of our new rain gear.

(to be continued) 

Another Hour to Venice

 The weather is turning bad. The promised storm has arrived. We drove in the rain for another hour to get to Venice. Our guide, Alessandro, who has been with us the whole time, turned us over to the guide for the cruise down the coast of Italy to Malta. Her name is Sylvia. She must be Italian because she talks with her hands and is very happy and positive and lively!! She had to tell us about a change in our itinerary. With this storm, the sea is too rough for our boat to dock in Venice. So on Tuesday, they will bus us to Ravenna and we'll get on the boat there.

(to be continued)