Walking with the Venetians

Lindsay and I arrived in Vencie, Italy on the evening of Monday, 27 February 2006. Super excited to be in Venice, we were even more taken back by our first steps out of the train station and onto the carless streets. Our first mission was to find our hotel which proved to be a little tricky (even with directions). After finding it and eating some very good pizza and pasta and a nearby Pizzeria, we turned in for the night.






















Because I have a difficult time sleeping in, I was first to get up the next morning. After showering and such, I left to go get Lindsay and I some breakfast. When I stepped outside of #38, I was welcomed by the brisk morning and the warm sun. I found us some pastries and some orange juice and after a short breakfast, we were on our way to explore the hidden beauty of a city built on water. This picture was taken from our window.




















First on our agenda was St. Marco's Square and the Basicalla. There have been 3 chuches that have been built on this site, the present chuch having been restored in 1907. The ceiling inside the chruch is made entirely of gold tiles. INCREDIBLE. All Gold with stories told in color.


























After the Bascilica, we decided to take the Venice Public Transist System, a Vaporetto, to another area of the island. After a lunch of Frozen Canneloni, we made to the shopping area where we bought masks. It was Carnevale, after all, and if everyone else is wearing one, then why shouldn't we.















The full day that we spent in Venice was the last day of Carnavale Season. If you remember from my posting about Carnvial in Germany, Italians were the first to celebrate Carnival. Believe it or not, I am about 95% sure that "Carnivale" originated in Venice with their wild masqurade/costume festivals. All day, there were folks dressed in outrageous and very detailed costumes. I could have taken pictures every one I passed. After awhile, I had to tell myself enough. Here are some of the crazy costumes that we saw.






















After eating lunch and shopping our way through the peopled filled streets we made our way back to St. Marcos square to summit the Clock Tower. Low and Behold, once on top we had the best seats in the house for the Costume Parade taking place in the middle of the square.
















Also, the view from the top was absolutely gorgeous.






















Our day ended with a meal that consisted of pizza and wine and then a few drinks at a local bar near our hotel. It was a wonderful short excursion to Venice and it is too bad that we did not get to spend a day or two more there. I'm sure that the other islands in the area would have been as wonderful as the main island. I'm just super lucky that I was able to share the experience with Lindsay. I couldn't have asked for a better travel partner.