Venice, The Tour Begins
At 5 that afternoon, we returned to our Hotel and met the
rest of our tour group and our fabulous tour leader Cecilia! From here, the official tour began. After some introductions and instructions, we
strolled through town on the way to our first dinner together as a tour group.
Cisterns and Campi |
On
our walking tour Cecilia explained to us how the Venetians invented a cistern
system using the open area of the campi (small town squares), drains, and sand filters to purify rain water and provide
safe drinking water. After securing a source of clean drinking water, the city and the population were able to thrive.
Today, the cisterns no longer provide drinking water, but the campi are still the outside living rooms for the locals. Here a mother and daughter enjoy the evening. |
Grand Canal |
After enjoying our first tour group dinner, my wife and I
took a stroll down the Grand Canal, and stopped to photograph a few boats
coming down the canal.
The Grand Canal is the main road through a city in which there are no roads. The canal is lined with palaces and is always bustling with activity. |
There'll be Plenty of Time to Sleep When You Get Home |
After battling the crowds during the day, it was nice to get
up early and have the town to myself.
Another benefit, is that first thing in the morning the canals are
still, allowing for magnificent reflections in the water.
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Elegant Decay |
Cecilia taught us some of the history of Venice, and how the city is currently undergoing a period of 'elegant decay.' There are very strict laws restricting building renovations, so much of the city still looks exactly as it did centuries ago.
In fact, if you can manage to take a picture of the city without catching someone taking a selfie, and turn it to black and white, it looks as iconic as a centuries old photo! |
Backstreets of Venice |
After
breakfast, we began our city walk through Venice with our local guide. We
started at our hotel, wound through the back alleys, across the Rialto Bridge,
and concluded at Piazza San Marco. Here, as a tour group, we were able to skip the line and tour the church.
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Burano |
After
lunch, we boarded a private boat to travel to the very colorful, lace making
island of Burano. On our ride out to the
island, we spotted a young man wearing a Texas A&M jersey, our Alma Mater!
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The Colors |
Burano is a
very photogenic little island. The houses were originally painted with
vibrant colors so that the fishermen could identify their houses while out
in the lagoon. Today, the homeowners are required to repaint once a year
and cannot change the color of their house.
The lace making tradition is thought to come from the fishing tradition of net making. |
Rain or Shine!
Shortly after returning to Venice, the rain
started.
It's actually impressive how quickly the ubiquitous souvenir sellers can switch from hawking Venetian souvenirs to hawking umbrellas.
Much like American postal carriers, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will keep the gondoliers from piloting their boats. I guess if I made 100 Euros in less than an hour, I'd work in the rain too!
Dancing in the rain! A rainy night chases the crowds away, allowing you to enjoy the music emanating from Piazza San Marco and soak up the ambiance. Don’t let the rain chase you indoors, put on your rain gear, embrace the weather and make the most of your vacation. It can lead to some interesting situations and photographs.
It's actually impressive how quickly the ubiquitous souvenir sellers can switch from hawking Venetian souvenirs to hawking umbrellas.
Much like American postal carriers, neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow will keep the gondoliers from piloting their boats. I guess if I made 100 Euros in less than an hour, I'd work in the rain too!
Dancing in the rain! A rainy night chases the crowds away, allowing you to enjoy the music emanating from Piazza San Marco and soak up the ambiance. Don’t let the rain chase you indoors, put on your rain gear, embrace the weather and make the most of your vacation. It can lead to some interesting situations and photographs.
Academia Gallery |
The next morning, we set out for the Accademia Gallery to view the best
art that Venice has to offer. The Gallery has a lot to offer, and it was an asset to have a guide with us to give the back story on some of the works, and ensure that we didn't miss the good stuff.
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Always opt for Optionals |
After visiting the Accademia, we enjoyed an optional
excursion to the Church of St. Francis. We also saw a mask making shop, and attended Mass at St. Francis Church.
We quickly learned that optional tours were well worth your time, and in this case included gelato. |
Gondola Ride |
That night we partook of the very unique Venetian experience of
riding in a gondola.
When we initially booked the trip, I thought that the gondola wasn’t going to be worth the expense. However, after seeing pictures that Rick posted on his Facebook page of his gondola ride, I knew I had to go. Also, with the cost divided amongst the whole group, it becomes much more reasonable. I envisioned this picture that I HAD to take illustrating the motion of the gondola. It meant that I was THAT guy, getting onto the gondola with a tripod, but it allowed me to capture one of my favorite photos of the trip! |
Opera on the Grand Canal |
One of the benefits to going as a group was to have a
professional singer serenade us while we traveled down the Grand Canal. It was a wonderful experience that was a highlight of the trip. Cruising along, being serenaded and soaking everything up our last night in Venice is an experience I'll never forget.
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Arrivederci Venezia |
Shortly after our gondola ride, we took one last nighttime
stroll through town to sigh and say, "Arrivederci Venezia and ciao Firenze!"
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