VENICE

 

pics by Jud & Trish

  Quiet traffic-free streets along the winding canals make for great walking.  Venice is built on an archipelago of 117 islands connected by 409 bridges.  In the old center, the canals serve the function of roads,and almost every form of transport is on water or on foot.

 

This is the view from the Bridge of Sighs.  The bridge name, given by Lord Byron in the 19th century, comes from the suggestion that prisoners would sigh at their final view of beautiful Venice through the keyhole window before being taken down to their cells.

 

  









Yes, we stood on the Rialto Bridge (Venice's oldest pedestrian bridge), rode in a gondola thru the lagoon and canals,  were amazed by the talent of the Murano glassblowers, and tried on colorful Carnival Masks.

 

St Mark's Square is the principal public square of Venice.  The Piazza is usually thronged with tourists and extremely popular with pigeons.      The Basilica of San Marco, facing the square, is breathtaking. The music floating out from the many restaurants resonates throughout the area and adds to the dreamlike experience.  It's an assault on the senses; you want to spread your arms, turn around slowly and embrace it all.

We toured the Doge's Palace, and stood before the famous bell tower - it stands 323 ft. tall and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks.  There's an elevator that goes to the top for a birds eye view of the area.

When back home, we watched some of the movies that have been filmed in Venice, nostalgically remembering out time in this beautiful, romantic city.

Venetian princess mask