December 2010 - Part 3 of Italy Trip

Dec. 29 – Left for Venice which was another 2 hour train ride and we managed to get on the right train this time with time to spare.  Our hotel was near San Marco Plaza.  We took the public transportation boats, which took us about 30 minutes from the train station along the Grand Canal.  We went to the Piazza San Marco, where we also took an elevator to the top of the Campanile of St Mark's (bell tower) to see the view of Venice.  It was a very sunny day, windy and cold.  The Bridge of Sighs is located near San Marco Plaza.  It is the bridge the prisoners went over from the courthouse in Ducale Plazzo to the jail.

San Marco Plaza

Overlooking Venice from Bell Tower

The mosaics in St. Mark's cover the entire upper part of the church, over 4000 square meters (43,000 square feet).  We also went to Ca’Rezzonico, (a public museum dedicated to 18th century).  We walked across the Rialto Bridge.  The Rialto Bridge is the most famous of the bridges that cross the Grand Canal.  It is a beautiful spot to see the sun set.  There are all kinds of shops on either side of the bridge.  Ca’D’Oro is a beautiful palazzi on the Grand Canal.  We also saw a Leonardo Di Vinci Exhibit at Campo S. Barnba.  The exhibit featured many of Da Vinci’s machines, which the 3 engineers thought was great.  The paintings in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco tell the stories in the Old and New Testament and were done by a single artist, Jacopo Tintoretto.

Mosaic at the entry to St Mark's Basilica



The Rialto Bridge at sunset





Rialto Bridge

Dec. 30 – Venice – The hotel we stayed at offered a free tour of a glass blowing factory on Murano Island. Murano glass is world famous.  They make a shade of red glass that is not made anywhere else in the world.  We saw how they make chandeliers.  It was amazing watching them make the different parts from a glob of molten glass and how quick they could make the pieces.  They had some amazing things made from glass.  Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures in the show room.  We also went on a gondola ride today for about 40 minutes (which was 70 Euros) it’s just one of those things you have to do when in Venice.  Dinner was at a restaurant overlooking the main canal near the Rialto Bridge.



 

Fish tank made all from glass



It was an unbelievable week walking in areas that were built so long ago and many things still standing as they were then.  We saw things that were thousands of years old, compared to the US where something that was built a 100 or so years ago is considered old.  As you look at these marvelous buildings and statues, you are left to wonder how they were able to accomplish these amazing things back then.  Seeing everything that we saw from the paintings on the walls and ceilings, the statues, the different buildings and all the churches were truly amazing.  At times it was hard to believe that we were really there.  It was truly an unforgettable trip.  I still find myself pinching me since it is hard to believe that I am really seeing these things. 

We carried a pedometer and during our week in Italy we walked approximately 80 miles.  No wonder our legs and feet were moving a little slow each day.

Dec. 31 -  We flew back to Munich today.  It was good to be back.  We were hoping to get back in time to get some groceries, but all the stores closed about 4:00 due to the holiday.  So grocery stores were closed for the next two days.  Good thing I had a pretty well stocked pantry.  We celebrated our Christmas that evening. 

New Year’s Eve here was crazy.  We walked to Marien Platz to see some fireworks around 11:30.  We couldn’t even make it all the way to the plaza it was so crowded.  There were people everywhere and everyone was shooting off fireworks.  Having full body armor would have been a good idea.  We made it back to the apartment in one piece.