Gondola Ride

After visiting St. Mark’s square we decided to head back over towards the Rialto Bridge to get some lunch at a café we saw. On our way back we passed a street where we found a Hard Rock Café And The Disney Store You can take the girl out of Disney, but you can’t take Disney out of the girl.

We then got some food, pizza, and water, and I was able to take some ibuprofen. One of the things we had read about restaurants in Italy is that they charge you to sit down and have them bring the food to you. It was suggested that you buy your food at the counter. So that is what we did. Of course there are not a lot of benches or places to sit, so we ended up sitting on this platform for scaffolding that was set up in the middle of road. After lunch we decided to get some gelato. It was my first authentic gelato. As you can see the drugs are kicking in and I am beginning to feel better.

I tried the mint.

Shan had some too, I don’t remember what kind.
After we ate we decided to go on a Gondola ride. We had asked at a couple different locations how much a ride would cost, and found out that they charged per boat, more then per person. So it was going to be pretty expensive for just the two of us to go on a ride. We thought it would be nice if we could find another couple people who wanted to go on a Gondola and split the cost among all of us. While we were talking about this, Shannon saw a sign for a public bathroom, which was a rarity, so she decided to quick run to the restroom while I stayed near the Grand Canal to see if I could find other people for the gondola ride.

I was looking around for other people, but was not having very much luck. Then I started to get a bit concerned, Shannon had been for a really long time. It ends up that this public bathroom was about half way across Venice and it took her forever to get there and back. It ended up the timing worked out well because soon after she came back we noticed a couple standing near one of the gondola entrances talking. We suspected they were looking for someone else to share the boat with them and so we went up to talk to them. They were a very nice couple from Mexico and like us, wanted to go on a gondola ride, but didn’t want to pay the full amount – which if I remember correctly was about 75 euros for two people. We agreed to share a boat and we over to the gondolier who agreed to take us all for 100 euro. It was a savings, so we decided to go.
We let the couple sit together on the double seat in the back and Shan and I eat sat on a side. We started our ride on the Grand Canal.

On a Gondola on the Grand Canal – so excited!! Shannon in the gondola We went under the Rialto Bridge – here we are approaching the bridge The Rialto Hotel from the gondola Here I am just about to go under the bridge Here we are together in front of the bridge As we are going under the bridge Shannon while we are under the bridge – with our new friends in the back ground. On the other side of the bridge. Our Gondolier pointed out the fish market and other commercial areas of the city on this side of the bridge.

The Grand Canal from the Gondola Our Gondolier

I have to say I was so excited to be on the Gondola ride in Venice. This was something that I have wanted to do my whole life, one of my bucket list items. Not to mention that I love the Venetian in Vegas – for years I have said if I ever get married it will be on one of the bridges over the fake canal inside the Venetian. So to really be in Venice, on a real canal on a real gondola was just amazing. At one point I leaned over to Shannon and said this is so not Las Vegas.

We than turned down a small, side canal. Here are some of the cool buildings we passed

A small bridge we went under

The laundry hanging out.

While we were on one of the smaller canals, I heard our Gondolier speak to the other couple in Spanish. I had also heard him speak Italian and he spoke English to us. I asked him how many languages he spoke. He told me 4 – I think German was the other one – then he started in on me. Talking about how you American have it so easy, expect everyone to speak English. He seriously went off for about 10 minutes about how if he wanted to work in Venice, in the tourism industry; he had to learn the languages. I had asked him because I was impressed that he could speak so many languages, and I think it is an area we could improve on in the U.S. But he obviously had a stereotypical image of me. After his little rant, he went back to speaking Spanish to the other couple and pretty much ignored Shannon and I. The other couple was very kind and translated for us. It did put a bit of a negative spin on the whole experience, but over all it was still a great time.

Here are Shannon and I with the American hating Gondolier.

Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) Venice

Next we made our way over to the Piazza San Marco. Even being a Sunday morning it was very busy and full of tourists.

Here is an over view of the area.

The Piazza originated in the 9th century as a small area in front of the original St Mark's Basilica. It was enlarged to its present size and shape in 1177, for the meeting of Pope Alexander III and the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. The Piazza has always been seen as the centre of Venice. It was the location of all the important offices of the Venetian state, and has been the seat of the archbishopric since the 19th century. It was also the focus for many of Venice's festivals. It is a greatly popular place in Italy even today.

On the eastern side of the Piazza is St. Mark’s Basilica

The Patriarchal Cathedral Basilica of Saint Mark (officially known in Italian as the Basilica Cattedrale Patriachale di San Marco and commonly known as Saint Mark's Basilica) is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture.

Here is Shannon in front of St. Mark’s Here I am – still not feeling (or looking) well Shan got with me taking a picture of the Basilica Here are some close ups of some of the painting on the outside of St. Mark’s Basilica.
Here is a close up of some of the architecture

Next up we went over to the St Mark's Campanile which is the bell tower of St. Mark’s.

St Mark's Campanile (Campanile di San Marco in Italian) is the bell tower of St Mark's Basilica in Venice, Italy, located in the square (piazza) of the same name. It is one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. The tower is 98.6 metres (323 ft) tall, and stands alone in a corner of St Mark's Square, near the front of the basilica. It has a simple form, the bulk of which is a plain brick square shaft, 12 metres (39 ft) wide on each side and 50 metres (160 ft) tall, above which is the arched belfry, housing five bells.

Me with the Campanile

Shannon with St. Mark’s Campanile. From the opposite side of the piazza. Also in the Piazza is the St. Mark’s clock tower. It is the most important clock in the city. Here is a close up of the clock. The clock is located in one of the building that make up the rest of the square which are now museums and shops.

Here are those buildings. Many of the shops had beautiful glass works in them. Here is one of the glass chandeliers.Connected to St. Mark’s Basilica is the Doge's Palace
Here is where they join. The main section of the Palace.

The Palace faces the water, here is a market area outside of the Palace.

Here is the Palace and Basilica looking from the water area.

To this point we had been in Venice for quite a while and had not seen one gypsy. After all we had heard about the gypsies in Venice we were a little disappointed. So Shannon decided to take a picture of this beggar, the closest thing we saw to a gypsy.