How Nice... Back With Family Again!

Venice, Italy

October 2, 2007
N45°25.964
E012°19.076

The train pulled into the Santa Lucia train station in Venice right around 1:00 PM. A warm sun shined brightly as we exited the station; we spotted the Grand Canal and it was immediately obvious we where we were. The gondolas gliding down the canal, the colorful buildings in the background and crowds of people ambling over footbridges were exactly what we anticipated. Just as there would be no doubt where you were if you were looking across the bay at the Golden Gate Bridge, peering up at the Eiffel Tower or at The Statue of Liberty… there was no doubt this is Venice.

As we roamed the streets, next to the canals, over the bridges, through the tunnels and into many of San Marco’s courtyards we got happily lost. We finally found ourselves in Piazza de San Marco. The vast plaza itself was stunning. We stood in the middle of the square taking in the 360 degree views with the other tourists; also clearly impressed. The one disappointment was the white marble columns surrounding the square that were covered in a black sheath of dirt and in dire need of a thorough cleaning. We tried not to let this deter from the overall beauty of the plaza which was very striking.

The highlight of Piazza San Marco is the San Marco Basilica and the gorgeous mosaics that ascent the arches. It took a several minutes to absorb the complexity of the artistry. However, due to the sheer density of people in the crowded plaza and to get away from the pigeons that had a 3:1 advantage over the humans we made a strategic exit to less crowded alleyways. I was personally appalled and disgusted by the people feeding the pigeons, allowing them to land on their heads, arms and shoulders—they are really nothing more than rats with wings… disgusting!

After we left San Marco plaza we meandered through the fish and vegetable markets. The purveyors were closed for the day, and there were only a few workers scrubbing the cement floors in a futile attempt to remove the perfume de fish in the area. We continued aimlessly for over four hours across bridges, along canals, through alleys and courtyards until we stumbled upon a local wine shop. We figured after a hard day walking the Venetian streets we deserved a treat and purchased 1.5 liters of the local merchant’s store specialty. The gentlemen grabbed an empty plastic 1.5 liter water-bottle and filled it straight from the cask. Best of all it only cost 3.10 Euro… Ah, it’s a good thing when wine is cheaper than water!

Even though we haven’t ventured outside the island of San Marco we’re elated to be in Venice, a city I’ve dreamed about for years. Marc has been very busy snapping pictures of the canals, buildings and gondola drivers. However, after four months of being away from family, we are with family again as Dad and Pat joined us in Venice—making our visit even more sentimental.

It’s really great to be with family again!