There don’t seem to be any kayaks in Venice. The next best thing— a gondola ride!
The ride was included in our tour, and I thought I would feel like it was a silly touristy thing to do.
It was actually really fun! Just like in a kayak, there’s a different perspective from water level. Although we started on the Grand Canal, we were quickly moved into side canals that had no walkways at all— we could only have seen them from the water.
It was a pleasant and surprisingly quiet way to start our last day in this city.
Next up was a Franciscan church, Basilica Santa Maria Gloriousa dei Frari. In other words, it is the Franciscan church for the glory of Mary. Our last church of this trip, Titian did the Annunciation altar painting, and also has a memorial inside. Titian is not buried in the church, sadly, because he died of the plague and his remains would have been disposed of quickly (and probably removed from Venice which must have been a real death trap during outbreaks.)
After a so-so cicchetti lunch, Mark and I set out to wander around Venice with no particular plan in mind. Actually, my plan was to get lost and practice getting un-lost. Mark’s plan was to try to stay in the sun. We were at odds. To get lost in Venice I determined that we needed to walk down the narrowest passages we could find. These were not in the sun. We figured out a compromise, and the marriage is safe.
Photos from above, left:
The lion is the symbol of Venice because it is the symbol of St. Mark.
Artichokes at the Rialto market
Left: One of our narrow passages
In a chocolate shop that also seems to be a chocolate school, we found this depiction of San Marco basilica. Look closely to the see the bronze horses above the middle arch, and the mosaics depicted above the horses.
We finally came to the port— the end of Venice- and made our way back toward the hotel. This is when we found one of my favorite images of the whole trip. We’re calling her “Our Lady of the Drip Dry”:
My admiration to anyone who has lived here, past or present. It’s not easy and it is expensive and dealing with the high tides, complex. There are oodles of tourists. The outsides of buildings look worn out, although we have been assured that look find on the inside. All together, Venetians have a layer of complication that the rest of us don’t have to worry about.
The original Venetians were refugees. They were fleeing to safety and found a land, barely a land, and turned it into good fortune and a world treasure. If only all the people who seek refuge on this earth could have the opportunity to create something as unique and beautiful as Venice.
One Response
The photo of You & Mark on the gondola is LOVELY – and YES – you are a tourist – so when in Venice……
After all of your intense days jam packed with places to see – I LOVED this line….“My plan was to get lost and practice getting un-lost”