D163 -- Going by gondola

Early this afternoon we hit the Rialto Bridge, another one of the “must-sees” in Venice. Oh how we regret that! It was swarming with tourists and even worse tacky tourist stalls. Walking around and on the bridge was such a starkly different experience from strolling along the charming waterways of the quieter parts of Venice. There was a nice view over the grand canal, but you get a similar view on the less crowded Accademia bridge. We strongly advise future travelers to skip it, no matter what your guidebook says!

After lunch we split up; I went to Piazza San Marco and Thomas went to wander the streets. I think he needed to shake off his Rialto bridge experience.

Basilica San Marco was incredible. The building was begun in the 9th century to house the remains of St. Mark. It’s changed much since then, especially the exterior, which was embellished with booty from the Crusades year after year. The Byzantine influence remains, though: the church is in the shape of a Greek cross instead of a Latin one, and the depictions of Christ are different than ones we are used to seeing back home. Apparently, Orthodox Christians preferred to depict Christ resurrected rather than dying on the cross or dead. It’s very unique and beautiful for those reasons, but the amazing thing about the church is the ceiling and the floor. The floor is covered in geometric stone patterns, and the ceilings are covered wall to wall in beautiful tile mosaics that depict events from the Bible. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Pictures weren't allowed inside, but you can click here to see it. One more nice thing about it: you get nice views from the loggia outside.

After St. Mark's I went to the Museo Correr to see works by Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese. Nice views of the square here, too!

We met back up for dinner sat a nice little Sardinian place and a gondola ride – part of my birthday present. First of all, I couldn't get over how long the boat was! Second, it was such a different perspective to be on the water. You get to pass under bridges and go down canals you could never get to by foot. And because it was night time we had all the small canals to ourselves. Even the Grand Canal was relatively absent of traffic....it was very peaceful. Our gondolier was nice, and had a great voice. He would sing or hum here and there, but we didn't ask him to sing for fear he'd take a service charge onto the already large cost of the ride. Even in the middle of romantic moments, we're always thinking about the budget.

Since it was our last night in Venice I dragged Thomas out for one last photo shoot.

-Elva