Our first full day in Venice was spent with a tour guide for a few hours in the morning. She met us at our hotel and began our tour from there, showing us interesting areas near our hotel, and eventually making our way to Piazza San Marco.
The morning weather was initially drizzly, but as the afternoon arrived, so did the sunshine. We were "fortunate" enough to experience Piazza San Marco during high tide. Elevated walkways were used for visitors to enter and exit above the water covered tiles. I took one picture inside the Basilica before I was informed that photos were not allowed. Basilica San Marco is an incredibly beautiful church, with gold leafing covering the entire ceiling. Another lucky break was that the lights were on when we entered, so we got a full, visual experience of the beautiful ceiling.
After leaving the Basilica, we made our way to the Doge's Palace. The Doge of Venice was the leader of the Republic of Venice. It was in the Palace that we learned much about the governmental workings of Venice, how it successfully remained an Independent Republic before it was conquered and eventually joined the Kingdom of Italy.
We parted ways with our tour guide, but decided to explore the Palace a bit more (the weather was still a bit rainy). As we finished, the clouds parted and sunshine poured down. I had heard the Dorsoduro area of Venice was very nice, much quieter, less crowded, and a great location to grab lunch. We set off, leaving Piazza San Marco, making our way to Accademia Bridge, and crossing into Dorsoduro. It was there we grabbed lunch, and explored the beautiful waterfront areas. Definitely fewer people, and definitely a nice experience.
During our morning tour, our guide informed us of two opportunities to get an aerial view of Venice. We could either choose the bell tower in St. Mark's square, or board a water bus to the island of San Giorgio, and in her opinion, receive a less-crowded, better overall viewing experience. Since we wanted to take a water bus, we chose the second option. We have taken public buses (with wheels), used various metro systems (mind the gap), flown thousands and thousands of miles, boarded trains, but this would be our first water bus experience. I was very excited to add another form of public transportation to my list. The island was very quiet, and the views were wonderful.
Our first full day in Venice was lovely. With a cool, drizzly start, I was a bit worried, but Venice did not disappoint. I greatly enjoyed experiencing the popular, tourist areas, but then stepping aside, and exploring areas that fewer tourists venture to. Our travels have taken us many places, and I have said this before, I do not simply want to experience the tourist spots of a city, but I want to truly experience the culture of the city itself. What makes Venice.....Venice (click on Venice to view the photo album)
Our activities for our second day in Venice provided us with a very unique experience,
exploring the waterways and areas outside of central Venice.......
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