Classic Venice
Long before we started planning this trip, Venice was the one spot I have always wanted to visit. I would hear people say it was dirty and stinky, but I wanted to find out for myself. Sure enough, I loved Venice!! The canals and buildings were beautiful. Mom and I got up early one morning and walked the vacant sidewalks. It was incredible to see all the boats doing the work of trucks back home- we saw police, fire, and ambulances. We saw boats hauling dry goods, toiletries, garbage and more. The only thing we didn't see in Venice was wheels- no bikes, no skateboards, no scooters, no cars! The shops were amazing and we did most of our shopping in Venice. We also had a fabulous seafood meal, and I love seafood! I did a bit of wandering around the streets a bit further from the grand canal. I saw cats waiting at doorsteps and laundry hung out to dry. It was fun to get a small glimpse inside the residents lifestyle. Of course, all of this was well explained during our Venice city tour.
Mask Making
In Venice we got to attend a class on mask making! The artist was funny and fit the classic artist look- from his hat to lab coat, and glasses to mustache! He gave us some history on the masks and their meanings. We had fun trying on the masks and watching this master work. The masks were sold all over town and ranged from simple to extremely ornate! Of course, the price varied as well! I finally settled on a smaller pink mask to display in my craft room.
St. Marks
We spent some time in Piazzo de San Marco. In the afternoon the square was bustling with poeple, in the early AM, we had the square to ourselves! The Piazzo was the only place we actually saw Pigeons. While waiting for our group to gather, our bus drive, Francois, "borrowed" some roses from a street vendor and tried selling them to tourists himself! He was so much fun and in the end we all bought roses. St. Marks was a beautiful structure with some fabulous details and beautiful marble pillars..
Gondola Ride
On our last evening in Venice, our guide arranged a gondola ride. Our ride was complete with a musician and champagne! We toured through the small canals then into the Grand Canal. Surprisingly, there was very little gondola traffic in the evening. To me, this was the quintessential detail that reminded me I was in my beloved Venice! Champagne, moon light, and a handsome gondolier- who could ask for anything more? I've ridden a gondola before, but Vegas has nothing on the real thing! I loved Venice before I'd ever been there and I love it still today.