Venice, Italy

Venice is built on an archipelago of 117 islands formed by 177 canals in a shallow lagoon, connected by 409 bridges.^[50] In the old centre, the canals serve the function of roads, and almost every form of transport is on water or on foot. In the 19th century, a causeway to the mainland brought the Venezia Santa Lucia railway station to Venice, and the Ponte della Libertà road causeway and parking facilities (in Tronchetto island and in piazzale Roma) were built during the 20th century. Beyond the road and rail land entrances at the northern edge of the city, transportation within the city remains (as it was in centuries past) entirely on water or on foot. Venice is Europe's largest urban car-free area. Venice is unique in Europe, in having remained a sizable functioning city in the 21st century entirely without motorcars or trucks.

The classical Venetian boat is the gondola, (plural: gondole) although it is now mostly used for tourists, or for weddings, funerals, or other ceremonies, or as 'traghetti' (sing.: traghetto) to cross the Canale Grande in the absence of a nearby bridge. Many gondolas are lushly appointed with crushed velvet seats and Persian rugs. Less well-known is the smaller sandolo. At the front of each gondola that works in the city, there is a large piece of metal called the fèro (iron). Its shape has evolved through the centuries, as documented in many well-known paintings. Its form, topped by a likeness of the Doge's hat, became gradually standardized, and was then fixed by local law. It consists of six bars pointing forward representing the Sestieri of the city, and one that points backward representing the Giudecca.^{[citation needed]}

The bell tower from our hotel room window.  It really did ring on the hour...every hour.  Kinda cool, unless you're trying to sleep.

I asked him if I could take his picture.  A typical Gondolier

Morning shot of the action (I'm standing on the Rialto bridge, one of the main, big bridges that goes over the Grand Canal).  This is how deliveries are made, products are brought in, or furniture moved, etc.

This is glass.  Seriously beautiful.  Venetian glass is stunning.

We saw these glass balloons in many of the shops.  So real-looking!

I absolutely love this.  I would have bought it if I wanted to risk it getting home in one piece.

These are also everywhere!  Yummy pastries and nuts and chocolate.  We resisted...for the most part.

Piazza San Marco (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjattsa sam ˈmarko], often known in English as St Mark's Square), is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as la Piazza ("the Square"). All other urban spaces in the city (except the Piazzetta and the Piazzale Roma) are called campi ("fields"). The Piazzetta ("little Piazza/Square") is an extension of the Piazza towards the lagoon in its south east corner (see plan). The two spaces together form the social, religious and political centre of Venice and are commonly considered together. This article relates to both of them.

A remark usually attributed to Napoleon calls the Piazza San Marco "the drawing room of Europe" (the attribution to Napoleon is unproven).^[1]

There are risers all over because of high waters before we arrived.

St. Mark's Lion, Venetian tradition states that when St. Mark was traveling through Europe, he arrived at a lagoon in Venice, where an angel appeared to him and said "Pax tibi Marce, evangelista meus. Hic requiescet corpus tuum." (May Peace be with you, Mark, my evangelist. Here your body will rest.) This (possibly apocryphal) tradition was used as justification by Rustico da Torcello and Bon da Malamocco^[2] in 828^[3] for stealing the remains of St. Mark from his grave in Alexandria,^[4] and moving them to Venice, where they were eventually interred in the Basilica of St. Mark.^[5]

Gondolas moored by Saint Mark square with San Giorgio di Maggiore church in the background

Drinking fountain.

Open markets in Venice 

Looking across at the cemetery.
The island of San Michele, located in the lagoon close to Venice, has been the city's cemetery (cimitero) since the early nineteenth century. As Venice is an island community, it's not really surprising that its graveyard is also an island, although the notion may seem odd at first. Formerly two islands, which are now joined together, the Isola di San Michele (St. Michael) is dedicated to the dead, and is occupied only by churches and by long ranks of tombs.

Murano, another series of islands across from Venice, but part of the Venetian Lagoons

Murano is a series of islands linked by bridges in the Venetian Lagoon, northern Italy. It lies about 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) north of Venice and measures about 1.5 km (0.9 mi) across with a population of just over 5,000 (2004 figures).^[1] It is famous for its glass making. It was once an independent comune, but is now a frazione of the comune of Venice.

This is on the island of Murano, famous for glass making.  Those flowers in the window boxes are made of glass.

This is what you see as you're walking along...

I truly am happy that we have clothes dryers.  It was only about 10 degrees Celsius there.

This is Campo Santo Stefano. It has an abstract blue glass starburst sculpture in front of the clock tower. 

Now this was awesome!  Very artsy, and very Italian.  

I took this shot through a window.  Thought it was very cool.

I didn't take tons of pics of the products because a lot of times they have a sign that says "no pictures please".  If you google, Murano Glass, you'll see everything we saw...and my favourite were these...

You should google that also.  Chandeliers  - Murano Glass    They are stunning and everywhere.

I LOVE this.  I'm still working on it.  I'm kicking myself for not taking a pic of the plaque in front of it.  It was in Italian, of course, so didn't think about it.  Now, I can't find any details on it.  I'll keep trying.  Stay tuned.

This was the only music I heard during my days in Venice.  An old man sitting gone this bridge playing the accordion.  Loved it.  Yes, that's Gabe.

Gabe

Back in Venice...

I'm NOT a fan of masks, costumes etc.  These are everywhere in Venice.  They have masquerades and  it's historical.  It is amazing art...but just to look at.  Not to wear.  

Apparently in summer months, there are flowers like these billowing form window boxes everywhere.  These were a few of the only remaining ones.  Pretty nice for November!

Some night shots from a water bus in the evening.  No tripod, crowded bus and well, water underfoot, don't make for steady shots, but I needed to get some from this vantage point, as best I could.

Rialto Bridge

I was sitting in our lobby waiting for Gabe, and I couldn't resist this shot.  Our hotel, which was originally built in the 15th century, and has always been a hotel, has fabric on the walls.  And here, they decided to match it to the furniture.  Or vice versa.  

The fish market...follow your nose!  Every day fresh fish is brought right up to be 'dealt' with before the buyers come from the the restaurants, and locals.

I asked Gabe to take a shot of me with my camera...I wasn't sure if she was taking it, thus the  'not so happy' face.  I was happy, really.  I just didn't notify my face.  ;)