Venezia, Parte Duo

Basilica di San Marco

After we rode the Water Bus out to Piazza San Marco, we decided to look around for a while on foot.  The first thing we saw up close and personal was the Bridge of Sighs.  As you can imagine, this is one crowded spot!  After being polite and letting many take their pictures, I finally was able to push my tripod and myself up to the edge of the bridge.

Gondolier Under the Bridge of Sighs

I set up my tripod (yes, I am kind of a geek with it lately), and this is what I found.  Though we went in the middle of December, on a FREEZING cold day the crowds were, as always present.  After the bridge of Sighs, we kept walking towards Piazza San Marco.

Basilica di San Marco

When you walk towards the square, immediately your eyes are drawn to the impressive Basilica di San Marco.  Not only is the Cathedral HUGE, but the mosaics, and the marble pillars are astounding.  The colors of marble are almost unreal - I just kept thinking "THIS is what people are always trying to recreate when they paint faux marble," and the faux stuff is nothing compared to the real thing.  These marbles are rare, and to say they are expensive, would be an understatement.  

Entrance to the Basilica di San Marco

The mosaics along the Basilica draw you in, you could spend hours just looking at those alone.  So - in an effort to see the "big picture" I focused on the sheer magnitude of this beautiful Basilica - the home of the Venezian Archdiocese.
That said - the main entrance to the Basilica has a bit of everything - the Byzantine architecture, the awe-inspiring mosaics, and the multiple hues of marble.  This is where you wait in line to enter the Basilica - they ask you not to take pictures, though most tourists ignore the big signs.  I did not.  I figure of all places to disregard the rules, this was NOT the place to push my boundaries.

Inside the Basilica is HUGE.  The domes are gorgeous - however the recent flooding in Venice took its toll, and you can see the high water marks on the pillars throughout the church.  Overall, I was kind of sad in there - here was this major church, arguably one of the most famous and beautiful Catholic Churches, and it was flat out dirty.  It looked to me like it had not been dusted in years.  Like most of Venice, I imagine it was absolutely stunning at one time, and has just fallen into a state of benign neglect.

Torre dell'Orologio

Adjacent to the Basilica di San Marco, is a beautiful Glockenspiel of sorts - it is a clock that not only tells time, but the phases of the moon, and has moving characters - some on the hour, some only on religious holidays.  You can take tours up to the top here, but we did not - the kids were losing their steam fast, and getting hungry, so we sojourned to lunch.  We ate at the Rosso Pomodoro - which is an Italian chain - somewhat similar to Olive Garden - but infinitely better!

After walking around for a bit and eating lunch, we decided that it was time to explore more of Venice, again by foot. . .

Once you leave the main square, things get a bit . . . more tightknit.  The streets are narrow - the shops awnings nearly reach across and touch each other.    Also here, the back channels are smaller.  They are more personal, they are narrow, and they are much more what I consider the "real" Venice.  They are not facades to impress, they are every day life.  They are good times, they are bad times, and they are what history is made of.  It was through wandering through these smaller paths that we came across a Gondolier, packing up to go home for the evening, and willing to make a good deal.


  Normally, from anywhere near Piazza di San Marco you will pay 100 euro and up for just a 20 minute ride - this is NOT the place to catch a Gondola.  Go down the small streets, find someone dropping off another person - more likely than not, they have to go back to wherever their base is anyways, and are more willing to haggle down their prices.  Note that the Gondolas are paid by time, not by distance. . .

That said - price considered - I am so happy that we found our Gondolier, and that we went on the unexpected Gondola ride from just behind Piazza di San Marco all the way out past the Rialto Market.  Our guide was great, he pointed out the famous buildings, he showed us where movies were filmed, "The Tourist" and "007" in particular.  He showed us the birthplace of Marco Polo, and showed us a side of Venice that you just can't see with the Water Bus.  















The other side of Venice is definitely different.  It is dirtier, it is less maintained, it is where you can easily see the havoc that millenia of tidal waters have played on this wonderful city.  You can see what must have been, and what could be again, if one had infinite resources.  But like so much else, the Sea is greedy.  The Sea will claim what she can, and lay waste to the remains.  I feel so lucky that I was able to take my children to venice, to see both sides of the coin, and to appreciate her for what she is.

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