The "Canal Days" Story
It was an ordinary day. We had just finished our breakfast at our hotel in Vicenza, Italy. The "We" is a group of 31 tourists who are led by Mary Lou Broucht who is a retired minister from our church. Most of the group are members of St. James Episcopal where she was a minister. We are getting ready to board a bus and travel to Venice for the day. Yep, that VENICE! Can hardly wait. After arriving at the waterfront we board a ferry for our trip to the island. I strike up a conversation with our tour guide for the day who is a resident of Venice. One thing I still remember is h
er concern about the rising waters and how every year the city of Venice drops lower into the sea. Some parts of the island are under water during high tide. The island grows larger as we get nearer and the anticipation of stepping foot on such a historical place is great. Upon landing we make our way from the water front to Doge's Palace where we begin our tours for the day. Doge's Palace is Venice's "White House". We exit the Palace and walk across the Bridge of Sighs to the prison. This bridge is the la
st view of land that most prisoners had before heading to the dark, walled prisons. We then take a tour of the Basilica Di San Marco which is thecathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. One of my favorite stops on the island is St. Marks Square where all the local people gather. It is the only urban space called a piazza in Venice. Hundreds of pigeons are also part of the scene. Truly a fun experience and very Italian. Naturally, we had to board a gondo
la for a ride through the canals. I was the only male of the six people on the romantic tour. Truly romantic tour of Venice, but Carol wants to return someday and ride just with me. Now that's ROMANTIC! The gondolier gave us a history lesson as we maneuvered through the canals. And, he was thoroughly entertaining. The canals are a maximum 15 feet deep. A police boat, an ambulance boat and a variety of personal water craft (non-motorized) passed us on the trip. No swimmers and NO CARS! It was fantastic. For lunch Carol and I had a panini and gelato. How Italian can you get? Purchased a beautiful bracelet made with Murano glass beads. The island of Murano is off the coast of Venice. Fo
r years glass was made in Rome, but the Romans, fearing that the glass furnaces would cause fires and burn theirwooden bridges, ordered the glass makers 1n 1291 to move to the nearby island of Murano. We spent the afternoon walking the pathways lined with art galleries, pubs and neat houses with wash hanging from outside wash lines. We also spent time walking the streets which circumvented the island. Street vendors, magicians and entertainers as well as hundreds of tourist
s shared the walkways. An incredible day in one of the most beautiful cities I have every seen. I certainly could live there!! If only I could speak Italian! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Photos are top to bottom: Basilica Di San Marco, St. Mark's Square, our gongolier, a street (waterway), and Carol and I walking the streets
st view of land that most prisoners had before heading to the dark, walled prisons. We then take a tour of the Basilica Di San Marco which is thecathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. It is the most famous of the city's churches and one of the best known examples of Byzantine architecture. One of my favorite stops on the island is St. Marks Square where all the local people gather. It is the only urban space called a piazza in Venice. Hundreds of pigeons are also part of the scene. Truly a fun experience and very Italian. Naturally, we had to board a gondo
No comments:
Post a Comment