Day 9: Exploring VeniceAnother Great Guide & Morning Tour: We had another wonderful local guide this morning for a 3 1/2 hour tour through some of Venice's main attractions. We got to experience architecture, art, local history and, of course, St. Mark's Square. We really appreciated how well the tour was planned out. Our guide worked it out so we arrived at St. Mark's Basilica just before 11:30 a.m. when they turn on the lights for 5-10 minutes. Wow! The lights brought out a whole new dimension to the mosaics in the church ceiling. That's something we would surely have missed on our own. Our stop at a local mask maker's shop was another tour highlight, with the kids, as well as adults, captivated the entire time.
Free Time To Explore: We love the mix of guided and free time on this tour. The morning provided us with many of the "can't miss" moments, while the afternoon/evening allowed us to explore Venice and break out of the "triangle of tourism" for awhile. We headed over the Rialto Bridge, leaving San Marco, and explored the next portions of island--San Polo, Cannaregio and Santa Croce. We found tons of character, canals, gondolas and more than one Gelato stand. There were a lot of beautiful scenes and photo moments. We followed that up with another walking exploration, this one along the coast toward the tail of the Venice fish-shaped island, Castello. There we found parks, neighborhoods and local Venetians living their daily lives. We even discovered a school and naval academy. All told, we clocked about 9 hours of walking and exploring the city today. We loved it! Some Top Attractions: St. Mark's Square (Piazza San Marco) Saint Mark's Basilica Doge's Palace Campanile (bell tower) Bridge of Sighs Accademia Rialto Bridge |
|