Venezia

After tagging along after my shopping spouse the next morning we were off to Venice. Thankfully the car was just where we left it, it was supposed to be a safe place but who could know? Back on the A1 to Bologna then eastward to Venezia. For the last few hundred years Venice has had no reason to exist except as a tourist trap. First problem, where to park the car? No problem, they built an island for that, Tronchetto, complete with multi-level garage. From there the Vaporetto runs frequently into town. We bought our tickets and then the lady in the booth closed up and left. A nice gentleman commuting home from the mainland made sure we got on the right boat.

At the boat stop at St. Marks, this is what we saw. The Doge's palace had been completely wrapped in a Bulgari advertisement. Not too classy to my way of thinking but I suppose they have to pay the bills somehow.

Since we had gotten there so late we didn't have a lot of choice on restaurants and we didn't make a very good one, but the hotel seemed nice enough although another 4th floor room with no lift. The next morning we went to check out the Doge's palace. What's there now was built after a disastrous fire in 1574, I wish those old guys had kept their buildings more carefully. Amongst all the gilded ceilings and massive paintings I was pleased to see one of my favorites by Hieronymus Bosch, his vision of life is so true even to this day. We sat in St. Mark's for a drink and then off to the main event, shopping.

I am not a great shopper so I just tagged along. It seemed to me that the center of Venice was just like any modern mall, the same chain stores, just in older buildings. Before I knew it I was on the island of Murano looking at glass. We already have a Murano chandelier and a mirror so I didn't really see the point but there you are. Spouse bought another mirror with a fancy glass frame around it, to be shipped, and before I knew it we were back at the car.