Whenever I visit the “Old Country”, my brother and I, and sometimes with y sister as well, we always visit Italy, and our favorite city Venice.
This time I took also my wife Gwen, my daughter Pamela and two grandchildren for a Mediterranean cruise from Venice on a huge cruise ship “Preciosa”.
We had a full day to roam this story-book city.
We arrived in Venice early morning and had about two days before sail time. We decided to tour the city and took the vaporetto (public boat transport) to Piazza San Marcos.
25 years ago, the vaporetto were small boats, and you could sit up front in the open with a bottle of wine, and travel the city canals with two transfers for one dollar! Oh boy, those were the days!
Today, vaporetto boats are large covered barges, packed with tourists with standing room only, and 5 Euros per ride, no transfers. The place is over-run with tourists.
Although it was early in the morning, the tourists are already waiting in line for entry to the Basilica San Marco.
The front portal of the basilica with its gorgeous frescos and the famous four huge iron horses above the lower arch of the portal. The horses were brought to Venice from Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.
The horses are so huge that they did not fit on the boats in the year 1204; they cut off the horses’ heads, and later reattached them; the horses have a collar around necks to camouflage the cut.
The west side of the San Marco square with the receding shadow of the San Marco Basilica cupola. Soon the plaza will be choke-packed with tourists!
Across the Grand Canal from the San Marco stands the beautiful Basilica Santa Maria. It is a wonderful place to visit, but it is seldom open to tourists.
While Gwen and Pam’s family went to take a gondola tour of the canals, my brother Jan and I wanted to get lost in the narrow alleyways, and over many bridges of the town. We both have been to Venice
Several times, and we always explore the twisty city interior. Many of the narrow canals we crossed were jammed up with water traffic.
Well, what do you know! Here is our family gondoling along. Afterward, they said that their gondolier was a terrible singer. Well, I guess you can’t have your cake and singing too…
We hike along the Grand canal toward the Rialto Bridge.
The Grand Canal as seen from the Rialto Bridge shines in its wetness, its colors and commercial hubbub…
We trek along less-traveled streets and small piazzas surrounded by ancient buildings that have seen better days.
And there is another of those Italian leaning towers…
Back to the dock, and here she comes: our ship MSC Precioza: 15 stories high, she will carry 4,000 passengers and 2,200 crew.
After boarding it is time for some R&R.
The kids jumped into heated pool steaming under a glass roof. Gwen and Pam went to unpack the luggage and Jan and I went to cool our throats with some Italian suds.
Our dining room table was by a large porthole, allowing us to enjoy the view while dining.
Cruising out of Venice with the Santa Maria Basilica in our dining room frame.
On the port side of the ship we wave goodbye to the Piazza San Marco and the Doge Palace… BUT --We will be baaack….
It is 7 PM: Notice the huge crowds around the palace and the plaza…