We went to Venice for the first days of Carnival, we were not alone, many other people also came to see the first two parades of carnival. We didn't go to any fancy dress balls because we couldn't afford the €960.00 each that they wanted for the ball we wanted to go to. We also were late getting our costumes together so we wouldn't have been able to get a deal on the costume either. Oh well mayby next year.
Venice is a bigger city than I thought it was and it is difficult to get around in so we didn't get to see everything. We bought a ferry pass but I don't think we used the ferries as efectivly as we could have. We chose to walk a lot. Even Yoly got tired of walking we walked so much. Most things are within about 2 km as the crow flies but with all the canals and palaces in the way you need to walk a lot farther to get anywhere. Don't bother asking google maps how to get anywhere, we followed it to about 6 dead ends befor we gave up on it.
On Saturday night while we waited for the two boat parade on the Carnaregio canal we ate fritelle, (Similar to a cornfritter) And drank local wine. This year's theme was The Fantasy Creatures. There were three marching bands and a DJ and lots of people catching a glimpse of the colourful show. There were two dragons boats that had a fight on the canal. Photos don't do justice to the spectacle, it was grand.
Sunday there was free food and wine at noon all along the canal for everyone who was there to watch the big boat parade. We ended up in a perfect spot right on the first corner where there was much drama and excitment as the boats, piloted by novice and professional boatsmen alike, rounded the corner. All the craft were paddle powered and the real gondoliers did some amazing things, stopping, starting, turning thier boats while keeping them level. The amatures were running into each other, the walls and posts that mark the corners and looked much more likely to fall out of thier boats. Everyone made it around the corner without getting too wet. But there was a great deal of advice shouted back and forth in true Italian fashion. Some of the advice was of a personal nature and questioning the ancestry of the offending boatsmen seemed to be customary. Reminded me of my high school, back in the day, there were a lot of Italians. I should have paid more attention and learned some Italian.
Yoly says: I had a terrific time looking and buying beads for her next pair of earings and contemplating my next sabatical in Italy learning italian and learning from the pros how to make glass jewlry. The glass art work is absolutely amazing. Most of the artwork comes from Morano just an island away from here.
The whole family was dressed up
The gondolas were going non stop all day
The Realto Bridge. The tallest and fanciest bridge tha has many fancy shops
This could have been a convent at one time, today is a telephone company headquartes.
They are yours for only 840€
When the sun goes down
The famous Bridge of Sighs
The gates to the old Arsenal
These beads a gorgeous
Inside the Basilica of St. Marks
Nice marmol tile floor at the entrance of the Basilica that gets floaded almost every day
Nice ladies all dressed up
Pretty girl all dressed up
We saw this photo in a post card and decided to save 0,80 €
Canal Carnaregio just before the boat parade.
There she is The Fantasy Creature on the canal
Nice taxi and some police boats.
Low tide slack water, most of the time water is coming in or going out,
Sightseeing
Yoly thought the wall of hats was artistic.
Yoly on Valentine's day.
When the tides get too high you have to walk on the raised platforms that strech for kilometers.
If the water is low they walkways are a nice place to sit.
The view was actualy much prettier than the photo shows, the clouds were almost pink.
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Visitazione
This is a busy waterway with big waves.
Chandliers
This is Al praying hard for more hair. Seems to be working, hope it lasts.
Cute bridge in Venice.
Special effects on the camera.
Love locks in Venice. Sadly for these folks in order to have eternal bliss in Venice it is necessary to kiss under the bridge of sighs, in a gondola, at sunset while the church bells ring. Much easier to leave a lock on that bridge in Paris
The garage from the movie The Italian job.
There was no beach around so we had to look for pretty rocks in the store.
Night scene.
Ti amo tambien!
I'll drink to that.
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