European Adventure Part Two: Venice

VENICE, ITALY

5.18.15 - 5.20.15

We traveled via Eurail (train) to Venice from Rome and arrived mid-afternoon.

Venice does not permit vehicles, motorcycles, bikes, etc.,
so the narrow streets and back canals make the city look like a confusing jumble!

These massive bells (between 6 - 10 of them)
began pealing while we were in the top of the bell tower.

We were grateful that none of us dropped a phone or camera 
through the grate-covered arches!

An interesting fact... the Italian alphabet only has 21 letters!  
It does not have j, k, w, x, or y.
That's okay, though.  I still figured out how to write my name in Italian!

As you can see from the bottom of the photo, my camera is not crooked.

The arch really is leaning that much on this little alleyway!

There are many more "back canals" than I realized, and they are quite small!

(Notice how the buildings still curve along the water roadway, just like Rome.)

The grand canal is exactly what its name implies ... massive.

Some of my favorite things about Venice were the windows.

There are lots of bridges - and stairs - in Venice. 

Yes, we took the mandatory gondola ride!

Here are Mom and Dad in front of the Rialto Bridge.
Our gondalier was wonderful - he was pleasantly conversational and friendly.

Venice has been having increased flooding problems.
It floods about 100 times annually, mainly in early spring and late fall.
It makes for beautiful bricks, at least!

  

The dark gray stone building in the center
(with the fireplace climbing up the side) was Marco Polo's home.

For music lovers, the white building in the middle was home to Antonio Vivaldi!

The Venetians built their homes with their most elaborate exteriors facing the canals, 

not the narrow alley-streets, as a show of wealth.

On our last morning, we walked to a local market.  

The market displays were beautiful.
(Notice the squash blossoms in the center!)

The extensive market is set up daily, stands and all,

by the produce sellers and packed up by one o'clock in the afternoon.  

Venice is an old city, and it has not been well-preserved or restored.
If one looks with critical eyes, it could be seen as dirty and worn-out.
Or, if you choose to look beyond, you can catch glimpses of beauty that are truly breathtaking.
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After admiring the produce market and walking around Venice for the morning, 
we began our afternoon train trip to the third destination...
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I apologize for the font discrepancies!  If you cannot read some of the font on this post, leave me a comment, and I will try to change fonts or enlarge the size.  ("Normal" size font does not seem to be working at the moment.)