This page is in-progress. 1Nov07

Another opportunity presented itself. Steven had meetings in Milano, so we grabbed the chance to finally see Venezia for a long weekend. I rank Venezia AFTER Vatican City, Roma and Firenze among Italia’s larger cities in that order with regions of Montepuliciano, Tuscany, and Positano/Amalfi coast to follow (other Italian towns) north to south.

Sadly, Venezia is overrun with tourists. Jostling for space through dense crowds to pass an already narrow alleyway for breathing room, is hardly a way to explore the city on foot. Most notably would be the empty queues at el museo San Marco and Palazzo Ducale which represents the Byzantine and Turkish influence of this city.

No matter, armed with conversational Italiano, we made our way into the Veneto via water taxi from Santa Lucia statzione and discovered a more intimate Venezia away from the hordes of tourists. The areas farther afield have plenty of smaller quaint, visitor-friendly sites to explore especially off the beaten path where Venezia remains as the Italy we know. From locals teeming about their daily routine in their caffes, ristorantes and unique mom and pop, independent shoppes along small side streets of the canals.

View from BA576 Heathrow-Malpensa @ 39,000 ft the Italian/Austrian Alps as seen from my seat.

Italian/Austrian Alps: Truly a spectacular natural wonder.

At Milano Centrale approaching the 07:55 Eurostar to Venezia Santa Lucia.

The poor hubby is overworked, overtired, and just plain exhausted after day long meetings in Milano, but he manages to sleep en route to Venezia on the EuroStar: Milano Centrale-Sta Lucia Venezia.

Please don’t ask me to translate the Italiano. I’m so tired!

First sight of Venezia straight off the EuroStar at the Santa Lucia Statzione with the San Simeone Piccola church in the background.

Here’s where we wait at the boat launch at Venezia Santa Lucia for our private water taxi to take us to Hotel Danieli.

Here we are as the water taxi arrives. We chose the water taxi as opposed to the vaporetta because it was our first visit; we wanted to experience it in a more calm, serene approach to San Marco.

Buon giorno signore! We have only two bags.

Yes. Let’s take a shot of ourselves in this water taxi; we have it all to ourselves.

There’s our motorboat driver and greeter from the Hotel Danieli forward-facing starboard.

Our arrival via EuroStar on the Milano Centrale into Santa Lucia Venezia was greeted by this water taxi. Here is Steven finally getting a glimpse of the canals and surrounding structures overwrought by water. 27Oct07

Steven observing the structures along the grand canal. 27Oct07

View of the Canale Grande from our water taxi. 27Oct07

Side water view of Santa Maria della Salute, built over timber piles. Amazingly, it stands erect today like the rest of the Veneto.

Under obvious renovation, Santa Maria della Salute as seen from our water taxi on the Canal Grande en route to Hotel Danieli. 27 Oct07

View from our water taxi along the Grand Canal, showing the obvious water damage on the base of these buildings.

Ca’ Foscari, now part of the University of Venezia, was built in 1437 for Doge Francesco Foscari using white Istrian stone for its facade with pointed arches.

Our very first sight of the Veneto and Piazza San Marco from our water taxi on the Grand Canal.

Okay, Steven. How shall we traverse this crowd? Do we shove ourselves or – politely say, “Mi scusi, per favore!”

Looking west toward San Marco from the Hotel Danieli, showing the elevated pedestrian platforms.

Thankfully, the platforms weren’t necessary given “relative dry” conditions.

The Venetian “What Not to Do,” when in town.

Looking north at the southern elevation of the Basilica San Marco and our first sight of the Byzrantine structure.

Our approach toward the main piazza San Marco further into the Veneto.

More platforms – not in use – thankfully for visitors’ entry into the Basilica San Marco.

At the base of the Campanile of San Marco, here I stand center to take this photo of an unused walking platform. We discovered later that visitors would however walk on these elevated platforms to avoid the dozen-or-more-deep crowds of people while waiting to gain entry into the Basilica.

Under clear water invasion, the front elevation of the Basilica San Marco is forced to elevate incoming tourists onto the platforms into the building.

Front facade of the Basilica. Visitors gain entry from the north to form a queue for entry.

Elevated platforms in use, pedestrians and visitors alike walk on these convenient, dry walkways for traversing a sometimes, unruly crowd.

While Steven took a quick browse in one of the shoppes underneath the archways of the piazza San Marco, he discovers every shop is selling exactly the same goods and ware, or shall we say, “stuff,” one after another. Capitalizing Euros into S%#@!

A gaggle of visitors amid Calle Larga San Marco amid the rows of shops and caffes.

Here we are seated after we opted for this ristorante among the row of caffes along Calle Larga San Marco to sate our hunger pangs. Directly behind Steven in the narrow alleyway between Calle Larga and Piazzetta dei Leoncini is the Basilica San Marco. We figure, we’ll need the energy to do the full museum tour and interior basilica rooms.

But of course. It’s McDonald’s in Venezia!

Hard to believe that a McDonald’s fast food chain is given such a grand entrance/exit within the Veneto, but alas…Mickey D’s looks quite charming here, despite the rear alleyway location, n’est pas?

Give me a chance to browse the menu – I want a REAL ITALIANO MEAL – no gimmicks. Give us the real deal. Forget Zagat. Fork over every seafood appetizer, entre you have!

Our very first meal in Venezia. First course of seafood: boullabaise and mixed seafood platter, chock full of fresh squid, shrimp, mussels, clams, sardines, anchovies, and BONUS – cuttlefish – how TRULY, AUTHENTIC ITALIAN! Given the location off the Adriatic, the food was so fresh! 27Oct07

My Salade Nizzarda – Salad Niscoise – as my entre. Yum. Yum. So fresh!

Steven standing on the 2nd floor observatory loggia above the Basilica.

Main entry through the central doorway of the basilica, facade mosaics greet visitors as we walk on platforms leading into the structure.

Interior view of the Ascension Dome of the Basilica.

Admiring the Ascension Dome with a closer look.

Overlooking the main navel of the basilica with the ciborium – alter canopy – in full center view depicting the 12 apostles with mosaics of the new testament where San Marco’s body is entombed.

Standing on the 2nd floor loggia of the Basilica San Marco overlooking piazza San Marco amid the flow of tourists behind us. 27Oct07

On the 2nd floor loggia of the Basilica, the Adriatic and farther lagoon islands stand in the distance.

Pensive as always, I wonder what Steven is thinking. Probably work, but hopefully in this case he’s just observing the intricate stone details of the arches of the Basilica.

Taken from the 2nd floor loggia of the basilica, a distant view of the Adriatic overlooking piazza San Marco.

Using the self-timer, our camera is holding steady on a stone ledge at just the right height to offer us this panoramic view of the outer lagoon islands of the Adriatic behind us while we pose on the 2nd floor loggia of the Basilica San Marco, el museo entrance. 27Oct07

Here Steven pauses for me beneath one of the four mosaics behind him on the loggia of Basilica di San Marco.

Basilica San Marco, 27Oct07

View along the Palazzo Ducale next to the Basilica di San Marco Venezia.

There’s Steven approaching another gelato bar underneath the walkways of piazza San Marco. Hmmm. Is having two in one afternoon too much? 27Oct07

Look at the long queue for a gondola ride! We waited patiently by walking along the side streets until the line dissipated and luckily. Viola! No long wait. Hopped aboard the next gondola.

There’s Steven waiting for me to join him over the footbridge on the Chiesa D. Cavalletto over the Rio delle Procuratie.

Steven walks onto the footbridge and eyes a Venetian mask shop – one more unique than the somewhat ubiquitous dozen other mask shoppes around – for a sneak peek while we await a shorter queue at the gondola launch.

Our approach underneath Venezia’s famous walkways above us.

Of course, we had to do the very-touristy-cheesy-gondola ride. This is Venezia! Here we are passing underneath one of several archways along the narrow canals, while we enjoy the short-but-peaceful few moments of water sounds. Our gondolier insisted on shouting-out to every gondolier out there during our hour-long ride. 27Oct07

Using Steven’s one-arm-method, here we attempt to take a photo while our maestro/gondolier pushes us along the narrow canals. 27Oct07

The approach toward another footbridge as we make our way underneath.

The famous Rialto Footbridge on the Grand Canal.

There’s a lonesome seagull wafting around in the waters of the Grand Canal.

There’s our gondolier taking a break amid the line of unused gondolas where it appears the long queue to wait has completely disappeared.

Here we are again trying to take a photo of ourselves using Steven’s one-arm method with the Basilica di San Marco and piazza behind us.

Standing inside the Hotel Danieli’s walkway above the Riva degli Schiavoni canal, Steven takes this photo of me while I try to dodge the sun. 28Oct07

“Sweetie, would you like another gondola ride?” Uh…those gondolas are not in service. See. Their blue tarp is covering the seats, either wet from last night’s rain or just not operating.

Saturday afternoon on the Grand Canal.

Look! A gondolier is sweeping all the excess kelp and remnants of a lower tide. Just fascinating watching him.

Overlooking the Adriatic and lagoon islands from piazza San Marco. 27Oct07

Trying to pose for another self photo of ourselves.

Steven poses for me while we make our way from piazza San Marco to the front of the Basilica.

View from the non-smoking floor of our suite at the Hotel Danieli on the Riva degli Schiavoni overlooking the pedestrian walkways and the farther islands of Guidecca and San Giorgio Maggiore in the distance. 27Oct07

Hmm…to be surrounded by pigeons? Not so sure, there eh?

Standing at the port, showing the lower water levels of the day thanks to a low tide and somewhat drought conditions, the view of Lodi and the Adriatic/Medit in the distance.

Not bad for a Sunday afternoon since we did go to church and spend a relaxing, strolling leisurely weekend away from our normal, chaotic lives. Steven takes this photo of me while I jostle for another Riccola.

Steven taking a breather from the crowds of pedestrians…ah Cappucino, American Caffe, espresso or is it a Latte?

Taking another shot of ourselves using Steven’s one-arm method at the base of piazza San Marco, Sunday afternoon. 28Oct07

There are the walking platforms currently not in use, thankfully on our weekend visit. We were forewarned of their presence long before we arrived alerting us of the need to bring our knee-high waterproof boots. Luckily, we enjoyed gray-to-sunny days instead.

Piazza San Marco suffering underneath only slight flooding.

A cordoned-off area of the sidewalk on the Riva degli Schiavoni next door to our hotel showing the obvious water vs. structure battle. 27 Oct07