European Hopscotch

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After sailing past the cemetery island of San Michele, we soon were pulling up to the dock at Fondamente Nove, along the north-facing edge of Venice's main island, very near the hospital. Parked out front were yellow-colored waterborne ambulances.

Once again we decided to split up and wander our own way for a while. We agreed to meet up again at 6:30pm in Venice's most famous attraction: St. Mark's Square.

courtesy JInnes

The Cemetery Island

Campo San Giustina

Lavigne canal?

Our group - once again composed of myself, Jenn, and the Wards, decided to head eastward right away, headed for Saint Mark's square. Luke, Sophie and Kate had never been to Venice before, and more time at Venice's more famous locations was probably in order.

courtesy JInnes

Calle del Morion

Celestial square

Palazzo Celsi

Our path to the square was a delightful meander through mostly deserted little back alleys and small quiet squares - exactly the type of Venetian experience I most enjoy. It wasn't until we reached the broad waterfront of the Riva degli schiavoni that we started to encounter large crowds. By that point, we were quite close to St Mark's square, which is pretty much always filled with crowds. No peacefulness there!

Arabesque balcony, Campo dei due Pozzi

Walls of the Arsenale

Lions of the Arsenale

courtesy JInnes

Porta da Terra

Porta da mar

Riva degli schiavoni

San Giorgio's Leaning Tower

Vittorio Emanuele II

San Giorgio Maggiore

What Piazza San Marco lacks in solitude, it makes up for with art and grandeur: the gondola-lined waterfront, the gothic artistry of the Doge's palace, the Byzantine beauty of Saint Mark's Cathedral, the cleverness of St. Mark's clocktower, and the signature symbol of Venice - the Campanile.

courtesy JInnes

Luke and Sophie, Venice

Walls of the Doge's Palace

Speaking of the Campanile, we decided to actually climb it this time (I hadn't actually done this in all of my visits here so far). Jenn and Sophie decided to stay below with Kate, and Luke and I paid the entrance fee and were whisked up a modern elevator to the viewing deck, about 200 feet up the 98-metre (323ft) tall structure.

The view was indeed impressive. Basically all parts of Venice can be seen from here, but especially good are the immediate views across the mouth of the Grand Canal and down into the square below. the domed rooftops of St Mark's cathedral are especially striking.

San Marco, Dome tip

San Marco Domes

The columns of San Marco

Island of San Giorgio Maggiore

View from Campanile

Santa Maria della Salute

After Returning to the piazza below, we decided to show Luke, Sophie and Kate more of the Grand Canal. We walked from St Mark's square over to the Rialto Bridge (which spans the Grand Canal). The streets between these two points are some of the busiest in Venice, and pushing through the crowds increased the exasperation quotient and reduced the enjoyment factor.