6 Aug – Venice

Today was spent doing more walking. Headed down a different route through the city aiming for Piazza San Marco. There was some nice things on the way, including the Academia. The Academia is an art gallery with a bunch of Venetian art. Some of it was pretty cool, especially a series that look like balconies at the top of the room. Leaving here we headed to the Piazza, and getting there was amazing. It's huge. There's a massive Piazza area full of pigeons and lined with old buildings, a large bell tower, and then Basilica di San Marco at the end. Very impressive building, and equally impressive pigeons. They have no fear, dive bombing regularly.

Couldn't take the camera into the Basilica, but there was a cool treasury with preserved skulls and a little shrivelled hand, all encased in glass and gold. The view from the roof was impressive, with large bronze horses (the real ones are inside, with what I assume are more recent replicas adorning the outside) and super slippery marble. Would not want to be there in the wet. There was also some large bronze warrior looking things on a nearby building which struck the bell with their hammers. Leaving here, we headed towards the seaside of the island. Had my first pizza of the holiday. And a Gelato.

After lunch, we caught a river boat to get back to the other side of the city. It travelled up the outside of the islands, so we got to see the place from a new angle. We then travelled to the Rialto bridge and got off there. I bought a couple of Venetian style masks here. Not full size, just ornamental. We headed back to the hotel for a spell, then headed out for dinner. I got my Black Sauce pasta. Doesn't really have an easily identifiable flavour, but was nice either way.

After dinner we headed home, knowing we would have to get up and head out in the car tomorrow.

Signing off...