Wednesday 25th October 2011 – Venice

Good morning from the most Romantic City in the World, others call it the Queen of the Adriatic – Venice.


Sailing into Venice

To sail into Venice is one of life’s great experiences and I always enjoy giving a sail in commentary as the ship eases her way into this most unique of all ports.

Sadly on this occasion the weather conditions were not on our side and the skies were full of menacing clouds and the early morning rain was falling.

We sailed by fantastic buildings such as San Giorgio Maggiore, the Doges Palace and St Marks Square. We continued on up the Guidecca Canal and then the Captain eased the ship into the basin and safely alongside.

San Giorgio Maggiore

Doges Palace

The rain had now eased a little as the passengers started to come ashore for their tours. Due to the weather conditions I did not take my camera ashore and therefore the photographs that I have included in this blog are from earlier visits. I hope this will not blur your vision of this most marvellous of cities, in fact I believe it will show you what she looks like at her best and maybe it will enthuse you to come and see for yourselves.

Basilica San Marco

More than one of our tours included a visit to the Basilica San Marco such an awesome sight, the most richly decorated church in Europe. The five glorious domes and Gothic arches tower above us are piercing the sky replicating Byzantine churches in Constantinople.

The building has a façade with five portals decorated with mosaics; the only original mosaic being the one located in the doorway at the far left that depicts St. Mark’s body arriving in Venice.

On the loggia above the arches are the replicas of the famous bronze horses, the originals are now away from the elements.

Bronze horses of the Basilica San Marco

Adjoining St Mark’s basilica is The Doges Palace a truly stunning building to look at from the outside, the white stone and pink marble give a most fantastic effect and first time visitors stand open mouthed at its great beauty.

Campanile

Another striking feature of the St Marks Sq is the soaring Campanile, a faithful replica of the original tower which collapsed in 1902.

In the Piazza San Marco are two of the best known cafes in the world – Florians and Quadri. In better weather it is the done thing to sit outside and enjoy the musicians playing as patrons sit and sip their coffees and teas. Not cheap of course but this is San Marco, the most beautiful open space in the world.

Piazza San Marco

Across the water from San Marco is the beautiful San Giorgio Maggiore church set on its own island and perhaps the finest piece of work in Venice by Palladio. I love this building, it stands on its own little island and is just perfect, what an architect! The views from the top of the belfry are awesome on a clear day.

All along the banks of the Grand Canal are the grand palaces and they represent some of the finest architecture of the Republic. Yes, some are a little faded now but they are still fabulous to look at and admire. Maybe no longer the grand homes of the wealthy as many are now converted to banks and museums, but it does not really matter as the fabric of the buildings remain the same.

See their tall arches that combine with the Gothic arches creating a style known as Venetian Gothic.

Always a great favourite building is the Ca’D’Oro which when built had a fantastic façade covered in gold leaf. All of this is now gone but it still looks magnificent.

Ca'D'Oro

Another one of my favourite buildings is the glorious Basilica Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari church in the San Polo district. If ever you are there do go inside this building, it costs just €3 to see the beautiful choir and masterpieces by artists like Titian including his tomb. It is fantastic to realize that the major piece by this artist called The Assumption is still in the position where he painted it.

The Assumption



In closing this blog I would like to touch on the subject of Carnival. Today this colourful celebration is held just before Lent each year and just lasts for 10 days. This is the time when the locals say ‘farewell to the flesh’ and people parade through the streets wearing colourful masks. I have a favourite mask shop that I go to who in fact is now the oldest established mask maker in Venice. Sergio has a shop close by the Rialto Bridge. His little shop is a treasure trove of traditional masks made in the old method and without gaudy feathers. These masks are popular with our passengers and really make a lasting memory of our visit.

Rialto Bridge

A day at sea now to recharge our batteries and prepare for our next Italian port of call which will be Palermo on Sicily.

Ciao