We first stayed at Corte Gherardi B&B and really liked it. Teresa took great care of us, and there was a MacMini with Skype that we could use. Sharing a bathroom with other guests really wasn't a big deal.
The view from our window at our B&B Corte Gherardi. The windows in Venice had a mechanism where the window could either latch shut, swing open on side hinges, or swing open on bottom hinges. The stairs in the background are a bridge over a canal. Narrow alleys like this are typical in Venice.
The early morning moon over Venice. We started our first day in Venice quite early, as the time change made it difficult to sleep in. We were awake around 6:30 am and decided to explore.
In the early morning, all the goodies (drinks in this case) are brought in for another day of tourists.
The Canal Grande is busy even in the early morning, bringing supplies and workers from the mainland.
Unpainted Venetian masks.
Near the fish market, turtles head the columns.
At the market, fishes head the columns.
Loading up the fish market with fish.
Fresh off the boat.
View from Rialto bridge. Note the decay of palaces that haven't been kept up.
View from the other side of Rialto bridge.
Yarn for the knitters.
Carlo Osvaldo Goldoni (1707 - 1793) was a celebrated Venetian playwright and librettist, whom critics today rank among the European theatre's greatest authors.
Beth apparently really liked this egg pastry.
A shop of candies and pastries.
For some reason peeling paint on wood siding doesn't have the charm of disintegrating stucco.
Grape lanterns in a bar.
24-hour clock.
Mother Teresa, the musical! Mel Brooks passed on this?
Follow the white rabbit.
At our B&B (Corte Gherardi), her staircase had a metal side support that looked like wood. She said that to distress the metal, they sink it in the canal for a few days.
View from our breakfast on Corte Gherardi's rooftop terrace.
Taking a break to write some thank-you post cards.
The attachment points for the rooftop scaffolding.
Beth named this guy the "Wall-E" of the roofing crew. His job was to keep people from walking directly underneath and to catch and sweep up any bits of morter/tiles that fell.
All the pretty scarves.
Piazza San Marco is a huge tourist destination. The line to see the cathedral is very long and the people stand on knee-high platforms so that when the plaza occasionally floods, the people can still stand in line without wading in the water.
Procuratie Vecchie on Saint Mark's square was originally built during the Napoleon occupation in the 12th century and then rebuilt in the 16th century to 3 stories when the original burned down. 24hr clock with midnight at "3 o'clock" and astrological calendar provided free of charge.
Cathedral detail. I like the statues between the arches that are emptying pots of rain water from the roof.
More detail of Saint Mark's Basilica.
A wizard dude in his own little tower.
Collect all 22.
Vendors near Saint Mark's square.
A gondolier and his prey.
Sharp shades.
Many of the palaces along Canal Grande have fallen in disrepair due to the expense and difficulty of getting approval for work. This one is in great shape.
We're on our way to the library where Indiana Jones found the second grail marker, but first some heavy pasta.
And expensive tourist lasagna.
Niccolò Tommaseo was an Italian linguist, journalist and essayist, the editor of a Dizionario della Lingua Italiana, a dictionary of synonyms (1830).
A typical square plaza near Chiesa di Stefano where tourists hang out and eat. To sit down at a restaurant, there is often a cover charge.
These wooden boats are beautiful in the sunlight.
This bar is right along the Canal Grande in front of the Gallerie dell' Accademia.
Someone was shooting a film on a canal near the San Barnaba church.
Chiesa San Barnaba. This is where Indiana Jones found the second grail marker.
Some of the bridges over the canals are very low. This boat had to stop quickly, readjust the boxes, and attempt again.
piggy bank.
Venice is famous for their mardi gras masks.
The street is packed with vendors near the Rialto Bridge.
We took a gondola ride and it was fun to see the canals from below the bridges.
Our gondolier didn't speak much english and grunted in Italian.
Ponte di Rialto has a long history of having shops on it. This is one of only 3 bridges that cross the Canal Grande.
Pietro Aretino (April 20, 1492 – October 21, 1556) was an Italian author, playwright, poet and satirist who wielded immense influence on contemporary art and politics and invented modern literate pornography.
This palace along the Canal Grande is in fine shape.
Decals on the keystone of a bridge.
The metal braces and rods are holding the buildings together. This one lost its stucco exterior long ago.
Not surprising to see anywhere these days.
Luigi's bottle art.
These guys peddle fake designer bags on the street. When the polizia get near, these guys scram for fear of being arrested.
Victor Emmanuel II, located on the Riva degli Schiavoni in Venice. It was created by Ettore Ferrari in 1887. Emmanuel was the first king of a united Italy.
Saint Mark's Cathedral in the setting sun.
Every shop around Saint Mark's square is expensive. This piece was several thousand Euros.
Early night. Most of the tourists have gone back to their cruise ships.
Happy tourists that found someone that can manage a DSLR.
Look out - Killer Clown behind you!
Next to us we met a nice couple from Brazil married for 47 years. Julio had been in Venice 35 years ago before the airport came in and didn't remember seeing as many tourists. Their secret to a long marriage is to fight! And drink wine.
When you're in Venice, try to go here. The line was out the door all night long and everyone was very excited about eating there.
Romantic graffiti.
