As I pulled this post up from my archives for today’s post, I couldn’t help but wonder, ironically, if the dramatic drop in 22.5 million tons of tourists (assuming 30 million tourist times 150 pounds) visiting Venice because of the pandemic will slow the city’s date with destiny as it sinks into the sea at the rate of nine inches per century. Peggy and I arrived by cruise ship, a mode of travel I had religiously avoided for most of my life. But the opportunity to visit many locations in the Mediterranean at one time was a temptation I couldn’t resist.
Perched on the top deck of the Crown Princess, it was easy to see that Venice is an island, a relatively small island. Built on a marsh, it is sinking into the sea at about 9 inches per century. Vivaldi, BTW, once offered music lessons at the Hotel Metropole on the right.
We approached Venice by sea, as mariners have for the past thousand years. I was perched on the top deck of the Crown Princess looking down on the fabled island city. Icy winds turned my traveler’s curiosity into a minor act of courage. A warm bar beckoned. But I was motivated. There were photos to be taken and adventures to plan. My next five blogs will be devoted to the city. Today’s blog is on my crow’s nest view. I will then write about visiting the area around St. Mark’s Square, admiring the city’s famed canals, getting “lost” among Venice’s confusing streets, and going window shopping.
Venice is justly famed for its canals… and for the bridges over the canals. Each seems to have a different personality.
Altogether, there are some 25 miles of canals. Each one invites exploration. The building just visible on the right is the city’s naval museum. Venice was once one of the world’s greatest sea powers. The lack of crowds reflects that tourist season was drawing to a close as winter approached.
The presence of gondolas suggested we were getting near the center of Venice’s greatest tourist attraction…
And we arrived. The building on the right is the Doge’s Palace. Next to it is the beginning of St. Mark’s Square… the center of Venice.
Looking down on St. Mark’s Square. The Campanile is on the left reaching toward the sky and St. Mark’s Basilica is on the right, behind the Doge’s Palace. Snow capped mountains are in the distance. Walkways kept people’s feet dry as water covered the square.
I found this building, the Emporio Dei Sali, interesting. Once it housed salt. Now it is home to one of Venice’s best rowing clubs.
This photo looks back toward the Campanile. The opening on the right is the beginning of the Grand Canal. The church with the onion dome is La Salute, which was built as an offering of thanks at the end of the plague of 1630 when one-third of the City’s population died.
A final view from my crow’s nest perspective. The hotel Pensione Calcina was once home to limestone sellers.
NEXT BLOG: The many attractions of St. Mark’s Square (which we admire from walkways as it floods).
Wandering through Time and Place 