Venice, Italy
- Part I: St. Mark’s Square & Basilica
- Part II: Venetian cuisine
- Part III: Murano glass-making
- Part IV: Burano, “The Island of Painted Houses”
- Part V: Carnival Weekend
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Introduction
My weekend in Venice (February 11-12th) will always remain one of my favorite memories.
Despite the unusually cold weather (we saw the lagoon freeze for the first time in ~50 years), Chelsea and I had an amazing time. We captured the picturesque sights of the islands and canals, visited churches and museums, learned how the artisans of Murano craft glass, tasted traditional Venetian dishes, and took part in the festivities of Carnevale.
While the pictures cannot possibly convey the true beauty and spirit of Venice, hopefully they can share a glimpse of this wonderful experience 🙂
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Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square)
St. Mark’s Square is the most stunning piazza I could imagine. When arriving to this main island of Venice, the dock area on the water is lined with adorable shops, restaurants and hotels. As you walk towards the Piazza San Marco, the buildings, statues, canal views and architecture suddenly surround you and can take your breath away. (I must admit, the sunlight–which we didn’t experience until the afternoon of Day 2–makes the views so much more beautiful than the gloomy sky backdrop in some of these photos).
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Basilica Cattedrale Patriarcale di San Marco (The Church of St. Mark)
St. Mark’s Basilica is absolutely unbelievable. It’s a Roman Catholic church of Byzantine and Gothic architecture built in the early 11th century, and “divine” is really the most appropriate adjective to describe it. The intricate structure and decorations of the exterior blew me away, and then the immense mosaic and details of the interior completely mesmerized me.
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Check back for Venice: Parts II, III, IV and V about 2) Venetian cuisine, 3) Murano glass-making, 4) Burano (“The Island of Painted Houses”), and 5) the Carnevale.