Today was spent in Venice. We were here in 1989 and it was just as intriguing this time as the last. Venice is a labyrinth of little narrow streets between the canals. No cars are allowed, only boats and feet. We find it quite charming and appealing.
We went to a glass blowing demonstration. Murano glass is known worldwide as a very high quality glass. They make everything from chandeliers to jewelry. The demonstration we saw included making a pitcher and a horse in just a few minutes. It was pretty awesome.
We visited St. Mark's cathedral, where St. Mark is supposedly buried In a coffin by the pulpit. The inlaid mosaic floor is amazing. Everything is pretty much amazing. They are very proud of their churches everywhere we have been, but they are anything but a religious people. Churches are to shown off, not attended. If there is one way to describe the feeling found inside the churches, it is cold. There is certainly not a good, warm feeling in spite of the ornateness, or maybe because of the ornateness. Each church has a gift shop selling trinkets and such. The savior said "My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves". That quote keeps going through my mind.
Another thing that struck us as odd, is these thousand-plus year old buildings are often used for little shops. Tourism is pretty much the only business in town. Is it what keeps Venice alive. Many of the shops are very high end. While window shopping, we saw a t-shirt for 125 euros. It takes about 138 cents to make a euro. Do the math and you'll realize how much that t-shirt cost. We saw some shoes for €1200. Holy cow! There are also many tourist traps with low cost trinkets.
Rest rooms (WC or toilettes) often cost a half euro to a euro and a half. In Venice it was a euro and a half. And then there are men and women almost using the same ones. There have been times when women walk unto the rest rooms to clean while it is full of men.
We continue to feed our gelato addiction developed in Nicaragua.
Other activities of the day included feeding the pigeons in
St. Mark's Square and a gondola ride down the "streets" of Venice.
We loved our day in Venice, Italy.
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