Venice

The first city we visited on our honeymoon (or, luna di miele, in Italian) was Venice, the unbelievably charming city built on about 100 low-lying islands and mudflats off the northeastern coast of Italy, inside a lagoon.

Our hotel was a truly beautiful and luxurious converted palazzo, the Liassidi Palace Hotel, about 5 minutes walking from the Piazza San Marco, and just a minute away from the Riva degli Schiavoni, the boardwalk-like area on the lagoon.

	After dropping off our luggage at the hotel (we arrived too early to check in) we walked over to Piazza San Marco to look around. That is the Basilica San Marco behind us.
	More views of the Piazza.
	More views of the Piazza.
	More views of the Piazza.
	After walking around for a bit, we decided to grab a snack at one of the cafes that line the perimeter of the Piazza. Had a very tasty quiche to tide us over until dinner.
	The cafe provided musical entertainment.
	After our snack, we took the elevator to the top of the Campanille (Bell Tower) in the Piazza, which offers some awesome views of Venice. This ia view looking directly west, over the Piazza towards the Grand Canal. Of course the Canal can't be seen from this perspective.
	Another view from the Campanille, looking a bit more towards the southwest. The beginning of the Grand Canal is in front, and behind it is the Church of Santa Maria di Salute.
	This is looking eastwards from the Campanille, with the Riva degli Schiavoni. There are a number of nice restaurants on the Riva, where we dined two of the three nights we were in Venice.
	This is a view looking straight out over the water, with the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore in the middle of the lagoon.
	Looking straight down, at the gondola docks.
	This is the Bridge of Sighs, which leads from the Doges Palace (Palazzo Ducale) to the prison. Its name supposedly refers to the sighs of prisoners as they were led over the bridge to their doom.
	My honey on one of the many bridges in Venice.
	Out on the town.
	The Piazza is very beautiful at night. Fortunately all the pigeons are gone, unlike during the day when hundreds of them make the place rather unpleasant, IMHO.
	Another shot of Ellen. The gondolas are a wonderful, albeit expensive, way to get a new perspective on life in Venice.
	On Tuesday we took a tour of the Doge's Palace, which was the residence of the rulers of Venice. That is the Basilica in the background.
	Another view of the Piazza and the base of the Campanille, seen from the Doges Palace.
	After our tour of the Doges Palace we had lunch at a small trattoria not far from the Piazza. Generally, the closer to the Piazza a restaurant is, the more expensive it is.
	After lunch we decided to see the Grand Canal, and the easiest way to do it is to take a Vaporetto, which is basically a water-bus, used by tourists and locals to get around. We were lucky to get seats outside the cabin, on the stern, which was nice.
	The main bridge crossing the Grand Canal is the Rialto, which has a number of shops on it, mostly for tourists.
	Another view of the Rialto.
	Another view of the Rialto
	Ellen on the Rialto
	Wednesday we took a tour of the Basilica San Marco. Truly a beautiful building both outside and inside. The ENTIRE ceiling is mosaic (small glass pieces depicting scenes from the Bible). On the roof are these horses, which are actually copies - the originals were taken inside to prevent further deterioration. And no, thats not Big Ben - the Torre Orologio (clock tower) is being renovated, and this screen was put up to protect it. Why the screen doesn't show the Torre, instead of Big Ben, is beyond me.
	Here we are on the balcony of the Basilica.
	Another photo of us on the balcony.
	Wednesday afternoon we took a tour of Cannaregio (one of the outlying neighborhoods of Venice) and the Old Ghetto, the first ghetto where Jews were confined (all subsequent ghettoes took their name from the one in Venice). It took its name from the foundry, or geto, that used to be in the area.
	Walking around Cannaregio.
	This is the house where the painter Tintoretto used to live.
	The main square in the Ghetto. Ellen is in the center of the picture.
	Here I am at one of the entrances to the Ghetto, which for reasons too complicated to explain, is called the New Ghetto (Gheto Novo) - there is another area called the Old Ghetto.
	Outside a wonderful (and wonderfully named) judaica shop in the Ghetto, where we purchased a menorah.
	Our last night in Venice.
	Our last day in Venice, before catching a train to Florence, we took a water taxi over to Murano, which is the island where all Venetian glassworks were moved due to fire hazard. This is a view of Isola di San Michele, the local cemetary, off Venice's north coast. The Jewish cemetary is on Lido.
	Murano Island. The artisans who work here do truly amazing things with glass. Expensive, but amazing.
	Another view of Murano.
	On the water taxi heading to the train station.

Our next city was Florence.