Venice, Day 19

Mosaics are everywhere in Piazza San Marco.

The Piazza was starting to flood the day we were there...you can see the water coming in here.

1. Spent a lot of time on water taxis (eg, the bus) on the Grand Canal today, watching the buildings, boats and gondolas go by. I've heard Venice called the most beautiful city in the world, and I can't say that I disagree. Everything is crumbling and old and in some state of disrepair, but that's part of what gives Venice its charm
2. Piazza San Marco is amazing. The Basilica is incredibly intricate mosaics everywhere from floors to it's huge domed ceilings. Stunning. Also, the plaza, prone to flooding in the winter, was starting to flood. Just patches of water when we were there this morning, but they were growing and you could see the supports and boards for the walkways they use during floods at the ready. Some of the mosaics were already underwater...that can't be good for them
3. Getting off the water taxi at random stops and wandering the back alleys, getting totally lost and turned around is fun. The canals and the architectural detail are beautiful, really no matter where you go. And when you get away from the major sites there are no crowds, just me and my husband exploring, it's so, so nice
4. Venice is famous for its glass, and one of the quirkiest and coolest things I saw today was over the door of one of the weather buildings on the Grand Canal a bull's head done in red and blue glass, the bright colors and smoothness of it contrasting with the crumbling pale stucco facade of the building itself
5. Not much to see on the Grand Canal at night. Many of the buildings are totally black. Although some are lit up with spotlights, and some windows are open and lit. All those windows it seems like have incredibly ornate glass chandeliers