Venice is the final port on our 12 night Mediterranean cruise. We cruised into Venice the day before we disembarked, giving us an opportunity to come ashore in the evening, and return to sleep on the ship. Such an interesting city, I wish we had spent significantly more time here. However, we didn’t, so we only had time to hit the highlights of Venice.
Venice is like few other cities. It’s unique and special. Most of the streets are waterways, and the best way to get around is by boat. Unless you are a tourist, then you want to take a Gondola. We couldn’t resist.
The girls were in the front of the gondola.
I enjoyed the flower boxes in the windows as we went past on the canal.
And here are the highlights of our way to short visit to Venice Italy:
The Rialto Bridge the oldest bridge of the four bridges that cross Venice’s Grand Canal.
View of the Grand Canal from the Rialto Bridge.
Piazza San Marco, the main square in Venice.
The clock tower was built in the late 15th century.
The campanile is the tall brick bell tower for the basilica.
We returned for dinner and to see Piazza San Marco in the evening.
Inside Doges Palace
View of the Grand Canal from inside Doges Palace.
Another view from inside Doges Palace.
A bell tower
Traditional and touristy, I love the way the gondolas look in the water.
How about you, what are your highlights of Venice? Would you take a gondola ride?
General Travel Update: We have been traveling around the world since March. We added a last minute cruise deal on the Norwegian Spirit, embarking on Aug 26, 2012 for nearly 2 weeks. We will visit one port in France, four in Italy, two in Greece, and two in Turkey. Rick Steves’ Mediterranean Cruise Ports is the best book we have found whether you are doing your own shore trips or ship excursions.
Just trying to catch up with your travels after a hectic couple of months. Looks like you are all still having a great time. How long before you reach a million photos I wonder?
LOL – It will be a very long time, as we are constantly reducing them. We are over 16k for the trip between the three of us. Hubby doesn’t take photos.