D29 – PIAZZA SAN MARCO: AN EVENT ALL ITS OWN

Our long, slow walk ended when we suddenly spilled out into Piazza San Marco in Venice.  We then experienced one of those, “What do we do now?” moments. The first thought is, “Can we stop walking and sit down for a while.” That was not to be since the famous piazza has no park benches, no patches of grass, or any other way to get off your dogs. After getting the obligatory picture taken, the only places to sit…without paying…were the marble steps that lead from the arcades to the piazza floor. Oh well, any port in a storm.

Piazza San Marco is considered one of the most beautiful squares in the world and is the center of Venice when large events occur. The Basilica of St. Mark, currently undergoing some external restoration, dominates the square at its eastern end.

The exterior art over the main entry promises more to come inside, but you must stand in a never-ending line to enter the basilica

It also comes with  conditions, including some that are very current.

The killer to the interior tour was the provision that personal belongings (cameras, devices, etc.) would be collected and available a block or two away after the tour. We passed.

The architecture is impressive here, starting with the freestanding Campanile bell tower of St. Mark’s church. The bell tolls hourly and smothers all other sound. It was restored in 1514 and then rebuilt in 1912 after a 1902 collapse. That fact made the long line for a trip to the top less attractive. It could happen again, y’know.

Who hasn’t seen pictures of Piazza San Marco with people feeding pigeons? It’s a wonderful place to be and hundreds of pigeons think so too.

Some pigeons are exceedingly brave. Matter of fact, so is this guy.

One thing that always seems available in Europe is the outdoor café. In Venice it goes one step further with professional musicians playing classical music while you sip.

With the Procuratie Vecchie (former homes & offices of St. Mark’s officers) as a background, it must be easier to be inspired while playing for an audience drinking the most expensive cup of coffee in the world.

The arcades shelter the many stores that line the piazza. There was so much going on that Louise wasn’t even tempted to window shop.

After spending too much time watching people taking selfies or pix of their friends, we headed toward the piazzetta (little piazza) that leads to the lagoon.

This area seems to be a gathering point for access and egress of the piazza. Here we found a woman in a bride’s costume. We assumed she and the groom were here to draw money out of our pockets. “But, they don’t have a can to collect money,” I pointed out to Louise. “Just check the size of her bra,” she said. “That’s where the money goes.” Well, I had checked it, but that thought never crossed my mind. When the rest of the wedding party arrived, they disappeared. They were for real after all…and so was her bosom.

Other people seemed oblivious to the crowds, like these two lucky women who found a free place to sit while writing their own blogs.

The lagoon is the launch point for many of the gondolas that hope to entice lovers or would-be lovers into a cruise of the Venetian neighborhood canals. I have this lasting image of a bunch of gondoliers poised to leap into a waiting boat when their number is called. Never heard one of them sing though.

The lagoon is also where all other forms of water transportation come together. Boats to the other islands, to the mainland and to the Grand Canal are all found here. We decided to spring for a ride on a vaporetta that would take us back to our hotel. It would provide a leisurely and photo rich ride as a bonus.

That’s coming up in the next episode.

Louise and Ray