An early start to the day for a walking tour of Venice, and it just happened to be the coldest day we have had so far. Didn't see the sun all day. Our guide took us around a number of different points of interest on the hour and a half tour, including St Marks Basilica (we did a tour of that later), the church of Saints John and Paul, the hospital, the Rialto Bridge, Marco Polo's home, and a number of other historic buildings and sites. Interestingly, when we were outside the hospital, the funeral boat turned up, presumably to take a body or two to the cemetery. We'd seen the postal service boat, the garbage pick-up boat, lots of boats delivering various goods and freight, police boats, etc, but the funeral services boat was something we hadn't thought about! The tour guide pointed out a small island with a grove of Cyprus trees and that apparently was the local cemetery.
Our next tour was of the Basilica, and that was a truly amazing building. Inside, the ceiling was covered in mosaic art, all in 24k gold. Intricate marble inlays on the floor, exquisite sculpture, it was stunning.
We spent the afternoon discovering new parts of the city, particularly near the Rialto Bridge area. Have booked another tour for tomorrow, taking a gondola ride (a must do in Venice!)
Photos included today are of the Venice hospital, some images of St Marks Basilica, and views from the Rialto Bridge, including us on it!
Great photos.
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