Miglia/Venice continued

8/19, morning. Still struggling with the internet. Doubt it will get better when I change hotels today, but who knows. Meanwhile, I wandered around Venice a bit more last night. It's a great town for that, not really any craziness. No one asked for money, no one tried to steal my purse or accost me in any way. It's a great town in which to be a tourist. It's funny to look around everywhere and almost everyone you see who isn't a shopkeeper, waiter, delivery person, or entertainer has a camera in one hand and a map in the other. Most of the hotel, shop and restaurant people are fluent in several languages. Mostly they have me pegged as American before I say a word, but occasionally try French first. The only time I've been mistaken for Italian was a lost Italian tourist in Rho. I understood his question because it's pretty basic tourist language. "Where is the..."

8/19, night. Left my bags at the old hotel and jumped in line to see St. Mark's Bassilica this morning. Got a pretty good spot right behind some very interesting Australians. We kept each other company until we got in. I listened to the Rick Steve's audio tour podcast that I had downloaded onto my phone a while back. It was very informative and they don't offer a real audio tour thing there so I was more in the know than most. Funny, the Bassilica is supposed to be all about the ceiling stuff, but I have to say, the quiltwork of little marble pieces on the floor was amazing. I still think the Doge's Palace was more amazing, too. The Bassilica was incredible, but this town starts it's incredible 1-10 levels at 12 and I think I'd put the Doge's shack at about a 15, and the I Frari church was up there, too.

After the Bassilica I scoped out my new hotel but as it was to early to check in yet, I hopped on a boat to Murano to see some glass blowing and see what they had to show for themselves. The glass blowing was interesting but pretty much like Tacoma/Chihuly. I had thought I might see something a little different and did find a couple of nice small dishes that I bought. I was looking for some unusual glass beads but didn't see anything I hadn't seen at Michaels or Shipwreck Beads. (OK, there were some pretty cool things there that were, you know, just too big to get home.... )

Back in Venizia proper, I wandered around aimlessly, shopping and taking pictures to my heart's content. Then I took a chair in a small piazza cafe and ordered a prosecco (dry sparkiling white wine that I like better than champagne.) Then I checked into the new digs, fetched bags from the old hotel, and headed over to St. Mark's Piazza again to stand in line for a trip up the new Campanile (bell tower.) The old one collapsed rather suddenly in 1902 so this is a very new but supposedly good replica. I timed my visit to catch the late afternoon sun. Sunsets haven't been very spectacular, but the late afternoon does bring out the warm reds and golds that are the colors of Venice.

The view was stunning so I took shots all around as the light changed. I also wanted to hang out long enough to hear and watch the bells ring. I was afraid it would be horribly loud and painful, but, although it was loud, it didn't seem too painful, just awesomely beautiful. Those bells really get swinging!

The new hotel has free wireless, but still it won't upload photos so still no pics.

Well, I hear those wonderful bells ringning in midnight as I write this so guess I'd better see if I can get some sleep.