Day 9
Venice Lagoon Tour
San Giorgio Maggiore
Today was forecast to be less rainy than tomorrow, so we decided to see the other islands in the lagoon in the hopes that we won’t get poured on. We started today at the tiny San Giorgio Maggiore directly across from Piazza San Marco.
This island was settled in the Roman period, but the current church was consecrated in the 800s, and today’s building dates from the 1500s. The main attraction here is the view from the 200-foot-high (60-m) bell tower. You can see out to Lido and the sea, over to St. Mark’s Square on the main island of Venice, and right up the Grand Canal. Spectacular view.
Mom and Dad with the San Marco bellower across the canal.
The floor of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore which was built in the mid-1500s.
A marina on San Giorgio Maggiore, with a view of San Marco.
Venice from San Giorgio's belltower.
The famous Piazza San Marco, crowded even in the rain.
Suzanne, Mom, and Dad atop the bell tower at the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore.
Statues on the San Giorgio Maggiore church overlooking the Grand Canal's goings-on.
We picked up the vaporetto and took it the long way around the south side of Dorsoduro. We passed by Venice’s underbelly—its trash depot and industrial docks. Eventually, we came to Rialto, where we got off to find a place to eat lunch.
Burano Island
After a great lunch—we sat among gondoliers as they ate and commiserated—we headed for the vaporetto at the north end of the island, which will take us to the outer islands in the lagoon. We decided to skip Murano, where the glass is manufactured, and, instead, we decided to see Burano, where the lace makers live.
Burano is a cheerful, little island with brightly colored houses. A little more country than central Venice, it’s quaint and quiet with a smattering of cats lying around.
An abandoned house on an empty island in the Venice lagoon.
The houses on Corte della Comare, Burano Island. All the houses on Burano are painted in vibrant colors.
Burano's technicolor houses sit on sidewalks and canals. Boats out front.
A wedding procession down the main street in Burano.
One of the narrow canals on the island of Burano, one among many in the Venitian lagoon.
The island of Burano with its dangerously leaning bell tower.
Rainy Evening
We took the 4:30 boat back to Venice, which takes the long way toward Lido and finally pulled into St. Marks over an hour later. We walked around a little more before grabbing some food.
Below the Rialto bridge.
Cruise ships lumber through the Venice lagoon, eclipsing entire islands from view.
The left-most lunette on St. Mark's Basilica. This is the only one that survives from the 13th century.
It’s a little wetter out tonight, so the square isn’t as lively, and the music has moved inside. But, it’s still a wonder to behold.
A group shot in Piazza San Marco.
The Basilica of San Marco and the adjacent campanile on a damp, partially flooded square.
With rain all day and the arrival of high tide, the partially flooded square gave up this amazing shot of the basilica.