Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Third Stop: Venice, Italy-Part Three

I forgot to show you this huge bell tower in St. Mark's Square yesterday. I believe that it is called, The Campanile di San Marco. (But don't quote me on that.)




After walking around St. Mark's Square, shopping, and getting gelato all over my face, Melissa and I walked around to get a better look at Venice.

I took a picture of this "delivery boat." It was delivering drinks and other supplies to a local restaurant.



This next picture lets you see what the sidewalks are like in Venice. And notice the gondolas in the canal.



Here is a picture of a Best Western hotel. People who were staying at the hotel would watch the gondolas go by. It was so charming and surreal....It really is so perfect, that it seems a lot like a movie set.



You can see just how narrow most of the canals are.



Notice in this next picture how little room the gondolas have to fit through when there is other traffic in the canals. These canals are busy during the day in the same way that our streets are busy during the day in America. That's why we were very glad that we had our gondola ride in the evening; it was much more peaceful.



I think of all of my photos in Venice, that this one is the prettiest. This little bridge adorned with the bright red flowers was so charming.



Melissa and I both loved Venice so much.....But, as you know, all good things must come to an end, so we had to take the ferry and return to the ship. We were looking forward to it though, because there was going to be a masquerade party as we were pulling out of Venice. We each bought masks to wear. Melissa's was blue, and mine was pink.

When we got to our cabin, we got ready for the party out on the Lido Deck. Once out there, we saw someone that we knew. We asked him if he would take our picture in our masks. He said, "Sure!"........



Nice, huh?

But Melissa and I are not girls who give up easily, so we just asked someone else....



There were so many people in all different kinds of masks, that it was a little bit on the creepy side, but it was still fun.

As we were pulling out of the port in Venice, I got some really nice shots of the city.



Notice how blue the sky looks compared with the green of the water.



Do you see the green dome?......It's the same green dome in my painting. (I know, I've already told you that, but it is still very exciting to me.)



I loved this outdoor restaurant eating area; what a view for dinner!



Here is what St. Mark's Square looks like from the water.



If you look closely in this next picture, you will see that two of the towers are leaning.



We were told that happened sometime after construction, because the people who built the towers did not have a good understanding of the foundation that they were building on.

I really enjoyed my time in Venice so much!
It is just such a unique place. Everyone should add "Seeing Venice" to their bucket list.

I'm just saying is all.

After taking 867 so many pictures, both of our camera batteries died. So we had to charge them during dinner.

You will just have to trust me when I tell you all that Melissa and I looked very stunning while we ate all kinds of food fit for a queen.

When we returned to our cabin after dinner, we were greeted by another disgusting towel animal.



What can I say? Frogs always seem to find me.

13 comments:

Mia said...

ooh,ooh I am FIRST!! Oh YES!! Its been a long time since I have been the first comment-er. Cause now that you are so famous I would have to get up pretty early in the morning to beat all your fans here!! I was beginning to worry because you didn't post at your usual time...(can anyone say "stalker"?)LOL
These pictures today are truly stunning. I have to say I too love that picture of the narrow canal with the red flowers. You should have that one enlarged and framed.
How are you feeling? I've been wondering...and praying of course!
God Bless Friend!
M.

Gina said...

I love the photos you posted today! Venice is so beautiful. I think I am going to put it on the top of my bucket list! I was wondering where you were this morning just like Mia. Go ahead and add me to your stalker list. :)

Gina

Laura said...

So lovely. You are giving me Venice envy, girl! Maybe some day...
Thank you for your sweet words at the Wellblog today. It's so hard not to get discouraged, huh? We have to keep encouraging each other in this crazy journey! Know that you encourage me, friend. Hang in there, and stay out of the shadows!

Tina said...

Every day I have to say 'Oh I love it. Beautiful Pictures! I want to go there SO bad!!!'


so for today...

DITTO!

Funny about the mask picture!

Paula V said...

I have to admit that when my eyes saw your headless photo as I was reading your paragraph preceding it, I was wondering, okay what's the point in adding this photo. I wonder if she realizes she added a headless photo...then as I read, I understood. I guess that will teach my impatient vision (instead of peripherial) to look ahead. HA!

The photo in which you tell us to look at the blue sky compared to the green water...that photo makes it look like the entire town is "floating" on water. Neat.

When you said:
"the people building it didn't have a good understanding of the foundation they were building on", I thought wow if there's not some spiritual truth there. How many of our lives have been built (or previously built) on the wrong foundation? How many have built our lives and not understood the importance of having Christ as our foundation? Mmm...I could just eat up those words and run with them...

But I won't cause I'm fixin' to fix up my baked tater with some dollops ...not of daisy but of walmart...
Paula

Pamela (His maidservant) said...

Beautiful! Beautiful!I so want to go there some day. I will just have to soak in your journey until there. Again, thanks for sharing!!
In His Graces~Pamela

Denise said...

I am still laughing out loud at your first mask picture that someone took of y'all. This is so funny!!! The trip to Venice has been wonderful. The pictures are fabulous. I have some trivia for you . . . Katharine Hepburn is my favorite movie actress and she made a movie called Summertime, which was filmed on location in Venice. The canal water is supposed to be very nasty and disease-ridden - back then, anyway, not sure about now. Anyhoo, there was a scene in the movie where she fell in the canal while taking a picture. This was not supposed to happen, but it was left in the movie. Because the water was so contaminated, she got a serious eye infection and her eye watered constantly for the rest of her life. Now you know . . .
See you tomorrow.
Denise

sa061545@bellsouth.net said...

Hey, baby, I'm late today! Your daddy didn't get me up until 7:20!!!! I had to hurriedly dress and run out the door as work was waiting for me! These pictures today are so beautiful! I just cannot imagine how you felt - it just seems so surreal. I'm so happy that you got to have this experience (even with all the downsides!).
Love you!
Mom :)

(I had not heard Denise's story about Katherine Hepburn!)

Tricia said...

Ohhh so pretty!! Looks like a dream!! I also love the pic where you are loaded down with all of the shopping bags....you and I would get along just fine!!!

Tricia said...

Annel: Miss Truvy, I promise that my personal tragedy will not interfere with my ability to do good hair.

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

That's gonna be one mighty big scrapbook with all these pictures. Venice looks like a dream. Sorry I've been out of the loop. On vaca with fam and will be back in action next week.

peace~elaine

Anonymous said...

Those pictures are so beautiful...they look just like post cards.

Oh and it is SOOOO funny to me that Venice has FROGS
AND they found their way to your room ;)

Jamie said...

More beautiful pictures! This was definitely a trip of a lifetime. And those towel animals crack me up.