Venice

Well it is the final excursion of our world cruise, Venice.  It was hard to decide what to have for dinner.  Cia was so used to Edward making his recommends that when faced with a ten page Italian menu she was lost, so it was a good thing we had met our dinner companions from the ship, Peter and Pam, on the first night in Venice.  It helped with the transition.  We had a lovely dinner along the Grand canal and watched the gondolas and taxis and vaparettos run through the night.  During our two days here we walked and walked and walked.  We were located close to the Rialto bridge in a lovely hotel with a huge shower and bath.  Such a nice change from the ship.  Knowing that May 1 was a holiday  we opted to do St Marks on April 30 and we were so glad we did.  On May day it was packed.  I cannot imagine being in this town in the summer; it must be horrible.  While we were here, they were holding an international choral competition.  We had the pleasure of listening to a number of the competitors rehearsing while we were at the Cathedral of Saints John and Paul.  Listening to the choirs in this setting was magical.   We went to the Academica museum, which is superb if you like Medieval art.  They limit the number of people that can be in the gallery at any one time so you truly can enjoy the art without being crowded out, in contrast to the Guggenheim museum.  St Marks Basilica is a must see.  It has phenomenal   mosaics on the walls, floors and ceilings.  We highly recommend paying the extra to go to the museum as it will give you some up close views of the mosaics as well as the original four bronze horses that were originally on the front of the building but have been replaced by replicas.  The other must see is the Doge's palace. The weather was warm and sunny and conducive to two full days of walking.  The best part of Venice is just walking and finding what lies ahead the next narrow walkway.  Make sure you have great walking shoes.  It has been an awesome trip and will take months to assimilate all we have seen,  but we are not done yet.  As soon as we get home it will be time to repack for our trip down south  for a month with the primary goal of seeing the annular eclipse on May 20th at the centre line at a location yet to be finalized.   It truly has been a trip of a lifetime.  Hmmmm Cia wonders when she can book the next world cruise! Cruise tip:  Do the Secret Itineraries tour at the Doge's Palace.  You can avoid the lines and it ill take you into areas not normally  seen in the Palace without the crowds you will encounter when you tour the rest of the Palace.  Avoid the Guggenheim Museum, while the art is nice the crowds prevent any enjoyment; and do not prebook tickets on the internet--it is a rip-off.  If you need to get to the airport, take the Alilaguna for 15 Euros versa 100+ for a water taxi.