We arrived in Venice at around 8 am and walked the few steps to our hotel to leave our luggage. While we were waiting for check-in time, we wended our way through the streets of Venice, eventually crossing the city to San Marco. The streets of Venice are even more maze-like than Avignon with the addition of criss-crossing canals and numerous palazzi. It is fascinating to see this place for the first time, when one is still excited by the sight of masks and supposed Murano glass in the shops and the novelty of a city in which most of the traffic is pedestrian or on water.
Hotel Florida, convieniently just around the corner from the train station. Very handy when you have to carry your bags! (Water taxis are very expensive.)
The Grand Canal in front of the train station.
Stunning glass from Murano. Imagine trying to get this back to Australia!
We started walking early, so saw some of Venice without tourists. As our walk wore on the multitudes of tourists appeared and crammed all of the main streets.
We checked in to a really lovely room with a small balcony (albeit overlooking a narrow alley) and refreshed ourselves.
We stopped in a Jewish bakery for lunch on the way to the Venetian Ghetto. This ghetto was the first to carry that name anywhere in the world and comprises a small 'island' surrounded by canals on all sides. Since all Jews were required to live there the area is much higher density than other areas of Venice with buildings of about 6 storeys. Today it is a quiet place, off the main tourist path (which surprised us). There is a main square with a synagogue, museum and holocaust memorial.
The campo of the Venetian ghetto.
We made our way to the famous and opulant palazzo Ca' D'Oro. It is now holds an art collection but we hoped to see some of the inside of a palazzo as well. Unfortunately there is almost nothing left of the original interior and we could have been in any art gallery anywhere.
The beautiful facade of Ca' D'Oro, on the right.
After another walk we had an okay Italian meal at a very touristy spot when we got tired of saying no to touts. We vowed it would be the last restaurant with a tout we would eat at on principle.
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