The next morning when we got up it was kinda raining. We packed up our stuff and got ready to go, getting a little damp in the process. After we checked out we hopped back on the bus to take us back to town (the place we stayed was a distance away from the center of Venice.)
Back in town we grabbed some breakfast at a little bakery and did some more walking around the city. We saw some more glass shops and planned to stop to get some on our way out of the city. I snapped a couple pictures of the local UPS guys delivering some packages.
As we walked along we again came across the Rialto Bridge, although we were actually on the bridge by the time I realized what was under us. It actually looks just like any other street (complete with shops lining the sides) as you walk over it. The only difference is that there are a bunch of steps going up and then down as you cross it. I'll throw a picture on the left of the view looking back down the steps to give you an idea of what it looks like. Like I said, those are shops lining both sides of the steps. You actually have to go behind that row of shops on either side to look out and see the water. When we got back down and over in front of the bridge we had a lady take a picture of us in front of it. Unfortunately, like many picture-takers, she got a picture with us literally in front of it. Well, at least you can see half of it.
Our real destination on this little trek, however, was the Basilica di San Marco (St. Mark's Basilica.) You can get an idea of the lay of that area here. Actually, you can see more of the area in one of the video previews of Microsoft Photosynth (just don't confuse it with the images they show of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.) We enjoyed watching the people buy birdseed in the square and get mobbed by flocks of pigeons. Interestingly enough, they were setting up for some sort of show in the square here as we were arriving. You may recall what happened when we found a show being set up in front of the Colosseum, but this time the stage was not for Billy Joel. You're probably going to want to click on that picture to the left, it's way more effective bigger.
Now this basilica is a pretty popular tourist stop in Venice and it's free to go in. Consequently, there is a pretty hefty line to get in. There is a trick to getting in quickly though. You see, they don't allow you to take big bags, backpacks, suitcases, or other types of luggage in with you. They also don't tell you that until after you've waited in the whole line. At that point, they motion to the signs saying you can't bring that stuff in and give you directions to a building half a block away where you can go and check your luggage for free. After you do that, you get a ticket and come back and they let you go right in without standing in line again. The trick is, if you know this ahead of time you just bring your luggage with you and go check it without waiting in the line. You get the check ticket and walk back over and they let you right in. Thanks again, Rick!
The insides of the domes on the church are all gold-plated. You can walk around the main area for free, but you have to pay a fee to go certain special areas within the structure. We paid to go upstairs and get a look at the collection of artifacts they had in a small museum, along with the views of both the inside and the outside of the building from the second floor.
After we were done checking out the basilica, we headed back into the labyrinth of Venice to check out the shops and buy some glass souviniers. We picked up a few different things; I bought a clock, Kevin got some gifts for friends, and we got a frame in which we put a printed version of the picture above for Mom. Awww.
When we were done buying our goodies and Kevin had picked up the big suitcase we'd checked at the train station, we headed over to the area where all the busses stopped. I'd call it a bus station or something, but there really wasn't much of a station there. We spent the last of our Euros there on one last round of gellato and a huge bottle of water and jumped on a bus headed for the smallest airport I've ever seen. From there we were on our way to London.
[I know this post says it was put up in the middle of September, but I'm actually finally posting it on 9/28. Yeah, it took me that long to finish this.]
