Italy 5: Venice 2

Doge's Palace, Venice: gathering at the courtyard for a "secret" tour, which I signed up for mainly to avoid long lines. The secret we find out is that the tour does not include the main palace sights. But do not despair, we are allowed to stay after the tour is over and see the rest of the sights on our own. We will return to the "golden" staircase above, the usual starting point for visitors.

Torture Chamber, Doge's Palace: so this tour concentrates on the prison side, but our Italian guide offers an excellent summary of overall Venetian history, so it is not a torture. This chamber was supposedly very effective.

Casanova's prison cell, Doge's Palace: one of the areas open only to this tour. After escaping from this prison, the womanizer extraordinaire wrote a book about it.

Doge's Palace: attic above the Hall of the Great Council

"Golden" staircase, Doge's Palace: now we resume the normal tour on our own. The ceiling over the staircase entry contains a large amount of real 24K gold. 

Doge's Palace: in addition to the residence of the doge, the highest but largely symbolic position, the palace has a series of institutional chambers filled with great art. This ante-room contains Rape of Europa by Paolo Veronese (right) and a work by Tintoretto (left).

Hall of the Council, Doge's Palace: largely decorated with painting by Veronese.  The major work here depicts Sebastiano Venier, the doge of Venetian Republic, giving thanks to the Redeemer after the Battle of Lepanto, one of the occasions in history that saved Europe from the Ottomans. Good job, the guy from Verona, which is our destination after Venice!

The Hall of the Senate, Doge's Palace: Tintoretto's Triumph of Venice on the ceiling

Hall of the Council of Ten, Doge's Palace: a Veronese painting, Jupiter Hurling Stones at the Vices, on the ceiling. Actually this is a copy as the original was taken by Napoleon. The Council of Ten was the most feared security apparatus in the Venetian Republic, sort of like KGB, I guess. 

Hall of the Major Council: Tintoretto's Paradise hangs on the front wall of this massive hall.

Tintoretto's Paradise is the world's largest oil painting.

Hall of the Major Council: represented by a black shroud, Marino Faliero, the 55th doge, who was executed for treason, is basically erased from Venetian history.

Doge's Palace: walking over the Bridge of the Sighs and peeping through a hole to look at the tourists taking a picture of this iconic bridge

Cafe Florian: back in San Marco Square, this is one of those things you have to try just because... it is probably the most famous of the cafes on the square which has lured celebrity clients over the years. The server advises that we keep our light lunch covered to fend off pigeons.

It wouldn't be Piazza San Marco without pigeons.

Encountering a traffic jam while returning to our hotel by foot to take a mid-day break

A brief respite on a small bridge. If there is a canal, you can count seeing on a gondola (or two).

A gondolier taking a break

La Fenice: too bad the tour of the opera house is unavailable as there is a live performance now. Would have liked to see the newly built hall and their little collection of Maria Callas memorabilia.

Empty street in Venice, what a concept! Actually, the area west of Piazza San Marco appears much quieter.

Arriving back in Piazza San Marco and heading toward the Campanile

Admiring columns of Basilica di San Marco being bathed in low sunlight while waiting in line to go up to the top of Campanile

After an easy elevator ride, we are treated to this view. Doge's Palace and Basilica di San Marco in the foreground. A cruise ship seen in distance.

Campanile: ear-splitting sounds as the bells go crazy on the hour

View of Piazza San Marco from the top of the Campanile, as the sun goes down.

Harry's Bar: where the Bellini was invented when the Cipriani patriarch was a young man (the cocktail, not one my favorite opera composers). It's just as well that we are here too early for beef carpaccio on the evening menu, which also originated here. An opportunity lost to overpay for another hyped up item. 

A Vivaldi concert by Interpreti Veneziani: the program is... what else, "Le Quattro Stagioni" (Four Seasons). At San Vidal Church.

Some may not take this sort of a concert seriously, as it is geared mainly for tourists who are free to take photographs. Yes, these musicians may not be world-class, but this is a local ensemble, playing the beloved piece by a native and important Baroque composer, "The Red Priest," right here in Venice. That sounds pretty authentic to me.