May 8 May 9 May 10 May 11 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May 16 May 17 May 18 May 19 May 20 May 21 May 22 May 23 May 24 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 28 May 29 May 30	Friday 5/25/07 We set the alarms for 6:30 as we have a tour scheduled for this morning. After a nice breakfast, we walked briskly back to San Marco Square, where we found the tour company fairly easily. We had asked for directions instead of relying on what was printed on the voucher this time... We're learning. We were issued a listening device about the size of a cell phone and informed to tune it to a specific frequency and stick the earpiece in our ear. That way, our guide could talk at a normal level and we'd hear her better. Well, that was the theory, anyway. We were glad to give these things back at the end of the tour... Our tour started in front of the church of San Marco, which opened to the public shortly after we entered - we got to go in before the people waiting in the lines. Unfortunately, it wasn't very well lit - not like the last time I was there - and it was definitely not quite ready for the public yet that morning. Few of the candles were lit, so the magnificent cross of red candle holders was hard to see. It was a quick pass through the building - just an overview. The photo on the left above is the Torre dell'Orologio, a clock tower on San Marco square. The photo on the right above is the domes of Basilica San Marco, as seen from the courtyard of the Doge's Palace. After the Basilica, we went into the Doge's Palace - the main seat of power when Venice was self-ruling. The tour there was okay, but I knew more about the history of the place than the guide was telling us. The tour was a bit skimpy. It did include a walk over the Bridge of Sighs to the prisons, but we weren't encouraged to stop along the way at all. Photos of the interior of the Doge's Palace were forbidden, except for the Scala d'Oro, the Golden Staircase. The ceiling of the Scala d'Oro is shown in the photo on the left above. The center photo was taken out of one of the windows of the Doge's Palace and shows the inner courtyard of the palace with the domes of San Marco visible over the formal entrance to the palace. The photo on the right is the Giant's Staircase to the upper levels of the Doge's Palace. Again, this was part of the formal entrance to the building and was built to impress visitors. The statues at the top of the staircase are of Mars (left) and Neptune (right). The winged lion representing San Marco, patron saint of Venice, is visible above the arch at the top of the stairs. The visit to the Doge's Palace ended in the courtyard. We could have stayed there longer, but the guide was encouraging us to join a free trip to Murano to see some glassblowers, implying it was a special deal for us today only. It was a regular feature and many other such free jaunts were being hawked on the waterfront. While waiting for the group to reassemble so that we could board the tour boat, I spotted these lace umbrellas (above) on a vendor's stand. The lace is usually made on the island of Burano, a future destination for this trip. So, we boarded the boat that took us to Murano. The photo on the left above is what the waterfront on the Lagune looked like as we pulled away from the dock. The photo in the center is a small boat we encountered which had two bicycles on its bow. The photo on the right above is our arrival at one of the docks at Murano. Once we arrived at Murano, we were herded into one of the glass factories, where we got a small demonstration of glassblowing. It was interesting, but, between the hot day and the heat of the furnaces, we didn't stay inside the foundry for very long. Then it was into the showrooms - a series of linked rooms full of magnificent glass displays with equally amazing prices!! And no obvious way out... I picked up a couple of small souvenirs there (two small bracelets for Kelly for Christmas), then finally asked the clerk how to get out. There was a small sign over an obscure door... The two photos above were taken in the glass foundery. The master on the left was assembling glass slabs with glass fish between the layers, making small artificial aquariums. The master on the right made this small glass horse while we were watching. No photography was allowed in the showroom itself, however. Which didn't stop me from photographing other samples of Murano glass when I found it in store windows, such as the two photos below. The horses in the photo on the left are similar to the one we watched being made in Murano, but much larger. The assorted figurines in the photo on the right, including Popeye, a Smurf, Santa, Tweetie, and Sylvester are just whimsical. We still had a little time before the boat would return us to Venice, so we got a lemon ice, which helped cool us off a bit. Once back on the island of Venice, we ambled back towards the hotel. We stopped for a small lunch at Florian's, a famous restaurant in San Marco Square, and people watched for a while. I took this photo of the table next to us. You can see some of San Marco square inverted in her wine glass. Lunch was good, but expensive. There was even an extra charge put on the ticket because the orchestra started playing while we were sitting there! Of course, you were warned about this on the menu. The photos above show some of the many mask shops we passed in our wanderings. Some had "No Photos" signs in the windows. When I saw those - always the most beautiful masks - I obeyed. The photo in the center above has masks that were supposed to mimic the Borg, Star Trek characters. The photo on the right also shows one of the many Carnivale costumes that most of the mask shops also had for sale. These four photos show some of the gondola scenes we encountered in our wanderings today. The one on the left above shows a gondolier waiting for customers. The center one above shows a waiting gondola and some of the canals it will travel. The photo on the right above has two gondola prows. The photo to the immediate left shows how low the clearance is below some of Venice's bridges! The three photos above are some of the miscellaneous things that caught my eye while wandering around this day. The photo on the left is the front of a store selling handmade soaps. I thought they had an eye catching sign... The photo in the center is a reflection of a building in a canal. The photo on the right is a cat that wanted to go out and play. We stopped in the hotel bar for a margarita each, then a local drink, called a Rossini, which consisted of strawberry juice and sparkling wine (prosecco) and was garnished with a fresh strawberry. Very light and refreshing. And addictive... After cleaning up from the day, we walked down to another neighborhood trattoria for dinner. Again, it was full of locals, which was nice. It was a good meal and an interesting place. After dinner, we found the ATM then went back to the hotel to try a limoncello. Wow! Oh, when we asked the desk clerk if there was an ATM close, he replied that it was open 24 hours! No, close, as in nearby, not closed.... He chuckled at his mistake and directed us to the nearest one. In the next few days, we would talk with this clerk several times. I think we amused him. After a while, we no longer had to tell him our room number to retrieve our key. And he greeted us by name from then on. I can't remember his name now! Next...