TravelMorgan Stone Grethertravel, Italy, Venezia, San Marco, sunset

Sunset at Piazza San Marco

TravelMorgan Stone Grethertravel, Italy, Venezia, San Marco, sunset
Sunset at Piazza San Marco

Venice! What a glorious spot. It is in fact one of my favorite places anywhere; I call it “the heart of the world.” And the heart of Venice? That’s Piazza San Marco, a big public “square” (i.e., trapezoid) with Basilica San Marco and all its breathtaking mixing of architectural styles on one end and the large columns and windows of the Procuratie Vecchie complex, which includes the Correr Museum, shops, restaurants, and fine coffee shops like the Caffe Lavena, wrapping around the other sides. Here are a few snapshots of the piazza at sunset I found on an old roll recently. These were taken from in front of the basilica and from its balcony.

See all my Venetian posts.

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TravelMorgan Stone GretherPalazzo Ducale, Venezia, Italy, travel

Venice, Palazzo Ducale

If there is a more breathtaking view than walking out of the ticket area into the Palazzo Ducale courtyard just off of the Piazza San Marco, then... I will eat (a delicious piece of cake in the shape of) my hat. The Doge's Palace is often overrun with tourists, but with good reason: it is truly a must-see destination. It's a glorious mix of late-medieval and renaissance architectures in ways that only Venice could devise.   

TravelMorgan Stone GretherPalazzo Ducale, Venezia, Italy, travel
Venice, Palazzo Ducale
TravelMorgan Stone GretherVenezia, Italy, Giardinetti Reali, travel

Venice, Day 5: Giardinetti Reali

On day 5 of my Venetian adventures in December 2015, I visited the Giardinetti Reali. It's a wonderful little oasis of calm and greenery, steps away from the wild humanity of Piazza San Marco. The last time I was there the park was overrun delightfully with cats. The cats now though are all gone, as they are gone from every corner of Venice...

TravelMorgan Stone GretherVenezia, Italy, Giardinetti Reali, travel
Venice, Day 5: Giardinetti Reali