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Sep 20 2011

A Weekend in Venice, Italy

By Ralph Grizzle

We spent a couple of days in Venice, Italy, filming for the new Avid Cruiser travel show.

Venice ranks right up there with Barcelona with regard to the number of ships and cruise passengers it handles. This city of 118 islands, 150 canals and 450 bridges surely woos cruise passengers who set out in search of its charms before or after their cruises. Venice is a living museum.

We explored the main attractions — St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge and much more — and we ventured out to Murano and Burano. We did a gondola ride, enjoyed gelato and a Venetian Spritz. We dined sumptuously and sucked up every moment in this oh-so-beautiful place.

We also explored a “Secret Venice,” thanks to tour operators Bassani Group, which operates many of the shore excursions for the major cruise lines coming to Venice. The rest of the story is told in the photographs that follow.

MSC's Magnifica towers over the Venetian waterfront.

 

A 'vintage' street musician performs "O Sole Mio"

 

Sunset sailing from Venice

 

Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas sails past the Venice waterfront

 

Touring the canals by water taxi

 

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, which we saw on our "Secret Venice" tour

 

The Grand Canal. The racing red boat is a "fireboat"

 

A "fireboat" races along the Grand Canal

 

Photo ops in every direction

 

Approaching Saint Mark's Square

 

The Bridge of Sighs - (sigh)

 

Celebrity Cruises' old Zenith, now operating for Pullmantur

 

Pigeons, pigeons everywhere in St. Mark's Square

 

Pigeons will land wherever you put birdseed (wooing pigeons with birdseed is no longer legal in Saint Mark's Square, by the way)

 

Not everyone was in a hurry this Sunday morning

 

The captain explores Venice

 

Saint Mark's Square, busy this morning

 

Fabio, our gondolier, takes us along the Grand Canal

 

Tip if you wish - the gondoliers work hard for you

 

Murano Glass, one of a kind artwork

 

The leaning tower of . . . Burano

 

Burano lacemaker Paula Toselli at Lilia Lace

 

Beautiful Burano

 

Water taxi on the Grand Canal

 

The Grand Canal

 

Categories: Cruise

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