and then it is all water from there. There are water taxis, water buses, private boats, construction boats, polizia boats, fire boats, emergency ambulance boats and if the above don't work out the funeral "Hearse" boats. There are very nice boats for the mayor and the staff at city hall. Oh, there are also the famous gondola's which are all over ferrying tourists around the canal. David, our guide, pointed out the gondolas that the locals use have two gondoliers and everyone stands in the gondola. Venetians pride themselves on their balance.
A gondola for Venetians. Note the two gondoliers and that she is standing
Behind us is the "Bridge of Sighs." The bridge between the courthouse and the jail where the prisoner gets their last view of freedom!
My daughter, Jackie, showing her "Italian" side of the family in St. Mark's Square
senses were overwhelmed to the point that I had tears in my eyes. David, seeing my tears, leans in and says "go ahead and cry, it means you are experiencing all that is Venice!" From that point on he pushed my chair and shared his home with me. I didn't want to see the tourist Venice and he understood. We took the water bus, which is just like a regular bus accept it rocks and everyone but the locals hang on (remember their pride on their balance). The crowd, the noise,
the hustle and bustle of people getting on and off was exhilarating. Remember, this is all occurring on the water just like it wasn't there at all. When our turn came, my chair and I were used to clear a path for the rest of our group to get off and none of the locals took offense or even batted an eye about it.
Yep, it's leaning! From the cruise ship, I counted fourteen towers that were leaning.
stuff! Except for my cousin Bills' pasta which looked like cooked grey worms with dead baby squid and covered with some indescribable sauce (definitely an acquired taste). We ate and watched the sun set on the buildings. It was
almost voyeuristic as people in the homes across the canal performed their evening routines in various states of undress and curtains wide open! After dinner we went for some gelato. I ordered a flavor which translates to "kiss the lady" next thing I know two ladies come out and kiss me on the cheeks. Very
nice!
locals live. The whole time David gave my son and I a personal tour occasionally
raising his voice so the others could hear too.
My impression of Venice? The experience was so guttural that it hurts
to even think that I, most likely, will never return. It was a deeply special
eight hours of my life. I would love to say one of those incisive and profound
statements that people expect the terminally ill to somehow envision but I
can't.
So, as David said many times that day, OPA!
Next stop, Kotor!