This morning we've decided to have breakfast at Niki Bar. This turned out to be a very bad decision. I had wanted to get an American style breakfast instead of buffet items from the hotel. I had thought this would be a good choice. Had to take vaporetto to San Toma and then walk a bit. Found the place but first clue should have been the fact there was no one else here. Limited menu with all items listed at around same price which seemed strange. Coffee Americano for Richard and cappuccino for me. Richard gets the muesli/yogurt/fruit combo while I like the sound of the avocado/tomato/spinach/onion omelet. Well, Richard's choice was great but mine was an entirely different story. Even Richard couldn't eat it and said it did not taste like an egg omelet. It was awful and I did feel bad just leaving it. Cost 31€/$33.92. Expensive lesson. Should just have had breakfast at our hotel. Back to the vaporetto to go to San Marco stop.
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| Niki Bar |
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| Menu |
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| Niki Bar |
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| Menu |
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Menu
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| Coffees |
I have pre booked us tickets for St. Mark's Basilica but we're a bit early so we're walking down by the canal when we hear noise in the sky. Looking up we notice several jets flying, making passes. Then we see colors of red, green, white coming from the jets. There are 9 jets total, 3 each color. Then one other jet does a kind of wave action. It was very cool to see that. It lasted around 15 minutes.
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| Can barely see the jets approaching |
St. Mark's Basilica. 11th century. Eastern style. Pre booked tickets time 12:00-12:30 pm entry. We're a bit early at 11:30 am but are let in. There is a dress code. No bare shoulders or knees. Cost 40€/$44.59. The tickets are for not just the Basilica but the Pala d'Oro and the Museum Loggia/Horses. We spent a little over an hour here. The church is huge. Everywhere you look you can see something amazing. Floor, ceiling, walls. Interior is lit from 11:30 am-12:30 pm. There was a machine where you could get a souvenir coin. I tried it and it worked. Can't remember the cost (euro coin) but it's nice. Outline of Italy on one side and the 4 horses on the other side.
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| Souvenir coin |
Mosaic over far left door St. Mark coffin and 2 men was stolen from Egypt. Atrium-right-mosaic Noah's Ark and the great flood. Creation Dome-story of Genesis. Greek cross floor plan. Lower walls-green, yellow, purple, rose marble slabs. Geometric pattern. Chandelier near entrance doorway-support chain-dome above-Pentecost mosaic 12 apostles, Holy Spirit. Central dome-ascension, Christ resurrected, tree Mount of Olives, Mary. 4 corners-gospel writers Matev, Marc, Luca, Ioh. Rood screen 14 saints. Pulpit on the right-for the doge. North transept-left painted wooden icon Mary and baby Jesus painted by Luke. South transept-right-Mark mosaic depicts praying for help to find saint's bones-relics inside hollow column and placed under the altar. Door under rose window with green curtain leads to Doge's Palace. Treasury-south transept. Byzantine treasures-icons, chalices. Large glass center case center of room-most precious. Hanging lamp with fish, black bucket (fading pagan world) icons crucifixion and of archangel Michael, enamel work. Urn of Artaxerxes I (Persian king).
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| Floor |
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| Floor |
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| Floor |
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| Floor |
Golden Alterpiece/Pala d'Oro. Behind main altar. New Testament scenes. 250 enamels with religious scenes. Center-Jesus sits Golden Throne, halo of pearls and jewels. Along the bottom row Old Testament prophets panels along sides-Mark's story meets Peter at gates Rome and ends with 2 Venetian merchants returning by ship carrying and laying his coffin to rest.
San Marco Museum and St. Mark horses-staircase up. Mosaic fragments. 3 Highlights right view of interior, bronze horses 175 B.C. Loggia and view of St. Mark's Square. Balcony horses are modern copies.
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| Feet of St. Mark |
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Fragment from scene St. Mark healing a leper
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St. Bartholomew baptizes in India
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| Mosaic fragment from the Magi meeting Herod 14th century |
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| View down into the basilica |
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| View St. Mark's Square |
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Terrace horses
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| View Clock Tower |
Campanile. Bell tower. Square plan. 99 meters high. Elevator. Cost 12€ Lovely views.
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| Campanile |
Clock Tower. Marks entry to main shopping area. Bronze men (Moors) swing clappers each hour. Can take a guided tour inside.
Harry's Bar. Hemingway hang out. Bellini. It's pricey. It's touristy. But that bellini was so darn good! Veery busy and if there for drinks only can only sit at the bar. Fortunately for us there were 2 seats available. Cost 44€.
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| Menu |
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Bellinis
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| Dish of olives came with the drinks |
La Salute Church. Crown shaped dome. Facade-statues Mark, Luke, Matthew, John. Baroque. Altar-Byzantine icon. Sacristy-Titian and Tintoretto. Architect-Baldassare Longhena. Exterior-white stone, steep dome. Bronze plaques-physical and spiritual health. Main altar-marble statues Virgin and child center approached for help kneeling Lady Venice (left) Mary sends angel baby (right) to drive away Old Lady Plague. Sacristy-Tintoretto Marriage at Cana Side chapel Giordano Titian Pentecost. Back to our hotel to get ready for dinner.
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| Accademia Bridge |
Osteria de Lovo. Reservation is for 8:00 pm. We are taken to a nice table on the second floor. It's a busy place. Menu has good variety of items. Drinks-Lagunitas IPA beer for Richard and a glass of house white wine for me. Bread basket. There is almost always a small cover charge at each restaurant we've been to so far and maybe the bread is part of that? Richard gets Parma ham and melon. It is incredible. That melon is fantastic and I've not tasted melon like this in a very long time. Back home the melon has been bitter, not sweet. This is really tasty and very light. Gives Richard an excuse to have more bread! I have the shrimp curry with vegetables and basmati rice. It was great. For dessert I'm going for the panna cotta. I've never had it so I want to try it. It's so pretty to look at and tastes even better. Good choices all around for dinner tonight. Cost 85€/$93.01.
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| Menu |
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| Menu |
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| Bread |
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Parma ham and melon
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Shrimp curry with vegetables and basmati rice
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| Dessert-panna cotta |
We do a bit of window shopping as we walk back to our hotel. Tomorrow is Torcello and Burano.
Wow, Thanks for sharing your Venice trip. Great pictures of a mind-blowing location. Venice is like no other place. We were there for 4 days in November of 2022. We walked all day and perhaps only 20% of this amazing place. I adore Venice. I would return in a heartbeat. Thank you.
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